Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00438

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00438

This opportunity is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed at supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) with applied, decision-focused work on ticks and tick-borne diseases associated with wildlife. The central purpose is to develop and test integrated tick management approaches that combine multiple tools rather than relying on any single tactic. In practical terms, the project is expected to blend tick biocontrol methods with wildlife species management and wildlife habitat management, then translate what is learned into actions that agencies can use. Although eligibility is tied to the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partnership, the work itself is organized around an interjurisdictional strategy for northern New England, where tick pressures on wildlife, livestock, and people are changing quickly.

The scientific emphasis is on several tick groups that matter for different reasons. Winter ticks are a major focus because of their documented impacts on moose health and population dynamics. The project also targets the invasive Asian longhorned tick due to its relevance for domestic animals and its expanding footprint. In addition, the work includes ticks of strong public health concern, such as the blacklegged tick and the lone star tick, particularly when these species are found on wildlife or use wildlife hosts for blood meals. By looking across these tick types together, the effort is designed to capture the full ecological community of ticks affecting the region and to help agencies respond to both established and emerging threats.

A major deliverable is the co-production of a regional tick surveillance and sampling strategy. The solicitation makes it clear that surveillance is not meant to be done in isolation; instead, the recipient is expected to coordinate closely with federal, state, and tribal natural resource management agencies to reduce duplicated sampling and to ensure that data collection is comparable across jurisdictions. That coordination is meant to produce actionable science, meaning surveillance outputs and analyses that directly support on-the-ground decisions such as where to target interventions, how to track spread over time, and how to prioritize limited management resources.

On the management side, the project includes field evaluation of tick biocontrol approaches, selected in consultation with federal and state partners. Because biocontrol can have unintended consequences, the CESU partner is expected to work with USGS to assess potential non-target effects on wildlife and the broader environment. This reflects an emphasis on responsible implementation: testing whether a method works against ticks under real conditions while also checking for ecological side effects that could limit use or require safeguards.

The opportunity also invests in longer-term capacity building. The recipient will partner with USGS to run training workshops for biologists and technicians working in natural resource agencies so that tick and tick-borne disease monitoring can be sustained across years and across jurisdictions. In addition, the recipient is expected to participate actively in multi-sectoral and interjurisdictional meetings and workshops on regional tick-borne disease management, especially those convened by USGS, reinforcing that this is as much a coordination and implementation effort as it is a research project.

Public communication is another required component. The recipient will collaborate with USGS on outreach tied to Vector Week and will help develop educational resources for teachers. The expectation is that project results will not stay internal to agencies; instead, information will be disseminated through federal reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, professional presentations, and regular engagement with federal, state, and tribal natural resource managers. Overall, the grant is framed as a collaborative effort to improve understanding of changing tick and tick-borne disease dynamics in northern New England and to deliver integrated, interjurisdictional tick management options that decision-makers can actually use.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS during the project. The opportunity number is G23AS00438 under CFDA 15.808, with USGS as the issuing agency. The award ceiling is $333,333, with the original application closing date listed as 2023-07-28. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners in the Alaska CESU program, consistent with the CESU model of leveraging established research and technical assistance partnerships to support federal land and resource management needs.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $333,333.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00438

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