Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G17AS00013

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00013

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00013) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary research award offered through a cooperative agreement mechanism. It sits within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808) and is intended specifically for an eligible CESU partner rather than the general public. The program is administered by the Department of the Interior, USGS, and was posted on November 2, 2016, with an original application closing date of November 17, 2016. The opportunity anticipates making a single award, with a maximum (award ceiling) of $48,750.

The project focus is on aquatic toxicology and water quality science, specifically testing and validating Biotic Ligand Models (BLMs) for two common metals of regulatory and ecological concern: nickel and zinc. BLMs are tools used to predict how water chemistry influences the bioavailability and toxicity of metals to aquatic organisms. Because the same dissolved metal concentration can be more or less harmful depending on conditions like pH, hardness, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), these models are often used to translate chemistry into expected biological effects and to support water quality criteria and site-specific assessments. The core idea of the grant is to check whether BLM predictions line up with real biological responses when organisms are exposed in actual natural waters rather than only in standardized laboratory water.

The first main objective is to document the chronic sensitivity of a specific freshwater mayfly species, Neocloeon triangulifer, to nickel and zinc. This would be done using chronic toxicity tests conducted in four different natural waters that represent extreme or boundary conditions for key water chemistry parameters known to strongly affect metal toxicity. The parameters highlighted are pH (which influences metal speciation and biological uptake), hardness (often linked to calcium and magnesium levels that can reduce metal toxicity through competitive interactions at biological binding sites), and DOC (which can bind metals and reduce the freely available fraction that can interact with organisms). By intentionally selecting waters with extreme values of these parameters, the study aims to capture a wide chemistry range and generate effect data that show how sensitivity shifts as water chemistry changes.

The second main objective is to evaluate how reliably existing Biotic Ligand Models predict the observed variation in effect concentrations for nickel and zinc toxicity to N. triangulifer across those differing natural-water chemistries. In practical terms, the study would compare measured toxicity outcomes from the chronic tests (for example, concentrations associated with adverse effects on survival, growth, development, or reproduction, depending on the test design) with the concentrations the BLMs would predict should cause comparable effects under the same chemical conditions. The emphasis on "variation in effect concentrations" signals that the research is not just about whether nickel or zinc are toxic, but whether the model correctly captures the direction and magnitude of toxicity changes from one water type to another.

Overall, this opportunity is a targeted, relatively small, single-award research project meant to strengthen confidence in predictive modeling used in environmental decision-making. If the models perform well, the results can support broader application of BLM-based approaches for nickel and zinc assessments across diverse river and stream settings. If they do not, the work can identify where the models may need recalibration or where additional biological or chemical complexity in natural waters is not being captured, which is valuable for improving future criteria development and risk evaluations.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU" 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 Nov 02, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 17, 2016. (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 $48,750.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G17AS00013

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