The Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit provides financial assistance for a research project led by the U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC). The project aims to build a program that uses new remote sensing platforms to improve understanding of how southwestern U.S. ecosystems function and to identify management options that best sustain ecosystem services in dryland environments.

Award Information

• Funding Opportunity Number: G26AS00116
• Program Funding: $499,550
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Award Minimum: $1
• Award Maximum: $499,550
• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
• Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement
• Opportunity Category: Discretionary
• Category of Funding Activity: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
• Assistance Listing: 15.808 – U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection

Eligibility

• Eligible Applicants: Miscellaneous (Other)
• Additional Information: This financial assistance opportunity is issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.

Project Focus

The program concentrates on remote sensing tools best suited for dryland ecosystems, with an emphasis on biological soil crust communities and using remote sensing to inform land management decisions. Work will also employ artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other advanced data analysis tools to process a range and scale of data not previously possible.

Nearly 40% of the United States consists of arid and semiarid ecosystems. Remote sensing challenges unique to drylands have made landscape-scale assessments difficult, lagging behind applications in more mesic ecosystems. Improving remote sensing capabilities in drylands can directly assist resource managers and decision-makers. The project includes developing innovative remote sensing options for mapping, assessing, and managing biological soil crusts—a soil surface community that is the dominant cover type in many U.S. drylands.

Proposed approaches blend emerging remote sensing technologies from drones, satellites, and ground-based platforms with field ecology and novel dryland experiments. New technologies could vastly improve the ability to predict biocrust abundance, rangeland productivity, and exotic grass invasion. These predictions would benefit resource managers, ranchers, hunters, and anyone needing to evaluate forage quality for livestock and wildlife, fire regimes, dust production, and restoration prioritization.

Application Process

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Track application status and subscribe to updates through that platform. Required documents include a project abstract summary, geospatial data instructions, biographical sketches, and current and pending support forms (see attached documents on the opportunity page).

Deadline

Closing: June 14, 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 PM ET on the listed due date.

Contact Information

Grantor Contact: RACHEL MILLER
Email: rachelmiller@usgs.gov