Large Animal Studies | USGS 18 FA 0337

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 18 FA 0337

The Department of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), offered a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Large Animal Studies" (Funding Opportunity Number: USGS 18 FA 0337) focused on improving scientific understanding of energy use and metabolism in large mammals, with a clear emphasis on terrestrial species and an applied link to polar bear research. The project is structured as a cooperative effort rather than a standard grant, meaning the agency typically expects active involvement and coordination in the work, such as shaping research direction, sharing data standards, or collaborating on analysis and deliverables. The funding activity category is listed under Education, and the associated CFDA number is 15.808.

The main purpose of the project is to synthesize and consolidate existing information on metabolic rates in large mammals across two broad contexts: animals living in the wild (free-ranging) and animals kept in managed settings (captive). The opportunity notes that the work may also involve collecting new energetic and/or metabolic measurements from captive animals housed at zoological parks. This implies a practical pathway for obtaining controlled or repeatable measurements that can be difficult to capture in wild settings, while still aiming to produce results that are relevant to real-world ecological conditions.

A central expectation is that the metabolic and energetic information compiled or collected in the first phase of the work will be used to develop models that better explain and predict polar bear energetics. In other words, the project is not only about describing metabolic rates in large mammals for its own sake; it is intended to feed into modeling efforts that evaluate how polar bears may respond energetically to environmental change. Specifically, the modeling goal is to improve understanding of how different types of habitat change and human-caused disturbance (anthropogenic disturbance) could alter polar bears' energy budgets, potentially affecting their behavior, survival, and overall fitness. The framing suggests an interest in differential responses, meaning the models should be capable of representing how varying conditions or disturbance levels might lead to different energetic outcomes rather than assuming a single uniform response.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity was open to any type of qualified applicant entity, subject to any additional clarifications that may have been provided in the full notice. The opportunity anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $40,000. Key dates provided include a creation date of August 28, 2018, and an original closing date of September 11, 2018, indicating a short application window and a relatively small, targeted award aimed at producing a focused synthesis and/or limited data collection effort that directly supports development of polar bear energetics models.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Large Animal Studies" 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 Aug 28, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 11, 2018. (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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for USGS 18 FA 0337

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: