Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes-Northern Forests Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00414

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00414

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes-Northern Forests Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" (Funding Opportunity Number G23AS00414), is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on applied research and technology development. The award is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the work as it is carried out, rather than simply issuing funds and receiving final deliverables at the end.

The core purpose of the project is research aimed at developing field-deployable microsensor technology capable of measuring trace (very low) concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a range of aquatic environments. A key emphasis is that these environments may have complex chemical matrices, which typically means water samples contain mixtures of natural organic matter, salts, other contaminants, and background chemicals that can interfere with detection. The opportunity is therefore geared toward sensor approaches that can operate outside of controlled laboratory settings and still provide reliable measurements in real-world conditions such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater-influenced waters, or other challenging aquatic systems.

This assistance opportunity is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework, specifically the Great Lakes-Northern Forests CESU. CESUs are established partnerships designed to support research, technical assistance, and education by connecting federal agencies with a network of universities, nonprofits, and other partner organizations. Because the award is routed through a CESU, eligibility is limited: applicants must already be an official participating partner in the Great Lakes-Northern Forests CESU Program. In the listing, eligible applicants are categorized as "Others," which aligns with the CESU model where eligibility is based on partnership status rather than broad public competition.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA number 15.808. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $284,000. The posting shows an original closing date of July 21, 2023, and a creation date of June 13, 2023. The notice does not specify the exact number of awards expected (the field is left blank), but it indicates that USGS intended to support work within this defined technical scope through the CESU mechanism.

In practical terms, this opportunity is aimed at advancing PFAS monitoring capabilities by moving toward portable, in-field detection tools that can handle low-level measurements in difficult water chemistries. For agencies and stakeholders working on PFAS contamination and water-quality assessment, field-ready microsensors can reduce reliance on slower, more expensive sampling-and-lab-analysis workflows, enable more frequent measurements, and improve the ability to map and track PFAS presence across diverse aquatic settings.

• 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 Great Lakes-Northern Forests 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 2023-06-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-21. (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 $284,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00414

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