Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 19 FA 2380
The grant opportunity titled "Improving Pollinator Habitat using Mycorrhizal Inoculum" (Funding Opportunity Number: USGS 19 FA 2380) is a U.S. Geological Survey (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement focused on improving the success of tallgrass prairie reconstructions in the Upper Midwest, specifically in Minnesota and Iowa. The central idea is that rebuilding prairie plant communities that are diverse enough to support strong pollinator habitat is not just about planting seeds; it also depends on restoring key belowground partnerships. The opportunity targets arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a group of beneficial soil fungi that form mutualistic relationships with many prairie plants and may strongly influence whether reconstructed prairies develop the richness and stability seen in high-quality remnant prairies.
The project is motivated by a practical gap in restoration science: while prior work suggests AMF can be critical for prairie establishment and long-term plant community performance, there is still limited, decision-ready information about which AMF communities matter, which plant species are most affected, and whether inoculum (adding AMF to soils to speed or improve restoration) needs to be locally sourced or can be applied more broadly. In short, the study aims to clarify when and how AMF inoculation could be used as a tool to improve prairie reconstructions in ways that ultimately support pollinators through higher plant diversity and more resilient habitat.
The work described follows a tiered approach, with the first tier centered on comparing AMF communities associated with prairie plants in two contrasting settings: high-quality remnant prairies (often considered benchmarks for biodiversity and ecological function) and reconstructed prairies (sites that have been replanted or restored but may lag in diversity or stability). Researchers will collect root samples from at least 20 plant species commonly used in tallgrass prairie reconstructions and identify the AMF taxa colonizing those roots. By directly comparing fungi found in the same plant species across remnant versus reconstructed prairies, the study seeks to determine whether reconstructed sites are missing important fungal partners or have different AMF communities that could be limiting plant performance.
A key objective within that first tier is to connect fungal community differences to real restoration outcomes. Specifically, the project will test whether plant species that tend to establish poorly or decline over time in reconstructions consistently host AMF communities that differ from those found in the same species thriving in remnant prairies. If such patterns are found, it would help pinpoint which plant species are most likely to benefit from AMF inoculum, making inoculation efforts more targeted and cost-effective rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all practice.
Another major objective is to determine how geographically specific AMF inoculum needs to be. The study will evaluate how consistent AMF communities are across different locations, comparing patterns for plant species in decline versus those that perform well. This is meant to answer a practical implementation question for land managers: do you need locally sourced inoculum from nearby remnant prairies to get the desired effect, or are AMF communities similar enough across the region that inoculum could be sourced more broadly? The answer has major implications for feasibility, cost, and ecological risk, since local sourcing can be logistically challenging but may better match local plant-fungal relationships.
In terms of administrative details, this was a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.808, with eligibility limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The opportunity was posted on August 14, 2019, with an original closing date of August 28, 2019. The expected award count was one, with an award ceiling of $63,910. Overall, the opportunity is designed to produce applied ecological knowledge that helps restoration practitioners improve prairie reconstruction outcomes by understanding and potentially managing the belowground AMF communities that support diverse, pollinator-friendly plant assemblages.Apply for USGS 19 FA 2380
- The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Pollinator Habitat using Mycorrhizal Inoculum" 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 14, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 28, 2019. (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 $63,910.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Improving Pollinator Habitat using Mycorrhizal Inoculum."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USGS 19 FA 2380.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior.
What type of award is being offered?
The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project aims to improve the success of tallgrass prairie reconstructions in ways that support strong pollinator habitat by better understanding and potentially managing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), beneficial soil fungi that form mutualistic relationships with many prairie plants.
How does this project connect prairie reconstruction to pollinator habitat?
The project is based on the idea that pollinator-friendly habitat depends on diverse, resilient prairie plant communities, and that restoring belowground partnerships (such as plant-AMF relationships) may influence whether reconstructions achieve the richness and stability associated with high-quality remnant prairies.
What are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the context of this opportunity?
AMF are beneficial soil fungi that colonize plant roots and form mutualistic relationships with many prairie species. The opportunity focuses on how these fungi may affect prairie establishment, plant community performance, and the ability of reconstructions to resemble high-quality remnant prairies.
What problem or gap is the project trying to address?
The opportunity targets a practical gap in restoration science: there is limited decision-ready information about which AMF communities matter most, which plant species are most affected, and whether AMF inoculum must be locally sourced or can be used more broadly to improve restoration outcomes.
What is meant by "mycorrhizal inoculum" here?
In this opportunity, inoculum refers to adding AMF to soils to potentially speed up or improve prairie restoration by restoring key belowground fungal partners that may be missing or altered in reconstructed sites.
What region is the work focused on?
The work is focused on the Upper Midwest, specifically Minnesota and Iowa.
What types of prairies are being compared in the study?
The study compares AMF communities associated with prairie plants in high-quality remnant prairies and reconstructed prairies.
Why compare remnant prairies and reconstructed prairies?
Remnant prairies are treated as benchmarks for biodiversity and ecological function, while reconstructed prairies may lag in diversity or stability. Comparing the AMF communities in the same plant species across these settings helps evaluate whether reconstructions are missing important fungal partners or have different AMF communities that could limit plant performance.
What is the "tiered approach" described in the opportunity?
The work follows a tiered approach, with the first tier focused on comparing AMF communities found in roots of prairie plants from remnant versus reconstructed prairies and linking any differences to restoration outcomes.
How will researchers examine AMF communities?
Researchers will collect root samples from prairie plants and identify the AMF taxa colonizing those roots. The comparison is designed to look at the same plant species across remnant and reconstructed prairies.
How many plant species will be included in sampling?
The opportunity specifies collecting root samples from at least 20 plant species commonly used in tallgrass prairie reconstructions.
What is the goal of sampling the same plant species in both remnant and reconstructed sites?
Sampling the same plant species in both settings allows a direct comparison of which AMF taxa those plants host in remnant prairies versus reconstructed prairies, helping identify whether reconstructed sites differ in potentially important fungal partners.
How does the project tie fungal community differences to practical restoration outcomes?
The project will test whether plant species that establish poorly or decline over time in reconstructions consistently host AMF communities that differ from those found in the same species thriving in remnant prairies. If consistent differences appear, this can help identify which plant species are most likely to benefit from AMF inoculation.
What kinds of plant performance patterns are of interest?
The opportunity highlights interest in plant species that tend to establish poorly or decline over time in reconstructions, compared with species that perform well and persist.
How could the findings influence how inoculum is used in restorations?
If the study identifies certain plant species that are more likely to benefit from AMF inoculum, inoculation could be applied more strategically rather than as a one-size-fits-all practice, potentially improving cost-effectiveness and outcomes.
Does the opportunity address whether AMF inoculum should be locally sourced?
Yes. A major objective is to determine how geographically specific AMF inoculum needs to be by evaluating how consistent AMF communities are across different locations.
What practical question about sourcing is the study trying to answer for land managers?
The study is designed to help answer whether land managers need locally sourced inoculum from nearby remnant prairies to achieve desired restoration effects, or whether AMF communities are similar enough across the region that inoculum could be sourced more broadly.
Why does geographic specificity of inoculum matter?
The opportunity notes that the answer affects feasibility, cost, and ecological risk. Local sourcing can be logistically challenging but may better match local plant-fungal relationships, while broader sourcing could be easier if AMF communities are sufficiently similar across the region.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on August 14, 2019.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was August 28, 2019.
How many awards were expected?
The expected award count was one.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $63,910.
What is the intended outcome or benefit of the funded work?
The opportunity is designed to produce applied ecological knowledge that helps restoration practitioners improve tallgrass prairie reconstruction outcomes by understanding and potentially managing the belowground AMF communities that support diverse, pollinator-friendly plant assemblages.
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