Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G25AS00181

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity about?

This opportunity is for a cooperative agreement to support Lake Powell reservoir's long-term water quality monitoring program. The emphasis is on strengthening the underlying data systems and workflows that keep the monitoring program consistent, reliable, and useful over time, rather than simply collecting new measurements.

2) Which federal agency is offering the award?

The award is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

3) What is the funding mechanism?

The project will be funded through a cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program.

4) Who is eligible to apply?

Only organizations that are official, participating partners in the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) are eligible to apply.

5) What is the main goal of the project?

The main goal is to modernize and strengthen how the Lake Powell water quality dataset is entered, validated, visualized, released, and shared, so the monitoring program remains consistent, reproducible, and accessible over the long term.

6) Is this opportunity mainly for field sampling and new data collection?

The core focus is not simply collecting new measurements. The central effort is improving the "data backbone" of the monitoring program, including software, workflows, QA/QC, versioned releases, and sharing tools.

7) What kinds of technical work are supported?

Supported work includes building or improving data entry software, creating reproducible workflows for generating data visualizations, and setting up processes for versioned data releases so updates can be tracked, cited, and revisited consistently.

8) What does "data stewardship" mean in this opportunity?

Data stewardship in this project refers to keeping monitoring data well organized, quality-assured and quality-controlled (QA/QC), and prepared in formats that can support both scientific research and communication needs.

9) What is meant by "reproducible workflows" for visualizations?

Reproducible workflows are repeatable processes for generating data visual products, so the same steps can be rerun consistently as the dataset is updated over time.

10) What are "versioned data releases," and why are they important?

Versioned data releases are a structured way to publish updates to a dataset so that each release is tracked over time. This supports consistent citation, makes changes transparent, and allows users to revisit prior versions when comparing analyses or reports.

11) Will the project involve building a web interface?

Yes. The opportunity supports research and development for a web interface intended to make the monitoring data and visual products easier to access and interact with.

12) What is the purpose of the web interface component?

The web component is intended to improve usability and transparency by allowing users to explore data and visuals more directly, rather than relying only on static reports or internal tools.

13) Who will the awardee collaborate with during the project?

The awardee will work closely with a reservoir limnologist and a biogeochemist to prioritize development tasks and align software and workflow outputs with real-world analysis needs.

14) How will the technical work be connected to real-world use of the data?

The project is designed to connect development directly to how scientists and stakeholders use the information, including interpreting trends, reporting conditions, and supporting management decisions.

15) What program is this opportunity issued under?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity issued under the CESU Program, which is built around partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education for federal land and resource management needs.

16) What is the Opportunity Number?

The Opportunity Number is G25AS00181.

17) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.808.

18) What category is this opportunity listed under?

It is categorized under "Science and Technology and other Research and Development."

19) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $150,000.

20) When was the opportunity posted?

The posting was created on December 11, 2024.

21) What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was January 13, 2025.

22) What is the primary location or subject area of the work?

The work supports the long-term water quality monitoring program for Lake Powell reservoir.

23) What types of outputs does the opportunity emphasize?

The opportunity emphasizes improved data entry processes, organized and QA/QC-ready datasets, reproducible visualization workflows, a versioned data release process, and a web interface to share data and visual products more effectively.

24) Why is modernizing the data pipeline important for a long-term monitoring program?

Long-term monitoring depends on consistent methods, traceable updates, and reliable outputs over time. This opportunity prioritizes systems and processes that make the dataset easier to maintain, update, cite, and use for both research and communication over the long run.