Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00388
This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G23AS00388) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the North Atlantic Coast CESU. The award is intended to support science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808) focused on a timely public health and natural resource management issue: how continued deer population reductions in U.S. National Parks influence ticks and the pathogens ticks carry. The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means substantial involvement by the federal agency is expected during the project (for example, coordination on study design, data collection, analyses, and reporting), rather than a more hands-off grant arrangement.
The central goal of the project is to better understand the ecological and disease-related consequences of deer management, especially as it relates to blacklegged ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Vector-borne diseases are described as a growing concern in the United States for both workers and visitors in outdoor settings, and the opportunity highlights that ticks can transmit multiple serious illnesses, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, and tularemia. The project is framed by national surveillance trends cited from CDC reporting, noting that reported tick-borne bacterial and protozoan disease cases increased from more than 22,000 in 2004 to more than 48,000 in 2016, with Lyme disease comprising 82 percent of reported cases. The announcement also underscores that reported cases likely underestimate the true burden, citing an estimate of roughly 329,000 Lyme disease cases annually.
From an ecological standpoint, the opportunity explains why deer are central to the study. Deer are an important host in the blacklegged tick life cycle, and blacklegged ticks are the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Because adult ticks commonly feed and reproduce on deer, changes in deer abundance can alter tick reproduction, tick survival, and ultimately tick densities in the landscape. However, the notice emphasizes that the effects of deer reduction are not uniform or guaranteed. Past deer reduction efforts have shown mixed outcomes, ranging from lowered tick densities in some settings to little change in tick density in others, and in some cases even increased host-seeking (questing) behavior. That nuance is important for park management because it suggests deer reduction alone may not predictably reduce human tick exposure across all parks and habitats.
A key complication highlighted in the description is that deer reduction programs are often implemented for vegetation restoration, and those habitat changes can ripple through the broader wildlife community. In particular, the opportunity notes that reduced deer browsing can promote growth of small mammal populations such as mice, voles, and shrews. These small mammals are well-known reservoir hosts for Lyme disease pathogens, meaning they can carry and transmit infection to ticks that feed on them. As a result, deer reduction could produce different outcomes over time depending on how vegetation and small mammal communities respond, and those outcomes may differ across ecological regions. The study therefore aims to capture time-dependent and region-specific effects rather than assuming a single consistent relationship between deer density and tick-borne disease risk.
The selected CESU partner is expected to play a hands-on role in ongoing work across several National Parks. The main activities described include continued field data collection, disease diagnostics (testing ticks and/or host samples for pathogens), and data analysis. In practice, that implies support for coordinated sampling of ticks and possibly wildlife hosts, laboratory processing to identify pathogens present, and statistical or ecological modeling to interpret how deer reductions correlate with tick abundance, infection prevalence, and potentially indicators of human exposure risk. Because the opportunity emphasizes continuation, it suggests there are existing study sites, protocols, or baseline datasets that the partner will help extend, which can strengthen the ability to detect trends over time and evaluate whether effects are delayed, transient, or persistent.
Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners of the North Atlantic Coast CESU Program. The CESU framework is described as a partnership-based mechanism designed to provide research, technical assistance, and education in support of federal land and resource management needs, and this award is explicitly issued under that CESU authority. The original closing date listed for applications was July 7, 2023, the maximum funding amount (award ceiling) is $100,000, and the opportunity posting indicates an expected award count that is not clearly specified in the source text. Overall, the project is positioned at the intersection of wildlife management, disease ecology, and public health, with practical relevance for how National Parks evaluate deer control as a tool that may influence tick populations and tick-borne pathogen dynamics in complex, sometimes counterintuitive ways.Apply for G23AS00388
- 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 North Atlantic Coast CESU 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 2023-06-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-07. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity number for this award?
The Funding Opportunity Number is G23AS00388.
Which federal agency is offering this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What type of award is being offered?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this opportunity is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally means substantial involvement by the federal agency is expected during the project. In this opportunity, USGS involvement may include coordination on study design, field data collection, analyses, and reporting rather than a more hands-off arrangement.
What program is this opportunity offered under?
The award is offered under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the North Atlantic Coast CESU.
What is the CFDA number and topic area referenced for this work?
The opportunity is described as science and technology research and development under CFDA 15.808.
What is the main purpose or goal of the project?
The central goal is to better understand how continued deer population reductions in U.S. National Parks influence ticks (especially blacklegged ticks) and the pathogens ticks carry, including time-dependent and region-specific effects.
What public health issue does this project focus on?
The project focuses on vector-borne disease risk associated with ticks and tick-borne pathogens, especially in outdoor settings used by workers and visitors.
Why are deer important to this research?
Deer are an important host in the blacklegged tick life cycle. Adult blacklegged ticks commonly feed and reproduce on deer, so changes in deer abundance can affect tick reproduction, survival, and overall tick density in the landscape.
Which tick species is specifically highlighted in the opportunity?
The opportunity specifically highlights blacklegged ticks.
Which pathogen and disease are explicitly connected to blacklegged ticks in the description?
Blacklegged ticks are described as the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
Which tick-borne diseases are mentioned in the opportunity?
The opportunity mentions Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, and tularemia.
Why does the opportunity describe tick-borne diseases as a growing concern?
The description cites national surveillance trends from CDC reporting indicating that reported tick-borne bacterial and protozoan disease cases increased from more than 22,000 in 2004 to more than 48,000 in 2016, with Lyme disease comprising 82 percent of reported cases.
Does the opportunity suggest reported case counts reflect the true burden of disease?
No. The description notes that reported cases likely underestimate the true burden and cites an estimate of roughly 329,000 Lyme disease cases annually.
Is deer reduction expected to consistently reduce tick densities?
No. The opportunity emphasizes mixed outcomes from past deer reduction efforts, ranging from lowered tick densities in some settings to little change in others, and in some cases increased host-seeking (questing) behavior.
Why might deer reduction have mixed or counterintuitive outcomes for tick risk?
The opportunity explains that deer reduction is often implemented for vegetation restoration, and those habitat changes can affect other wildlife. Reduced deer browsing can promote growth of small mammal populations (such as mice, voles, and shrews), which are reservoir hosts for Lyme disease pathogens. These ecological shifts can change tick-pathogen dynamics over time and may vary across regions.
Which small mammals are specifically mentioned as potentially increasing when deer browsing is reduced?
The opportunity mentions mice, voles, and shrews.
What is meant by "reservoir hosts" in the context of this project?
As described in the opportunity, reservoir hosts are animals (notably certain small mammals) that can carry Lyme disease pathogens and transmit infection to ticks that feed on them.
What kinds of activities is the selected CESU partner expected to perform?
The selected CESU partner is expected to support continued field data collection, disease diagnostics (testing ticks and/or host samples for pathogens), and data analysis across several National Parks.
Does the opportunity indicate this is new work or a continuation of existing efforts?
It is framed as continuation. The description implies there are existing study sites, protocols, and/or baseline datasets that the partner will help extend to detect trends over time.
Where will the work take place?
The work is described as occurring across several U.S. National Parks.
What kinds of data or samples are implied by the project description?
The description implies coordinated sampling of ticks and possibly wildlife hosts, laboratory processing to identify pathogens present, and analyses to interpret relationships among deer reductions, tick abundance, and infection prevalence.
What kinds of analyses are implied by the opportunity?
The opportunity references data analysis and interpretation, which may include statistical or ecological modeling to evaluate how deer reductions correlate with tick abundance, infection prevalence, and potentially indicators of human exposure risk.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners of the North Atlantic Coast CESU Program.
Is this opportunity open to organizations outside the North Atlantic Coast CESU partnership?
No. The description states eligibility is limited to official participating partners of the North Atlantic Coast CESU.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling (maximum funding amount) is $100,000.
What was the application closing date listed in the opportunity?
The original closing date listed for applications was July 7, 2023.
How many awards does the opportunity expect to make?
The opportunity posting indicates an expected award count, but it is not clearly specified in the provided source text.
How does this project connect wildlife management and public health?
The project sits at the intersection of deer management (often conducted for vegetation restoration), tick ecology, and pathogen dynamics. The goal is to inform how deer control may influence tick populations and tick-borne pathogen risk in complex, time-dependent, and region-specific ways that matter for National Park management decisions.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (G23AS00388) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU Partner with Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00379 Funding Number: G23AS00379 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $35,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes – Northern Forest CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00385 Funding Number: G23AS00385 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $333,333 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00391 Funding Number: G23AS00391 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00392 Funding Number: G23AS00392 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00389 Funding Number: G23AS00389 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $55,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with North Atlantic Coast CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00393 Funding Number: G23AS00393 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $130,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes – Northern Forest CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00401 Funding Number: G23AS00401 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $148,799 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00400 Funding Number: G23AS00400 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $85,000 |
| C4ISR, Information Operations, Cyberspace Operations and Information Technology System Research, Cryogenics and Quantum Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Apply for N66001 23 S 4702 Funding Number: N66001 23 S 4702 Agency: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00409 Funding Number: G23AS00409 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $80,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00407 Funding Number: G23AS00407 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $140,168 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00411 Funding Number: G23AS00411 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $41,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00410 Funding Number: G23AS00410 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $108,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with North Atlantic Coast CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00402 Funding Number: G23AS00402 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $167,580 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Chesapeake Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00403 Funding Number: G23AS00403 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00406 Funding Number: G23AS00406 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $333,333 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00404 Funding Number: G23AS00404 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $47,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00417 Funding Number: G23AS00417 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $23,144 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00416 Funding Number: G23AS00416 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $180,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Apply for G23AS00419 Funding Number: G23AS00419 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $329,929 |
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