Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G20AS00020

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (G20AS00020)?

G20AS00020 is a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through the Powell Center. It supports a research synthesis project titled "Causes, Consequences, Changes, and Management of Streamflow Depletion Across the U.S."

Which agency is offering this award?

The award is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), associated with the USGS Powell Center.

What type of funding instrument is being used?

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, indicating an expectation of coordination and collaboration aligned with USGS priorities.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category listed is Science and Technology/Research and Development.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.808.

How many awards will be funded under this opportunity?

The program is designed to fund one project.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $50,000.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to eligible CESU partners. The notice indicates "Others," with eligibility clarified in the additional eligibility information associated with the opportunity.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on November 25, 2019.

What was the original application deadline?

The original application deadline was December 10, 2019.

What is the central purpose of the funded project?

The project’s central purpose is to synthesize and leverage existing information rather than generate entirely new field datasets. The selected partner is expected to compile and integrate streamflow-related datasets from USGS and other sources and use that combined evidence base to quantify where and how streamflow depletion is occurring or could occur across the continental United States.

Is this opportunity focused on creating new field data?

No. The project emphasizes synthesis of existing datasets and information rather than collecting entirely new field datasets.

What geographic area is the project focused on?

The work is intended to quantify streamflow depletion patterns across the continental United States.

What kinds of datasets are expected to be used?

The project is expected to compile and integrate streamflow-related datasets from USGS and other sources, using available observational records and related information suitable for synthesis-scale analysis.

What are the main research themes the project addresses?

The project focuses on causes, consequences, changes, and management of streamflow depletion across the U.S., with practical emphasis on reductions in streamflow and baseflow, likely drivers of change, and outputs that help communicate findings broadly.

What are the four main tasks in the scope of work?

The scope of work is organized into four tasks: (1) quantify changes in streamflow and baseflow using trend analyses on observational records; (2) attribute observed changes to major contributing factors, specifically climate change and land-use change; (3) evaluate simple hydrologic metrics for their appropriateness and robustness in capturing streamflow depletion and related human impacts; and (4) develop a visualization tool focused on streamflow depletion potential.

What does the project mean by quantifying changes in streamflow and baseflow?

This task involves applying trend analyses to available observational records to document how streamflow and baseflow conditions have shifted over time and to characterize those changes consistently across broad geographic areas.

What does attribution involve in this project?

Attribution in this context means linking observed changes in streamflow and baseflow to major contributing factors. The opportunity specifically calls for attribution to climate change and land-use change, moving beyond describing trends to explaining likely drivers using the best available data and appropriate synthesis-scale analytical approaches.

Which drivers of streamflow and baseflow change are specifically called out?

The opportunity specifically calls out climate change and land-use change as the major contributing factors to evaluate in attribution analyses.

What are "simple hydrologic metrics" and why are they being evaluated?

The opportunity describes a task to evaluate simple hydrologic metrics to determine whether they are appropriate and robust for capturing streamflow depletion and related human impacts on stream environments. The intent is to screen commonly used indicators to identify which ones perform reliably across different hydrologic settings and which are most informative for detecting or summarizing depletion linked to human activities.

What is meant by a "visualization tool focused on streamflow depletion potential"?

The project includes developing a visualization tool intended to translate technical results into an understandable and usable format. The tool is meant to support education and information transfer by helping stakeholders explore patterns, compare regions, and understand the implications of streamflow depletion potential.

Who are the intended audiences for the project outputs?

The opportunity emphasizes outputs that help communicate findings to researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers, and that support education and information transfer for stakeholders.

What kind of outputs are expected from this project?

Based on the described tasks, expected outputs include: synthesized and integrated datasets/evidence bases, analyses quantifying trends in streamflow and baseflow, attribution results relating changes to climate and land-use factors, an assessment of the usefulness of simple hydrologic metrics, and a visualization product focused on streamflow depletion potential designed for broad accessibility.

How does the CESU cooperative agreement structure influence the work?

The cooperative agreement structure signals an expectation of collaboration and coordination with USGS priorities, with deliverables that are scientifically credible and broadly accessible.

Is the project intended to support management and decision-making?

Yes. The opportunity’s framing and deliverables emphasize producing accessible outputs and tools that help decision-makers and other stakeholders understand where depletion is occurring or could occur and what the likely drivers are.

Does the project address both streamflow and baseflow?

Yes. The scope explicitly includes quantifying and attributing changes in both streamflow and baseflow.

Is the work limited to documenting trends, or does it also seek explanations?

It includes both. One task focuses on trend analysis (documenting changes), and another task focuses on attribution (explaining changes by assessing contributions from climate and land-use change).