Opportunity Information: Apply for G27AS00080
This grant opportunity is a US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement being offered through the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) to improve how floodplain connectivity and overall riverscape health are assessed across the Great Basin and, more broadly, the western United States. The central problem the project is trying to solve is that many existing floodplain connectivity assessments depend heavily on field-based measurements. Field data are valuable, but they are typically expensive, time-consuming, and geographically limited, which makes it hard to scale results across large and diverse watersheds. USGS is pointing applicants toward a more scalable approach by using existing USGS lidar elevation datasets to produce stronger, more continuous, and more transferable estimates of connectivity and riverscape condition.
The project is focused on developing and advancing lidar-based methods that can describe how well rivers connect to their floodplains, which is a key ingredient of healthy river systems. Floodplain connectivity influences sediment movement, groundwater-surface water exchange, habitat complexity, nutrient cycling, and how rivers respond to floods and droughts. By using lidar to characterize topography and floodplain features, the project aims to move beyond spot measurements and instead generate consistent, spatially extensive metrics that can help identify where and why riverscapes are unhealthy, and what factors are limiting recovery in Great Basin systems.
Applicants are expected to work in collaboration with a NOROCK research fisheries biologist and to address one or more of the following core deliverables. First, they may develop an end-to-end workflow that uses lidar-derived elevation products to estimate floodplain connectivity within Great Basin riverscapes. That workflow would ideally be clear enough for others to replicate and adapt, not just a one-off analysis. Second, they may demonstrate the value of the lidar-based approach by comparing it to existing methods, which likely means showing improvements in spatial coverage, consistency, cost-efficiency, predictive performance, or usefulness for management decisions. Third, they may quantify continuous estimates of floodplain connectivity across selected portions of the Great Basin, producing map-based outputs or datasets that allow connectivity to be evaluated as a gradient rather than a simple connected/disconnected classification.
A major theme in the announcement is practical usability. USGS is not only looking for scientific advancement, but also for outputs that can be taken up by agencies and practitioners doing riverscape assessment and restoration planning. The work is intended to support decision-making tied to drought resilience, land management impacts, and responses of fish and wildlife populations. To make that happen, the opportunity emphasizes collaboration among NOROCK biologists and geomorphologists, the selected CESU partner, and additional federal and state agencies and NGO partners. The expectation is that the methods and resulting data products are accessible, scalable, and transferable, meaning they can be applied to other watersheds and by other organizations without needing a complete reinvention of the approach.
The opportunity is also framed as supporting several current federal priorities and policy directions. In plain terms, USGS is linking this work to broader Department of the Interior efforts around outdoor recreation and public lands experiences, implementation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and an emphasis on strengthening scientific integrity and methodological rigor under initiatives described as restoring "Gold Standard Science." The project is also positioned as having downstream ecological benefits: better targeted restoration and better functioning floodplains can improve riparian habitat conditions and produce cascading benefits for fish and wildlife, aligning with broader conservation and landscape restoration goals.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity with a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning USGS expects substantial involvement and collaboration during the project rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The program sits under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) framework, which is designed to connect federal science needs with qualified partners who can provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligibility is restricted: applicants must be participating partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU Program. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number G27AS00080, with an award ceiling of $90,000, an expected number of awards of 1, and an application closing date of November 14, 2026. The assistance listing is CFDA 15.808, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
Overall, the funding is aimed at producing a practical, lidar-driven way to assess floodplain connectivity and riverscape health at scale in the Great Basin, with deliverables that can guide restoration investments and help agencies and partners respond more effectively to drought, land use pressures, and habitat needs across western rivers.Apply for G27AS00080
- The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)" 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 2026-10-14.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-14. (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 $90,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement through the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK). The project is aimed at improving how floodplain connectivity and overall riverscape health are assessed, with an emphasis on the Great Basin and broader applications across the western United States.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The main purpose is to develop and advance scalable lidar-based methods to estimate floodplain connectivity and riverscape condition. The opportunity is focused on moving beyond assessments that rely heavily on field-based measurements, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to apply consistently across large and diverse watersheds.
What problem is USGS trying to solve with this project?
USGS is trying to address the limits of field-heavy floodplain connectivity assessments. While field data are valuable, they are often geographically limited and hard to scale. This project is designed to use existing USGS lidar elevation datasets to generate stronger, more continuous, and more transferable estimates of floodplain connectivity and riverscape health over large areas.
What geographic area is this project focused on?
The project is focused on riverscapes within the Great Basin. At the same time, the methods and data products are expected to be scalable and transferable so they can be applied more broadly across the western United States.
What kind of data is USGS encouraging applicants to use?
Applicants are pointed toward using existing USGS lidar elevation datasets. The intent is to use lidar-derived elevation products to characterize topography and floodplain features and then produce consistent, spatially extensive connectivity metrics.
What is meant by "floodplain connectivity" in this opportunity?
Floodplain connectivity refers to how well a river connects to its floodplain. The opportunity describes connectivity as a key ingredient of healthy river systems, influencing processes like sediment movement, groundwater-surface water exchange, habitat complexity, nutrient cycling, and river responses to floods and droughts.
Why is floodplain connectivity important for riverscape health?
The announcement highlights that floodplain connectivity affects several foundational river functions, including sediment transport and deposition, exchanges between groundwater and surface water, habitat complexity, nutrient cycling, and overall resilience to flood and drought conditions. Better connectivity assessment can help identify where riverscapes are unhealthy and what factors may be limiting recovery.
What are the expected technical deliverables?
Applicants are expected to address one or more of these core deliverables:
- Develop an end-to-end workflow using lidar-derived elevation products to estimate floodplain connectivity within Great Basin riverscapes, in a way that others can replicate and adapt.
- Demonstrate the value of the lidar-based approach by comparing it to existing methods (for example, improvements in spatial coverage, consistency, cost-efficiency, predictive performance, or management usefulness).
- Quantify continuous estimates of floodplain connectivity across selected portions of the Great Basin, producing map-based outputs or datasets that treat connectivity as a gradient rather than a simple connected/disconnected class.
Does an applicant have to complete all deliverables?
No. The opportunity states that applicants are expected to address one or more of the core deliverables, rather than all of them.
What does "end-to-end workflow" mean in this context?
In this context, an end-to-end workflow means a complete, start-to-finish process that uses lidar-derived elevation products to estimate floodplain connectivity. The announcement emphasizes that the workflow should be clear enough for others to replicate and adapt, rather than being a one-off analysis that only works in a single case.
What does USGS mean by "continuous estimates" of connectivity?
The opportunity calls for outputs that evaluate connectivity as a gradient (continuous estimates) rather than a binary classification (connected vs. disconnected). This typically implies map-based outputs or datasets where connectivity varies across space and can be interpreted at multiple levels.
Are comparisons to existing methods encouraged?
Yes. One of the listed deliverables is demonstrating the value of the lidar-based approach by comparing it to existing methods. The opportunity notes potential comparison dimensions such as spatial coverage, consistency, cost-efficiency, predictive performance, and usefulness for management decisions.
What kinds of outputs is USGS looking for?
The announcement emphasizes practical usability, so outputs are expected to be accessible and usable by agencies and practitioners. Examples described include replicable methods/workflows and map-based outputs or datasets that provide spatially extensive floodplain connectivity estimates.
How will USGS use the results of this work?
The work is intended to support riverscape assessment and restoration planning and to help guide decision-making related to drought resilience, land management impacts, and responses of fish and wildlife populations. The opportunity frames improved assessment as a way to better target restoration and improve floodplain function and riparian habitat conditions.
Is collaboration required?
Yes. Applicants are expected to collaborate with a NOROCK research fisheries biologist. The announcement also emphasizes collaboration among NOROCK biologists and geomorphologists, the selected CESU partner, and additional federal and state agencies and NGO partners.
What is a cooperative agreement, and why does it matter here?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement instrument. The announcement explains that this means USGS expects substantial involvement and collaboration during the project, rather than issuing funding and stepping back with minimal engagement.
What program framework is this opportunity under?
This opportunity sits under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) framework, which is designed to connect federal science needs with qualified partners who can provide research, technical assistance, and education.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted. Applicants must be participating partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU Program.
Which USGS center is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered through the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is G27AS00080.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $90,000.
How many awards does USGS expect to make?
The expected number of awards is 1.
What is the application deadline?
The application closing date is November 14, 2026.
What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number?
The assistance listing is CFDA 15.808.
How is this opportunity categorized?
The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What broader priorities does USGS connect this project to?
The announcement frames the project as supporting Department of the Interior priorities around outdoor recreation and public lands experiences, implementation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and strengthening scientific integrity and methodological rigor under initiatives described as restoring "Gold Standard Science."
What is meant by "accessible, scalable, and transferable" methods and products?
The opportunity emphasizes that methods and resulting data products should be usable by other watersheds and organizations without needing a complete reinvention of the approach. In practice, that means developing approaches that can be replicated, adapted, and applied consistently beyond a single study area.
Is the project strictly scientific research, or is it meant for management use too?
The opportunity explicitly emphasizes practical usability in addition to scientific advancement. USGS is looking for outputs that can be taken up by agencies and practitioners doing riverscape assessment and restoration planning.
What river and floodplain processes are highlighted as being influenced by connectivity?
The announcement specifically notes sediment movement, groundwater-surface water exchange, habitat complexity, nutrient cycling, and river responses to floods and droughts as processes influenced by floodplain connectivity.
What types of partner organizations are mentioned as part of the collaboration theme?
In addition to NOROCK staff and the selected CESU partner, the opportunity mentions collaboration with additional federal and state agencies and NGO partners.
What is the overall intended outcome of funding this work?
The overall intent is to produce a practical, lidar-driven approach to assess floodplain connectivity and riverscape health at scale in the Great Basin, with deliverables that help guide restoration investments and support responses to drought, land use pressures, and habitat needs across western rivers.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (G27AS00080) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Apply for G27AS00073 Funding Number: G27AS00073 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $435,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Apply for G27AS00072 Funding Number: G27AS00072 Agency: Geological Survey Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $375,000 |
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