Cooperative Research Units Program FY 2020 | G20AS00004

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00004

The Cooperative Research Units Program FY 2020 (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00004) is a discretionary funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. It uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which generally indicates an award structure that expects meaningful involvement and collaboration between the federal agency and the recipient during the project period. The opportunity falls under environment, natural resources, and science and technology research and development, and it is listed under CFDA number 15.812.

At its core, this program supports a long-running, multi-partner research network known as the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (often called the Cooperative Units). The program is built around a structured partnership model that links State natural resource agencies, host universities, the federal government, and a non-profit organization. The network consists of 40 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units located on university campuses across 38 states. The program traces back to the 1930s, when the first nine Units were established, and it expanded over time as Congress established additional Units at specific universities. This history matters because it highlights that the Units are not ad hoc projects; they are congressionally recognized, long-standing institutional collaborations designed to deliver applied research and scientific capacity that directly supports fish and wildlife management needs.

The funding and support for these Units is shared across several core partners: the USGS, the host universities where the Units are located, State natural resource agencies, the Wildlife Management Institute (the non-profit partner referenced in the notice), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That joint support structure is a defining feature of the program and signals that the work funded through this opportunity is intended to be cooperative and aligned with partner priorities, typically emphasizing actionable science that can be used by resource managers and decision-makers. While the notice does not lay out specific project topics in the provided text, the program framing makes clear that supported work is expected to fit within the mission space of fish and wildlife research, natural resource management, and related applied science.

In terms of award parameters, the listed award ceiling is $1,000,000. The opportunity record shows "Expected Awards: 0," which can occur in postings that function as umbrella or continuation mechanisms, or where the announcement is used to manage specific types of agreements rather than to forecast a set number of new competitive awards. Eligibility is described as "Others," with a note directing applicants to additional eligibility information in the full announcement; this typically means the eligible applicant pool is restricted or specialized (often tied to the established Cooperative Units or designated partner institutions), rather than open to all organizations.

The timeline information in the source data includes a creation date of September 18, 2019, and it lists an original closing date of June 19, 2019, with later dates (including August 6, 2020) tied to amendments or changes. The text indicates that some changes may relate to "new or changes in scope of work or total estimated cost," while other updates are characterized as changes that do not affect scope or total estimated cost. Taken together, those dates suggest the posting may have been updated or amended after initial issuance, and anyone using the opportunity for application or award management would need to rely on the latest posted version and amendment history to understand the applicable deadlines and conditions.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as support for a national, campus-based network of Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units that operate through formal partnerships among federal and state agencies, universities, and a non-profit organization. The program is designed to produce research and related scientific work in service of fish and wildlife conservation and management, leveraging shared investment and collaboration across the participating institutions.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Research Units Program FY 2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.812.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 18, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by June 19, 2019 (new or changes in scope of work or total estimated cost) August 6, 2020 (other changes not involving change to scope of work or total estimated cost). (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G20AS00004

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: