Opportunity Information: Apply for G16AS00013
This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North Atlantic Coast CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00013), was released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Alaska Science Center (ASC). It is a discretionary financial assistance award offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project is expected to involve active collaboration with the federal agency rather than operating as a hands-off grant. The work falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA 15.808.
The purpose of the funding is to support research that evaluates contaminant exposure in polar bears from the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. The core scientific objective is straightforward and targeted: use polar bear blood samples to measure and quantify exposure to specific classes of contaminants, particularly persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These compounds are well known for their long environmental persistence, ability to travel long distances through air and ocean currents, and tendency to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in food webs, which is especially relevant for top predators like polar bears.
The opportunity is framed around a changing Arctic environment and the behavioral shifts that come with it. The southern Beaufort Sea polar bears have been experiencing sea ice loss, and as summer sea ice becomes less available, there has been an increasing trend of bears spending more time on land during the open-water season. That shift matters because time on land can change diet, foraging behavior, and contact with different contamination pathways compared with time spent hunting on sea ice. The grant is intended to help determine whether these behavior changes could be linked to different contaminant exposure profiles, and whether contaminant exposure might play a role in mediating or worsening declines in polar bear health.
A key theme of the project is characterization: establishing a clear picture of what polar bears are being exposed to, using blood-based measures as an indicator of internal dose and recent or ongoing exposure. By quantifying POPs and PCBs, the resulting data can help clarify whether increased land use is associated with higher, lower, or simply different contaminant burdens. That kind of information is useful for understanding potential stressors on polar bears beyond habitat loss alone, since contaminants can be tied to immune function, reproduction, and overall physiological condition depending on compound types and concentrations.
This award is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework, specifically the North Atlantic Coast CESU. CESUs are partnership networks designed to connect federal agencies with participating institutions to deliver research, technical assistance, and education tied to natural and cultural resource management needs. As a result, eligibility is restricted: applicants must already be formal partners in the North Atlantic Coast CESU Program. The opportunity indicates an expectation of a single award (Expected Awards: 1). The listing provides an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that a specific maximum was not stated in the summary record rather than implying that no funds are available.
Key administrative dates included a creation date of November 30, 2015, and an original closing date of December 28, 2015. Overall, the opportunity is focused on supporting a specific applied research effort that links Arctic environmental change, polar bear behavior, and contaminant exposure, using targeted laboratory analysis of blood samples to generate evidence relevant to polar bear health and conservation planning.Apply for G16AS00013
- The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North Atlantic Coast 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 2015-11-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-12-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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 the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North Atlantic Coast CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00013).
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
The funding was released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Alaska Science Center (ASC).
What type of award is this?
This is a discretionary financial assistance award offered as a cooperative agreement. That format indicates the project is expected to involve active collaboration with the federal agency rather than being managed as a hands-off grant.
What is the main purpose of the project described in the opportunity?
The purpose is to support research that evaluates contaminant exposure in polar bears from the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation by using blood samples to measure and quantify exposure to specific contaminant classes.
Which polar bear population is the focus of the work?
The work focuses on polar bears from the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation.
What biological samples are used to assess contaminant exposure?
The opportunity specifies using polar bear blood samples to measure and quantify contaminant exposure.
Which contaminants are specifically called out for measurement?
The opportunity highlights persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as key contaminant classes to be measured and quantified.
Why are POPs and PCBs important to study in polar bears?
They are described as compounds that persist in the environment for long periods, can travel long distances through air and ocean currents, and can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in food webs. That makes them especially relevant for top predators like polar bears.
How does the changing Arctic environment relate to this research?
The opportunity is framed around sea ice loss in the Arctic and the related behavioral shifts in polar bears. As summer sea ice becomes less available, bears are increasingly spending more time on land during the open-water season, which may affect contaminant exposure pathways.
Why does spending more time on land matter for contaminant exposure?
The opportunity notes that time on land can change diet, foraging behavior, and contact with different contamination pathways compared with time spent hunting on sea ice. The project is intended to help determine whether these behavior changes are linked to different contaminant exposure profiles.
What is the core scientific objective stated in the opportunity?
The core objective is to use blood-based measures to quantify exposure to POPs and PCBs as an indicator of internal dose and recent or ongoing exposure, and to characterize what polar bears are being exposed to.
What kind of results is the project expected to produce?
Based on the description, the project is expected to generate quantified blood-based data on POP and PCB exposure. Those results can be used to assess whether increased land use is associated with higher, lower, or different contaminant burdens.
How is polar bear health connected to contaminant exposure in this opportunity?
The opportunity links contaminant exposure to polar bear health by noting that contaminants can be tied to immune function, reproduction, and overall physiological condition depending on the compound types and concentrations. The research is meant to clarify whether contaminant exposure might mediate or worsen declines in polar bear health.
What activity category is associated with this funding opportunity?
The work falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.808.
What does it mean that the award is under the CESU framework?
The award is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework, specifically the North Atlantic Coast CESU. CESUs are partnership networks intended to connect federal agencies with participating institutions to deliver research, technical assistance, and education related to natural and cultural resource management needs.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to applicants that are already formal partners in the North Atlantic Coast CESU Program.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of a single award (Expected Awards: 1).
Is there a maximum (ceiling) award amount stated?
The listing provides an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that a specific maximum was not stated in the summary record rather than meaning that no funds are available.
When was the opportunity created?
The creation date listed is November 30, 2015.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date listed is December 28, 2015.
What is the overall theme of the research supported by this opportunity?
The overall theme is applied research linking Arctic environmental change (particularly sea ice loss), polar bear behavior (increased land use), and contaminant exposure (measured through blood analysis of POPs and PCBs), with the goal of generating evidence relevant to polar bear health and conservation planning.
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