Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North Atlantic Coast CESU | G17AS00090

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00090

The Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Alaska Science Center (ASC), announced a discretionary funding opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the North Atlantic Coast CESU. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the project is expected to involve substantial federal involvement or collaboration rather than functioning like a simple pass-through grant. The opportunity was published under Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00090 and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808).

The purpose of the project is to support research that evaluates whether recent shifts in polar bear foraging behavior are changing the animals contaminant exposure in the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. This subpopulation has been experiencing significant sea ice loss, and as a result, there has been an increasing trend of polar bears spending more time on land during the summer months. That seasonal move from ice to land can drive changes in what bears eat and where they forage, potentially creating more divergent feeding strategies among individuals. The core concern behind the project is that different diets and foraging locations may lead to different levels or types of contaminant exposure, which could in turn affect polar bear health and potentially contribute to observed or future declines.

The work described in the announcement centers on analyzing adipose (fat) tissue samples from polar bears. Adipose tissue is particularly useful in wildlife contaminant studies because many contaminants can accumulate in fat and because biochemical indicators found in fat can help infer diet. The project aims to use these tissue samples to (1) estimate polar bear diets and (2) quantify exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a class of organic contaminants commonly associated with petroleum and combustion processes, and they are of interest because they can have harmful biological effects depending on dose, exposure pathways, and animal condition. By pairing diet estimation with PAH measurements, the project is intended to clarify whether changing feeding behavior is linked to measurable differences in contaminant burdens.

The announcement frames the research as an evaluation of how behavior-driven dietary changes could mediate contaminant exposure and, by extension, polar bear health outcomes. In practical terms, the project is meant to help answer whether bears that spend more time on land and potentially rely on different food resources are experiencing different PAH exposure than bears that continue to forage primarily in marine/ice-associated environments. The expected value of the work is in strengthening understanding of one plausible mechanism by which climate-driven habitat change (loss of sea ice) could indirectly influence health: not only through reduced access to traditional prey, but also through altered exposure to harmful chemicals tied to where and what the animals eat.

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners, with the listing indicating "Others" and directing applicants to additional eligibility details in the full text. The funding parameters are modest and targeted: the award ceiling is $30,000, with one award expected. The opportunity was created on June 21, 2017, with an original closing date of July 7, 2017, indicating a short application window and a tightly scoped, specific research need rather than a broad multi-year program solicitation.

• The Department of the Interior, 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 Jun 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (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 $30,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G17AS00090

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