Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center (NRCASC) competitive research award to a CESU partner. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders. The NRCASC program provides rigorous science and transparent communication) (EO 14303- Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025)/SO 3441-Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science, May 23, 2025 (August 29, 2025) that advances administration and departmental priorities on wildfire science, (EO 14308- Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response (June 12, 2025)/SO 3443-Elevating and Unifying DOI's Wildland Fire Management Program (September 10, 2025), hazard and risk assessments that enhance local preparedness (EO 14239- Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 18, 2025), the development of Alaska's resource potential (EO 14153- Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential (January 20, 2025)/SO 3422- Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential (February 3, 2025), American energy potential EO 14154- Unleashing American Energy (January 20, 2025)/SO 3418-Unleashing American Energy (February 3, 2025)/SO 3417-Addressing the National Energy Emergency (February 3, 2025)/SO 3438-Managing Federal Energy Resources and Protecting the Environment (August 1, 2025), the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence SO 3444-Leading Interior's Path to Artificial Intelligence Transformation (September 17, 2025), and natural resource stewardship that balances the needs of ecosystems, communities, and the economy (EO 14313-Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025), EO 14225-Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production (March 1, 2025).In Alaska's boreal forests, spruce beetle outbreaks have expanded northward with changing temperatures, often resulting in extensive mortality in spruce forests. These widespread mortality events create opportunities for invasive plants, such as the European bird cherry, to invade and reshape the forest. This project will investigate how spruce beetle disturbances influence the establishment and spread of invasive European bird cherry; how invasion subsequently affects the regeneration of spruce and other native plants following beetle outbreaks; and how changing temperatures, drought, and other weather events alter the interaction between disturbance and invasion in boreal forest ecosystems. Project outcomes will inform management decisions made by partners, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, to control invasive species and promote forest recovery after disturbances. This work will support the implementation of EO 14313 -Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025) through science-based conservation of natural resources and strengthening the capacity of agencies and communities to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems from biological degradation.