Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

Background
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS), Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), is offering a funding opportunity to improve Bayesian model-based inferences for bat surveys. The North American Bat monitoring program (NABat) relies on core data streams to inform species status and trends assessments at range-wide extents, periodically. NOROCK’s research statistician was involved in conceptualizing the NABat program, developed the probabilistic master sample design underpinning the collaborative monitoring effort, continues to identify emerging statistical research and development needs for the “Bats & Stats Team”, and provides sustained programmatic guidance and direction for the NABat program.

Grant Details
The research objectives broadly seek to advance Bayesian methods that address considerations for modeling bat datasets, including inclusion of auxiliary information about the reliability of software to assign the correct label to hand-released individuals with known species identity, allowing for known zeros in the species classification matrix due to non-overlapping species ranges, allowing for a mixture of single-species and multiple-species labels in the multivariate response, and incorporating multiple observer assignments for the species label of a given recording or file. The results will be useful to the broader community using acoustics for surveying bats in the Western US for cumulative impacts of wind energy, climate change, local management activities, and emerging diseases.

Eligibility Requirements
This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

Period of Performance
It is anticipated that one award will be made with one base year and up to four renewal years. The total estimated funding for this project is $499,999. Funding in the amount of $100,000 is estimated to be available for FY 2024. Additional funding will be based upon satisfactory progress and the availability of funding.

Grant Value
$499,999