Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes Northern Forrest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The U.S. Geological Survey funds research by a cooperative ecosystem studies partner to improve accuracy assessment, area estimation, and reference data uncertainty analysis for annual land-cover monitoring.
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey
Due Dates: December 2, 2026 (Applications, 11:59 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: $135,000 estimated for one three-year cooperative agreement; $45,000 estimated for Year 1
Summary: Supports research improving sampling, accuracy assessment, and area estimation for annual remote-sensing-based land-cover monitoring.
Key Information: Only participating partners of the Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit are eligible.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers this cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. The research supports the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center within the National Land Imaging Program as it modernizes land-cover monitoring using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and modeling across the Landsat satellite record.
The project focuses on state-of-the-art sampling and statistical strategies for accuracy assessment and area estimation, including uncertainty in reference data. Its goals include improving stratification as monitoring programs add years, designing samples that serve multiple accuracy measures, quantifying interpreter variability, and developing assessment protocols for Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD) products in Alaska and Hawaii. Results will help establish the validity of USGS land-cover and change products used by government agencies, higher education, and the private sector.
