Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The U.S. Geological Survey seeks Great Rivers network partners to develop Bayesian methods for bat acoustic data to predict species occurrence and relative abundance.
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey
Due Dates: December 4, 2026 (Application, 11:59 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: $350,000 estimated over five years; $150,000 estimated for Year 1; one award expected
Summary: Supports Bayesian statistical methods for mapping bat occurrence and relative abundance using passive acoustic monitoring data.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seeks research developing and applying Bayesian statistical methods to passive bat acoustic monitoring data. The program focuses on estimating species occurrence and relative abundance at unsurveyed locations and relating these estimates to meaningful environmental predictors. Proposed methods should account for spatial correlation and consider multiple observers’ information to address species misclassification in acoustic data.
The research aims to turn extensive monitoring datasets into dynamic, interactive maps supporting conservation, restoration, and resource management decisions. Current USGS count-detection models address classification errors but do not explicitly model spatial dependence. This project seeks more accurate predictions of bat distributions and activity across North America through spatial modeling, direct analysis of call characteristics, and computationally efficient methods.
