Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The U.S. Geological Survey seeks ecosystem studies unit partners to analyze avian microbiome data, identify wildlife and zoonotic pathogens, and develop reproducible bioinformatic workflows.
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey
Due Dates: January 5, 2027, 11:59 PM ET (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $459,000 estimated for one three-year award; $142,000 estimated for Budget Year 1
Summary: Supports bioinformatic analysis of avian microbiome metatranscriptomic datasets to identify microorganisms and advance wildlife and zoonotic pathogen surveillance.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center seeks research analyzing existing and forthcoming avian microbiome metatranscriptomic datasets. The datasets originate from ongoing collaborations with federal wildlife and agriculture agencies, Native Alaskan communities, and state wildlife authorities in Nebraska, Wyoming, and Texas. The program aims to maximize the scientific value of federally supported datasets and advance scalable wildlife disease surveillance.
Research should use genome assembly to identify viruses, bacteria, archaea, and microbial eukaryotes, emphasizing wildlife and zoonotic pathogens. Work includes taxonomic classification, estimating microbial abundance and diversity across hosts, tissues, and regions, and developing reproducible bioinformatic workflows. Comparative analyses that inform surveillance strategies or clarify pathogen distribution are encouraged. Results should support wildlife management and public health decision-making through open data products and joint peer-reviewed publications.
