Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
The Geological Survey seeks a Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit partner to assess invasive plant risks from the horticultural trade and inform screening, detection, and management.
Funder: Geological Survey
Due Dates: November 14, 2026 (Applications, 11:59 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: $1–$435,000 per award; $435,000 total anticipated funding for one two-year award
Summary: Supports research identifying horticultural plants and geographic areas at greatest risk of plant invasion in Hawaiʻi.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU).
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers this cooperative agreement through the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) to assess invasive plant risks associated with the horticultural trade. The project will analyze invasion records and ornamental trade data for approximately 19,000 plant taxa, incorporating invasion history, weed risk scores, nursery locations, and overlap with infrastructure and conservation areas.
Research will test whether similarity between species’ global ranges and Hawaiʻi predicts invasiveness and spread, identify ornamental species likely to establish under current and future conditions, map invasion-risk hotspots, and quantify whether invasive populations continue expanding over long timeframes. Findings will support risk-based screening, early detection, and management planning for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Hawaiʻi’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, including preparedness for wildfire and erosion hazards exacerbated by invasive plants.
