Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management
Forecasted
Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management supports fisheries researchers with studies, tools, and capacity building to guide Great Lakes management and sustain resilient fish communities.
Funder: Great Lakes Fishery Trust
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Preliminary proposals) | April 2027 (Invited full proposals)
Funding Amounts: No cost or duration limits on requests; 2025 funding totaled up to $1.3 million across two research categories
Summary: Supports management-relevant fisheries research, research tools, and capacity building benefiting Great Lakes fish communities.
Key Information: Research must benefit the Lake Michigan fishery, but may take place outside its basin.
Description
The Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) supports ecological and biological research that helps fisheries managers understand, anticipate, adapt, and respond to changes in Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystems. Through competitive grants and funder-directed investments, the program funds hypothesis-driven research, tools, resources, and capacity-building efforts supporting research development and application. Its goals are more resilient and stable fish communities, greater sustainable value for stakeholders, and self-sustaining fish populations.
Research themes include lake whitefish recruitment, ecosystem disruption, habitat research and evaluation, aquatic invasive species, native species rehabilitation, and emerging issues. The application guidance also includes broader fish recruitment research. The program emphasizes authentic researcher-manager collaboration and engagement with interagency priorities. Lake whitefish recruitment was the lead priority in 2025, including research syntheses and original studies of recruitment bottlenecks.
