Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The Geological Survey seeks a Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit partner to study stable isotopes in mosquitoes in and around Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
Funder: Geological Survey
Due Dates: November 30, 2026 (Grants.gov deadline) | December 1, 2026 (NOFO deadline)
Funding Amounts: $1–$49,994 for a one-year budget period; $49,994 total funding; one anticipated award
Summary: Supports stable isotope research on mosquitoes around Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge to characterize invasion pathways and avian malaria dynamics.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Hawaiʻi-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers this cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program to characterize stable isotopes in mosquitoes collected in and around Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Hakalau supports Hawaiʻi’s most intact remaining native bird community, partly because disease-carrying Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are absent from higher-elevation portions of the refuge.
Research will analyze carbon-13, nitrogen-15, and hydrogen-2 isotope ratios in Culex egg rafts and adults across Hakalau and Lapapahoehoe to characterize a mosquito isoscape. Objectives include identifying invasion pathways, releasing a curated isotope dataset, presenting at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, and publishing a peer-reviewed paper. A pilot study will link native flowering trees, bird blood, and mosquito tissues to explore avian malaria food-web dynamics.
