Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
Geological Survey funding for a Southern Appalachian ecosystem studies partner to build invasive vine databases, risk maps, and management strategies for the southeastern U.S. and U.S. Caribbean.
Funder: Geological Survey
Due Dates: October 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET (Applications)
Funding Amounts: $1–$330,000 per award; $330,000 total estimated funding for one two-year cooperative agreement
Summary: Supports research, regional databases, and predictive maps to detect and manage invasive vines in the southeastern United States and U.S. Caribbean.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU).
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seeks a Southern Appalachian CESU partner to study invasive climbing plants in the southeastern United States and U.S. Caribbean. Vines are smothering vegetation, altering forest structure, and increasing infrastructure maintenance costs. The project will consolidate fragmented information on species status, traits associated with spread, and recent disturbances—including hurricanes, flooding, landslides, and wildfires—into a regional database.
Research should identify potential invasive vines over the next few decades, locate areas at risk within the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center region, and synthesize plant traits from The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, floras, and peer-reviewed literature. Predictive maps will cover species already present and those not yet detected, drawing on species from the mainland United States, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere. Management synthesis and partner engagement should help resource managers detect and respond to vine expansion.
