CESU GRRI – Leadership, Coordination, and Administrative Oversight for the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

Description

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Cooperative Agreement Number P13AC00772 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and the Curators of the University of Missouri for the purpose of facilitating collaborative research, technical assistance, and educational activities in support of interdisciplinary problem-solving, knowledge development, and informed natural and cultural public trust resource stewardship. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Great Rivers CESU Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement. For performance under this task agreement, the regulations set forth in 2 CFR, Part 200, supersedes OMB Circulars A–21 (2 CFR 220), A–87 (2 CFR 225), A–110, and A–122 (2 CFR 230); Circulars A–89, A–102, and A–133; and the guidance in Circular A–50 on Single Audit Act follow–up. The recipient shall adhere to 2 CFR, Part 200 in its entirety in addition to any terms and conditions of the master agreement not superseded by 2 CFR 200, as well as the terms and conditions set forth in this agreement. In the event of a conflict between the original terms of the master agreement and 2 CFR, Part 200, relating to this task agreement, 2 CFR, Part 200 shall take precedence. Project Title: CESU GRRI – Leadership, Coordination, and Administrative Oversight for the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Background: Management and stewardship of the Nation's lands, waters, and public trust resources requires skillful public service supported by sound science. The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network is a national consortium of federal agencies, tribes, academic institutions, state and local governments, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and other partners working together to support informed public trust resource stewardship. The CESU Network includes more than 370 partners, including 15 federal agencies, in seventeen CESUs representing biogeographic regions encompassing all 50 states and U.S. territories. Authorized by Congress in 1998, the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) have, since their inception, provided opportunities for collaborative research, technical assistance, and educational activities aligned with longstanding and emerging science and resource management priorities. CESUs bring together scientists, resource managers, students, and other conservation professionals, drawing upon expertise from across the biological, physical, social, cultural, and engineering disciplines (from Anthropology to Zoology) to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary applied projects that address natural and cultural heritage resource issues at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context. Each CESU comprises a host university and numerous federal agencies and nonfederal partner institutions. CESUs function as "virtual" organizations, linking federal agencies and institutions to increase access to expertise and facilities. The host university provides active leadership for the unit, as well as providing physical space, administrative support, and access to faculty, students, staff, and other resources. Though each CESU varies slightly in its execution, the host university is responsible for coordinating the federal and nonfederal partners, the number of which varies from unit to unit. These responsibilities are outlined in the CESU cooperative and joint venture agreement. Each CESU host university assigns a CESU Director—and in some cases an additional program coordinator—to oversee coordination and communication actions. These actions include disseminating funding opportunity announcements to partners, responding to information requests from existing and potential partners, coordinating the review and addition of potential new partners, annual reporting, hosting a CESU website, and partner engagement in strategic planning and evaluation activities. The Director represents the CESU, on behalf of its partners, with the CESU Network National Office, other CESU Directors, and the CESU Network Council, as needed. Participating federal agencies in the CESU Network are signatories on a national interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU). The CESU Network Council serves as the governing body for the CESU Network, comprising senior scientists and administrators representing each of the 15 participating federal agencies, including the National Park Service. In recognition of the importance of effective communication and coordination among CESU partners to the success of collaborative conservation practices, the CESU Network Council has committed to providing each CESU with annual financial assistance to support CESU host institution responsibilities. This continuation of support is consistent with and supplements initial commitments by participating federal agencies at the time of their CESU enrollment. Funding for each CESU is determined based on the respective enrollment and participation of federal agencies within that CESU. Supplemental financial assistance may be may be added to this task agreement over the specified period of performance (e.g., in future years), subject to funding availability, to support completion of identified project actions and priorities for each CESU. The CESU Council has prioritized the following CESU host institution responsibilities to support through this task agreement: • Facilitation of communication among existing and potential partners, • Coordination of new partner application process actions, • Coordination of strategic and annual planning with partners, and • Maintenance of host university-sponsored local CESU website. Public Purpose: This project supports the fundamental administration and coordination actions of the Great Rivers CESU and furthers the broader implementation of the CESU Network across the country, which fosters engagement among federal agencies and nonfederal partner institutions in collaborative natural and cultural resource science, education, and stewardship activities. The efforts of this CESU task agreement will help forge partnerships and projects that contribute significant advances in scientifically credible information, bolster understanding of resource management issues, stimulate development of usable knowledge, cultivate professional capacity development and educational opportunities for partners, students, and public sector professionals, and ultimately support informed decision-making for natural and cultural heritage conservation on public and private lands and waters. In addition, projects supported through the CESUs engage hundreds of students each year who gain valuable hands-on experience working and learning side-by-side on “real-life” problems with federal scientists, technical field staff, and resource managers. STATEMENT OF WORK RECIPIENT AGREES TO: 1. Collaboratively undertake a project titled “CESU GRRI – Leadership, Coordination, and Administrative Oversight for the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit” as described throughout this document. 2. Appoint a Principal Investigator (PI). 3. Appoint or hire staff and/or students, as appropriate, to accomplish the project activities described in this statement of work and in accordance with host institution responsibilities outlined in the Great Rivers CESU cooperative agreement (P13AC00772). 4. Facilitate communication and correspondence among existing and potential partners, such as: a. maintain and post online current partner technical and administrative representative contact information in coordination with CESU Network National Office; b. develop and distribute periodic emails, e-newsletters, and/or social media posts about CESU activities, events, new partners, awards, projects, funding opportunities, and similar information; c. relay pertinent information to CESU partners and interested parties at the host institution, such as funding opportunities, requests for statements of interest/requests for proposals, professional development training, student employment opportunities; d. organize and host periodic CESU executive committee and/or partner conference calls; e. serve as communication liaison between CESU partners and the CESU Network National Office and CESU Network Council; f. participate in periodic CESU Directors calls coordinated by the CESU Network National Office; g. respond to requests for information from existing and potential new partners, project administrative personnel, and the CESU Network National Office; and h. conduct outreach to support long-term program sustainability, including fostering opportunities for new partner institutions, minority serving institutions, collaborative projects, coordination between/among partners, and engagement of students, as appropriate. 5. Facilitate new partner application, review, and approval actions, including: a. developing and posting online a written policy for the CESU, in accordance with the national policy, that includes details for application, review, and approval (e.g., timelines and deadlines, requirements for applicant presentations at annual partner meeting, voting process); b. following up with partner requests and applications; c. facilitating application distribution, partner review, voting, and reporting; and d. assisting the CESU Network National Office with CESU agreement amendment process, as appropriate. 6. Develop and maintain CESU strategic plan and annual report(s) and work plan(s), including by: a. facilitating strategic and annual planning for the CESU, with full participation from partners; b. coordinating document development, review, and editing; and c. distributing documents to partners and posting to CESU website. 7. Maintain a local CESU website and associated information resources, including: a. providing basic infor

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