Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00255
Apply for P16AS00255
- The DOI-NPS in the education, environment, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOVELTY IN A PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEM FACILITATED BY HUMANS AND CLIMATE: POLAR BEARS, GRIZZLY BEARS AND MUSKOXEN" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 16, 2016 and posted on Jun 16, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $160,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice describes a National Park Service (NPS) intent to fund, without competition, a multi-year research and outreach project focused on a rapidly changing Arctic predator-prey system involving muskoxen, polar bears, grizzly bears, and human influences across the Beringia region. The announcement is explicitly not a call for applications; instead, it serves as public notice that NPS plans to issue a single anticipated award to Colorado State University under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) task agreement. The project is authorized under 54 USC 101702(b) (Cooperative Research and Training Programs) and is associated with CFDA 15.945/15.946 cooperative research and training program listings. The anticipated federal funding is $153,157 (with an award ceiling of $160,000), there is no cost share requirement, and the expected period of performance runs about four years (September 1, 2015 through December 30, 2019). Only one award is expected, and the point of contact listed is Erica Cordeiro.
At the center of the project is muskoxen, described as the rarest large mammal found in any NPS unit and a species with deep evolutionary roots in Beringia. The problem statement emphasizes that muskoxen now face combined pressures from climate warming and historically adaptive behaviors that can create modern conflicts with people. While muskoxen have become more visible and celebrated in the Arctic, the notice flags that their populations are no longer increasing consistently across their range. The project frames this moment as a key opportunity to understand why muskox ecology is shifting and how those shifts interact with novel predation pressures (from both polar and grizzly bears) and with human activities that may indirectly change muskox survival and management outcomes.
The work builds on seven years of prior research and collaboration, and it highlights three main advantages already in place: first, growing infrastructure and trust between local residents and scientists working inside and outside protected areas in Alaska and Chukotka; second, the emergence or increased importance of a complex bear-muskox predator-prey dynamic that is considered unusual or newly challenging; and third, the ability to evaluate how harvest-related changes to adult sex ratios might influence muskox vulnerability, along with identifying conditions that lead to increased human-muskox conflict. A major theme is that if managers can first understand the mechanisms behind ecological change, then conservation actions and management decisions can be better designed and their benefits amplified.
The project has three stated goals. The first is scientific: develop stronger knowledge of muskox responses to bears, including the consequences of these interactions and how indirect human impacts, such as skewed adult sex ratios, may affect survival and influence practical management options. The second goal focuses on communication and capacity building: inform and inspire audiences from local communities up through national and international stakeholders about conservation science in action, while explicitly strengthening bilateral (US-Russia) research capacity and interest in Beringia biodiversity under change. The third goal is enabling broader science in a difficult environment: provide a research platform that can support other researchers seeking samples or data from this remote, logistically challenging region, thereby encouraging new collaborations and partnerships.
Colorado State Universitys role is to manage and supervise the project and carry out the core research and outreach deliverables. On the research side, CSU is tasked with conducting systematic field tests to collect data on potential muskox vulnerability to bears at three primary sites: the Cape Thompson region (including CAKR and BELA, referring to NPS units in northwest Alaska) and Wrangel Island. CSU will also analyze the collected data and recorded responses and work directly and cooperatively with NPS and partners in Alaska and Chukotka to complete the agreed goals and deliverables. On the outreach side, CSU is expected to run an extensive education and communication program, including public presentations in local Alaskan communities, presentations at professional conferences, engagement with professionals at institutions in both the United States and Russia, and public-facing writing such as blog posts, op-eds, and popular articles describing ongoing research. A final scientific report is also a required deliverable.
The NPS role is described as technical, logistical, and dissemination support rather than leading the field research itself. NPS will provide expertise to review draft reports and products and to review the final scientific report, help distribute the final products to relevant communities and organizations, and provide technical assistance that includes logistical support in remote areas, travel coordination (including international travel), and safety briefings tied to the projects geography and field conditions. This division of responsibilities is consistent with a cooperative agreement model where the agency remains actively involved but the recipient performs much of the on-the-ground work.
Finally, the notice explains why this award is being issued as a single-source, non-competitive action. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), a written justification must show why competition is not practical. NPS cites the continuation criterion: the funded activity is a continuation of work already underway (described as continuing from the first year of the project), and competing it would risk disrupting continuity or completion. The notice also notes that CSU participates in the CESU network, which is itself a competed partnership framework, further supporting the rationale for proceeding without an open competition for this specific continuation award.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this announcement a call for applications?
No. The notice is explicitly not a call for applications. It is a public notice that the National Park Service (NPS) intends to fund a specific project without competition.
Will NPS be making more than one award under this notice?
No. Only one award is expected under this notice.
Who is the anticipated recipient of the award?
NPS anticipates issuing a single award to Colorado State University (CSU) under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) task agreement.
Is this a competitive grant opportunity?
No. The notice describes a single-source, non-competitive intent to award.
Why is the award being issued without competition?
NPS cites the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) and explains this action under the continuation criterion: the activity continues work already underway, and competing it could disrupt continuity or completion. The notice also notes CSU is part of the CESU network, a competed partnership framework, which supports the rationale for proceeding without open competition for this continuation award.
What is the focus of the project?
The project focuses on a rapidly changing Arctic predator-prey system across the Beringia region, centered on muskoxen and their interactions with polar bears, grizzly bears, and human influences.
Which species are specifically mentioned in the project description?
Muskoxen are central to the project, with predator and interaction dynamics involving polar bears and grizzly bears. Human influences are also a key part of the system being studied.
What geographic area does the project cover?
The work is described as spanning the Beringia region, with key activity locations in northwest Alaska and Chukotka, including Wrangel Island.
Where will the field research take place?
CSU will conduct systematic field tests at three primary sites: the Cape Thompson region (including CAKR and BELA, described as NPS units in northwest Alaska) and Wrangel Island.
How long is the project expected to run?
The expected period of performance is about four years, from September 1, 2015 through December 30, 2019.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $153,157.
Is there an award ceiling?
Yes. The notice lists an award ceiling of $160,000.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
What legal authority is cited for the project?
The project is authorized under 54 USC 101702(b), described as Cooperative Research and Training Programs.
What program listings are associated with this effort?
The notice associates the project with CFDA 15.945/15.946 cooperative research and training program listings.
Why are muskoxen emphasized in this notice?
The notice describes muskoxen as the rarest large mammal found in any NPS unit and highlights their deep evolutionary roots in Beringia. It also flags that muskox populations are not increasing consistently across their range, making this a key moment to understand shifting ecology and management needs.
What challenges or pressures on muskoxen does the project describe?
The notice emphasizes combined pressures from climate warming and historically adaptive behaviors that can create modern conflicts with people. It also highlights novel or increasingly important predation pressures involving both polar and grizzly bears, as well as human activities that may indirectly affect muskox survival and management outcomes.
What is meant by “human influences†in the project description?
Based on the notice, human influences include indirect impacts on muskox survival and management outcomes, such as harvest-related changes that may skew adult sex ratios, and conditions that may lead to increased human-muskox conflict.
What are the main goals of the project?
The notice lists three goals: (1) scientific understanding of muskox responses to bears and how indirect human impacts (including skewed adult sex ratios) may affect survival and management options; (2) communication and capacity building to inform and inspire audiences from local communities to national and international stakeholders, while strengthening bilateral (US-Russia) research capacity and interest in Beringia biodiversity under change; and (3) creating a research platform that supports other researchers by enabling access to samples or data from a remote, logistically challenging region, encouraging collaborations and partnerships.
What research activities is CSU expected to carry out?
CSU is tasked with conducting systematic field tests to collect data on potential muskox vulnerability to bears at the named primary sites, analyzing collected data and recorded responses, and working cooperatively with NPS and partners in Alaska and Chukotka to complete the agreed goals and deliverables.
What outreach and communication activities are included?
The outreach program described includes public presentations in local Alaskan communities, presentations at professional conferences, engagement with professionals at institutions in the United States and Russia, and public-facing writing such as blog posts, op-eds, and popular articles describing ongoing research.
Is a final report required?
Yes. A final scientific report is identified as a required deliverable.
What role will the National Park Service play in the project?
NPS is described as providing technical, logistical, and dissemination support rather than leading the field research. The notice states NPS will review draft reports and products, review the final scientific report, help distribute final products to relevant communities and organizations, and provide technical assistance such as logistical support in remote areas, travel coordination (including international travel), and safety briefings related to geography and field conditions.
How is this arrangement consistent with a cooperative agreement?
The notice frames the division of responsibilities as consistent with a cooperative agreement model: the agency remains actively involved (through support, review, coordination, and dissemination), while the recipient (CSU) performs much of the on-the-ground research and outreach work.
Does the project build on prior work?
Yes. The notice states the work builds on seven years of prior research and collaboration and describes the funded activity as continuing from the first year of the project.
What advantages or readiness factors does the notice say are already in place?
The notice highlights three: (1) growing infrastructure and trust between local residents and scientists working inside and outside protected areas in Alaska and Chukotka; (2) the emergence or increased importance of a complex bear-muskox predator-prey dynamic considered unusual or newly challenging; and (3) the ability to evaluate how harvest-related changes to adult sex ratios might influence muskox vulnerability and to identify conditions that lead to increased human-muskox conflict.
Is strengthening US-Russia collaboration part of the project?
Yes. The second stated goal explicitly includes strengthening bilateral (US-Russia) research capacity and interest related to Beringia biodiversity under change.
Will the project support other researchers?
Yes. One of the stated goals is to provide a research platform that can support other researchers seeking samples or data from this remote region, encouraging new collaborations and partnerships.
Who is the point of contact for this notice?
The point of contact listed in the notice is Erica Cordeiro.
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