Opportunity Information: Apply for P13AS00109
Apply for P13AS00109
- The National Park Service in the education humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Amalik Bay Archeological Sites Human settlement, seasonality, and sea level change on the Pacific Coast of the Alaska Peninsula, ca. 8,000 4,000 years ago" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 28, 2013 and posted on Jun 28, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by SINGLE SOURCE award under Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit CESU program. Unique Qualifications. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $78,240.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $78,240.00 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 grant notice is a public announcement that the National Park Service (NPS), Alaska Region, plans to fund a specific cooperative research project with the University of Alaska Fairbanks through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program. CESUs are partnership networks designed to support research, technical assistance, and education tied to public land management needs. The planned funding is an intended award of $78,240 issued as a cooperative agreement (not a typical open-competition grant), with a project period running from August 1, 2013 through November 1, 2014. There is no cost sharing or match requirement listed, and the opportunity is categorized under Education/Humanities and Natural Resources (CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System).
The project itself is titled "Amalik Bay Archeological Sites: Human settlement, seasonality, and sea level change on the Pacific Coast of the Alaska Peninsula, ca. 8,000 to 4,000 years ago." Its core purpose is to improve understanding of how people lived along the Pacific Coast of what is now Katmai National Park and Preserve during roughly the mid-Holocene, with special attention to where and when people occupied coastal locations and how changing shorelines have affected what archeologists can still see today. A major motivation is that known coastal archeological sites are currently threatened by both physical forces (for example erosion and ocean dynamics) and biological forces, so the work is framed as both research and resource management support. The legal authority for the agreement is 16 U.S.C. 1a-2(j), which allows NPS to enter into cooperative research and training agreements and to provide support such as staff assistance, equipment, facilities, and administrative services for mutually agreed research.
The work plan is organized around three connected lines of inquiry. First, the team will carry out limited subsurface investigations at two Ocean Bay Period site types, one located in Kukak Bay and another in Amalik Bay, to document stratigraphy, recover material for analysis, and better define site type and significance. Second, the project calls for detailed analysis of cultural residues from those sites, including a pilot effort to test whether isotopic analysis of shellfish remains can reliably indicate season of occupation. This is aimed at answering practical questions about settlement patterns and seasonal use of coastal resources, rather than only producing artifact lists. Third, the project includes a careful coastal geomorphology assessment intended to help resolve disagreements about tectonic uplift versus coastal subsidence along different parts of Katmai's Pacific coastline. That geomorphology component is important because sea level and land-level change can both hide sites (by submerging or burying them) and destroy sites (through erosion), which can distort interpretations of where past coastal activity actually occurred.
From a management perspective, the announcement emphasizes that the results will help refine the park's Archaeological Overview and Assessment and support future cultural resource decisions. The deliverables are meant to do more than interpret the past; they are expected to help NPS evaluate site significance, distinguish and explain different coastal site types, clarify how ocean processes create a fragmented archeological record, and prioritize which places should receive protection or additional investigation. The project also aligns with the University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) mission by contributing to research on Alaska and the circumpolar North, creating hands-on learning opportunities for students in field and lab settings, and generating interpretive narratives that can be shared with the public.
Responsibilities are split between the university partner and NPS, with the agreement explicitly described as having "substantial involvement" by NPS, which is typical for cooperative agreements. On the university side, the partner is expected to take the lead on organizing staffing and execution: participating in pre-field planning with NPS; hiring staff, students, and affiliates; arranging aviation contracts and field logistics; ensuring wilderness and wildlife safety training; and running a 3 to 4 week field season that covers outfitting, travel, and preparation of planning documents. After fieldwork, the partner is responsible for a substantial set of data and collections management tasks, including completing Alaska Heritage Resource Survey (AHRS) documentation, NPS Archaeological Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) records, GIS-based site mapping and geodatabase components, photo logs, artifact catalogs, and field notes. The university must also produce a post-field summary report for annual reporting, a detailed final report covering methods, results, analyses, and interpretations, and must clean, label, package, and catalog artifacts and samples for curation, ultimately returning all materials and digital products to NPS for archiving.
NPS, in turn, is not a passive funder in this arrangement. The agency will participate in pre-field planning, coordinate the NPS permitting process, and manage the radiocarbon dating contract and sample processing with a vendor. NPS will also supply key field equipment such as a Zodiac raft, motor, fuel, and marine safety gear, and it will handle safety check-ins through King Salmon dispatch or Denali Dispatch. NPS will provide oversight of the field program, coordinate field safety compliance and logistics through the King Salmon headquarters, oversee curation of the resulting collections and records, and review AHRS and ASMIS entries before they are submitted.
The notice also explains why this is being handled as a single-source award rather than a fully competitive opportunity. Under Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2), NPS must justify cases where competition is not practical. The stated justification is "unique qualifications" of UAMN and the University of Alaska Fairbanks: they can supply experienced graduate-level archeology crews, supported by an accredited museum environment with comparative archeological collections from Alaska and the broader Arctic, plus paleontological and zoological collections that improve identification of faunal remains relevant to paleoecology and human adaptation. NPS also notes the practical advantage that these crews already have Alaska field experience and can mobilize without the extra training, acclimatization, and travel costs that would typically come with outside institutions, especially CESU partners based in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, or East Coast.
Administrative details in the notice identify the opportunity as Funding Opportunity Number P13AS00109, with an estimated total funding amount and ceiling of $78,240 (award floor listed as $1,000), and an expectation of a single award. Eligible applicants are listed as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, but the posting makes clear the intent to fund this specific effort via the CESU mechanism as a single-source action rather than through an open application cycle. The technical contact is Dale Vinson (dalevinson@nps.gov, 907-644-3632). An agreements contact is Tina Spengler (TinaSpengler@nps.gov, 907-644-3303) for help accessing the full announcement, with Grants.gov referenced as the additional information link.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a public notice that the National Park Service (NPS), Alaska Region, intends to fund a specific cooperative research project with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program.
Is this an open, competitive grant that anyone can apply for?
No. The notice describes an intended single-source award (not a typical open-competition grant). While the listing mentions eligibility categories, the stated intent is to fund this specific project with UAF through the CESU mechanism.
What type of award will be used?
The planned award will be a cooperative agreement. The notice emphasizes "substantial involvement" by NPS, which is a hallmark of cooperative agreements (as opposed to a standard grant where the federal role is usually less hands-on).
What is the planned funding amount?
The intended award amount is $78,240. The opportunity also lists an estimated total funding amount and funding ceiling of $78,240.
Is there an award floor listed?
Yes. The notice lists an award floor of $1,000.
How many awards does NPS expect to make?
The notice indicates an expectation of a single award.
Is cost sharing or a match required?
No cost sharing or match requirement is listed in the notice.
What is the project title?
"Amalik Bay Archeological Sites: Human settlement, seasonality, and sea level change on the Pacific Coast of the Alaska Peninsula, ca. 8,000 to 4,000 years ago."
Where is the project focused geographically?
The project focuses on the Pacific Coast of what is now Katmai National Park and Preserve, including work in Kukak Bay and Amalik Bay.
What time period does the research focus on?
The project targets roughly the mid-Holocene, approximately 8,000 to 4,000 years ago.
What is the project trying to accomplish?
The purpose is to improve understanding of how people lived along Katmai's Pacific Coast during the mid-Holocene, with special attention to (1) where and when people occupied coastal locations, and (2) how changing shorelines affect what archeologists can observe today.
Why is the work also considered a resource management priority?
The notice states that known coastal archeological sites are threatened by physical forces (such as erosion and ocean dynamics) and biological forces. The research is framed as both scientific investigation and support for cultural resource management decisions.
What are CESUs and why are they mentioned?
CESUs (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units) are partnership networks intended to support research, technical assistance, and education tied to public land management needs. This project is planned to be funded through the CESU program.
What legal authority allows NPS to enter into this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites 16 U.S.C. 1a-2(j), which authorizes NPS to enter into cooperative research and training agreements and to provide support (including staff assistance, equipment, facilities, and administrative services) for mutually agreed research.
What is the project period (start and end dates)?
The project period is planned from August 1, 2013 through November 1, 2014.
What CFDA number and program name are associated with this opportunity?
CFDA 15.945: Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System.
How is the opportunity categorized?
The notice categorizes it under Education/Humanities and Natural Resources.
What are the main components of the work plan?
The work plan is organized around three connected lines of inquiry: (1) limited subsurface investigations at two Ocean Bay Period site types (one in Kukak Bay and one in Amalik Bay), (2) detailed analysis of cultural residues including a pilot test of isotopic analysis of shellfish remains to assess season of occupation, and (3) a coastal geomorphology assessment focused on sea level/land-level change and related site visibility and preservation.
What does "limited subsurface investigations" involve in this notice?
As described, the investigations are intended to document stratigraphy, recover material for analysis, and better define site type and significance at two Ocean Bay Period site types (Kukak Bay and Amalik Bay).
What is the isotopic analysis pilot trying to determine?
The pilot effort is intended to test whether isotopic analysis of shellfish remains can reliably indicate the season of site occupation, helping answer practical questions about settlement patterns and seasonal coastal resource use.
Why is coastal geomorphology included in an archeology project?
The notice explains that sea level change and land-level change (including possible tectonic uplift or coastal subsidence) can submerge, bury, or erode archeological sites. Understanding geomorphology helps interpret a potentially fragmented coastal archeological record and resolve disagreements about uplift versus subsidence along parts of Katmai's Pacific coastline.
How will the results be used by Katmai National Park and Preserve?
The notice states the results will help refine the park's Archaeological Overview and Assessment and support future cultural resource decisions, including evaluating site significance, distinguishing coastal site types, clarifying how ocean processes shape the record, and prioritizing protection or further investigation.
How does the project align with the University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) mission?
The notice states it contributes to research on Alaska and the circumpolar North, provides hands-on learning opportunities for students (field and lab), and produces interpretive narratives that can be shared with the public.
What does "substantial involvement" by NPS mean here?
In this notice, NPS is described as actively participating in planning and oversight, coordinating permitting, managing radiocarbon dating contracting and sample processing, supplying certain field equipment, handling safety check-ins, overseeing curation, and reviewing key documentation before submission.
What responsibilities are assigned to the university partner (UAF/UAMN) in the notice?
The partner is expected to lead execution and logistics, including pre-field planning with NPS; hiring staff, students, and affiliates; arranging aviation contracts and field logistics; ensuring wilderness and wildlife safety training; conducting a 3 to 4 week field season; producing planning documents; and completing extensive post-field documentation, reporting, and collections preparation for curation and archiving with NPS.
What specific post-field documentation and data products are mentioned?
The notice lists Alaska Heritage Resource Survey (AHRS) documentation, NPS Archaeological Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) records, GIS-based site mapping and geodatabase components, photo logs, artifact catalogs, and field notes, along with a post-field summary report (for annual reporting) and a detailed final report.
What are the university partner's responsibilities related to artifacts and samples?
The partner must clean, label, package, and catalog artifacts and samples for curation and return all materials and digital products to NPS for archiving, as described in the notice.
What responsibilities are assigned to NPS in the notice?
NPS will participate in pre-field planning; coordinate the NPS permitting process; manage the radiocarbon dating contract and sample processing with a vendor; supply certain field equipment (including a Zodiac raft, motor, fuel, and marine safety gear); handle safety check-ins via King Salmon dispatch or Denali Dispatch; provide oversight of the field program; coordinate safety compliance and logistics through the King Salmon headquarters; oversee curation of resulting collections and records; and review AHRS and ASMIS entries prior to submission.
What equipment and support will NPS provide for fieldwork?
The notice specifies NPS will supply a Zodiac raft, motor, fuel, and marine safety gear, and will also handle safety check-ins through King Salmon dispatch or Denali Dispatch.
Why is NPS using a single-source award rather than full competition?
The notice states the justification is "unique qualifications" of UAMN/UAF under Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2). The listed reasons include access to experienced graduate-level archeology crews, an accredited museum environment with comparative archeological collections from Alaska and the broader Arctic, and paleontological and zoological collections helpful for identifying faunal remains relevant to paleoecology and human adaptation. It also notes reduced training/acclimatization/travel costs due to existing Alaska field experience, compared with outside institutions (including CESU partners based farther away).
Who is listed as eligible to apply (as stated in the notice)?
The notice lists eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, while also making clear the intent to fund this specific project as a single-source CESU action rather than through an open application cycle.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
P13AS00109.
Who is the technical contact for questions about the project?
Dale Vinson: dalevinson@nps.gov, 907-644-3632.
Who is the agreements contact for help accessing the full announcement?
Tina Spengler: TinaSpengler@nps.gov, 907-644-3303.
Where does the notice point for additional information?
The notice references Grants.gov as the additional information link.
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