Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00256
Apply for P14AS00256
- The National Park Service in the education information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "America the Beautiful Ineter Agency Pass Study" 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 Aug 13, 2014 and posted on Aug 13, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $74,986.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $74,986.00 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:
The "America the Beautiful Interagency Pass Study" (Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00256) is a National Park Service notice of intent to award a continuation cooperative agreement, not a solicitation or request for new applications. The announcement serves mainly as public notice that NPS plans to fund a specific set of project activities without full and open competition, using a single-source justification based on the fact that this work continues an existing, ongoing effort where recompeting the work would disrupt continuity and completion.
The anticipated award is $74,986 with no cost share required, issued as a Cooperative Agreement under CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System, CESU). The recipient is the University of Montana, with John Duffield listed as the principal investigator/program manager. The work is structured as a Task Agreement (referenced as P14AC01492) under an existing Cooperative Agreement (P14AC00728; the text also references P14AC0728 in places), and it runs from the date of award through September 30, 2015. The project is administered through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, with a negotiated indirect cost/overhead rate of 17.5 percent, and it is categorized under an education/information/statistics activity type. The posting date is August 13, 2014, with an original and current closing date of August 27, 2014, reflecting the notice period rather than an application deadline in the usual competitive sense.
Substantively, the study focuses on the interagency "America the Beautiful" pass program managed across multiple federal land agencies operating under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA): the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). These agencies sell and honor several pass types, including Annual, Senior, and Access passes (with the Access pass provided at no charge). The passes generally allow unlimited entry for the pass holder’s party (up to four visitors or one vehicle) to participating fee sites for a year, or for life in the case of the Senior Pass. While passes are sold through several channels (on-site, online, by phone, and through third-party vendors such as REI), the specific research target here is the subset of customers who purchase passes online and via telephone through U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) distribution systems. The core goal is to understand the characteristics and use patterns of these phone and internet purchasers, recognizing they represent only one segment of overall pass buyers.
The division of responsibilities is a key feature of the cooperative agreement structure and is part of why NPS characterizes the award as involving "substantial involvement" by the agency. The University of Montana’s main roles are to administer the survey instrument and to draft and finalize the academic report. NPS’s main roles include liaising with USGS, providing existing data, and submitting final information-collection packages for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. Both parties jointly commit to shaping the study design and parameters, developing the survey instrument, preparing the OMB information collection request, and analyzing the data collected. The explicit mention of OMB approval indicates the project will involve collecting information from the public in a manner that triggers federal information collection requirements, so the timeline and deliverables must accommodate that review process.
Legally, the announcement cites multiple statutory authorities that allow NPS to enter into and fund cooperative agreements with universities and other partners for public-purpose research and training tied to park system resources. These include 16 USC 1(g) (general cooperative agreement authority for NPS programs), 16 USC 1a-2(j) (cooperative research and training programs with educational institutions and states), and 16 USC 5933 (authority to establish cooperative study units and multidisciplinary research partnerships). The single-source rationale is anchored in Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2) and relies specifically on the "continuation" criterion, meaning the work is considered necessary to finish or continue an already-funded activity and recompeting it would meaningfully harm continuity or completion.
For administrative reference, the NPS point of contact is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, junezastrow@nps.gov). Eligible applicants are listed as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, but because this is a notice of intent to award a continuation action, it functions as a transparency notice rather than an open competition for other applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "America the Beautiful Interagency Pass Study" opportunity?
This notice describes the National Park Service (NPS) intent to award a continuation cooperative agreement for the "America the Beautiful Interagency Pass Study" under Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00256. It is presented as a public notice of planned funding for specific project activities tied to an existing effort.
Is this a competitive grant solicitation where new applicants can apply?
No. The announcement is explicitly a notice of intent to award a continuation cooperative agreement, not a solicitation or request for new applications. It is meant to provide transparency about NPS planning to fund a specific project without full and open competition.
Why is NPS using a single-source (non-competitive) approach?
NPS states the award is justified as a continuation of an existing, ongoing effort. The rationale is that recompeting the work would disrupt continuity and completion of the project, so NPS is relying on a single-source justification consistent with the continuation criterion referenced in Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2).
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the University of Montana. John Duffield is listed as the principal investigator/program manager.
What is the anticipated funding amount?
The anticipated award amount is $74,986.
Is a cost share or matching funds requirement included?
No. The notice states that no cost share is required.
What type of federal award instrument will be used?
The funding is planned as a Cooperative Agreement. The notice also describes the work as structured through a Task Agreement under an existing Cooperative Agreement framework.
What CFDA program is associated with this award?
The notice identifies CFDA 15.945, described as "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System, CESU."
How is this award related to CESU?
The project is administered through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network. The CESU framework is part of how the project is organized and supported administratively.
What indirect cost (overhead) rate is referenced?
The notice states a negotiated indirect cost/overhead rate of 17.5 percent.
What is the project period of performance?
The project runs from the date of award through September 30, 2015.
What are the key internal agreement references mentioned?
The work is described as a Task Agreement referenced as P14AC01492 under an existing Cooperative Agreement referenced as P14AC00728 (also shown as P14AC0728 in places within the text).
What is the activity type or category for this project?
The notice categorizes the project under an education/information/statistics activity type.
What is the study about in practical terms?
The study focuses on the interagency "America the Beautiful" pass program, which is managed across multiple federal land agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). The study’s goal is to understand characteristics and use patterns of a specific subset of pass purchasers.
Which federal agencies are part of the "America the Beautiful" pass program in this notice?
The notice lists the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
What types of passes are mentioned?
The notice mentions several pass types, including Annual, Senior, and Access passes. It notes that the Access pass is provided at no charge.
What benefits of the passes are described?
The notice states that passes generally allow unlimited entry for the pass holder’s party (up to four visitors or one vehicle) to participating fee sites for a year, or for life in the case of the Senior Pass.
How are these passes sold, according to the notice?
The notice describes multiple sales channels, including on-site, online, by phone, and through third-party vendors such as REI.
What specific group of pass buyers does this research focus on?
The research target is the subset of customers who purchase passes online and via telephone through U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) distribution systems. The notice also emphasizes that these purchasers represent only one segment of overall pass buyers.
What role does USGS play in the scope described?
USGS is described as operating the distribution systems used for online and telephone pass purchases that are the focus of the study. NPS’s responsibilities include liaising with USGS.
Why is this a Cooperative Agreement rather than a standard grant?
The notice describes "substantial involvement" by NPS as a defining feature. NPS and the University of Montana are expected to work collaboratively on study design, survey development, and analysis, with NPS also handling liaison functions and federal approval steps for information collection.
How are responsibilities divided between the University of Montana and NPS?
The notice describes the University of Montana’s main roles as administering the survey instrument and drafting/finalizing the academic report. NPS’s main roles include liaising with USGS, providing existing data, and submitting final information-collection packages for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. Both parties jointly commit to shaping study design and parameters, developing the survey instrument, preparing the OMB information collection request, and analyzing the data collected.
Does the study involve collecting information from the public?
Yes. The notice references OMB approval for information collection, indicating the project will collect information from the public in a way that triggers federal information collection requirements.
What is the significance of OMB approval in this project?
The notice indicates that an OMB information collection package must be prepared and approved. This implies the project timeline and deliverables must account for the federal review process associated with collecting information from the public.
What are the posting and closing dates shown, and what do they represent here?
The posting date is August 13, 2014. The original and current closing date is August 27, 2014. In this context, the dates reflect a notice period for the intent to award rather than a typical application deadline tied to an open competition.
Who is eligible to apply, and does eligibility matter here?
The notice lists eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. However, because this is a notice of intent to award a continuation action, it functions as a transparency notice rather than an open competition for other applicants.
What legal authorities are cited for NPS to enter into this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites several statutory authorities, including 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933, which together support NPS authority to enter into cooperative agreements for public-purpose research and training, including through cooperative study units and multidisciplinary research partnerships.
Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The NPS point of contact is June Zastrow. The notice provides phone number 303-987-6718 and email junezastrow@nps.gov.
What is the simplest takeaway for organizations looking for open grant funding?
This posting is not an open call for proposals. It is a notice that NPS plans to fund a continuation of an existing project with the University of Montana using a single-source justification tied to maintaining continuity of an ongoing effort.
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