Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00176
Apply for P14AS00176
- The National Park Service in the education employment, labor and training environment natural resources regional development science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Analysis of Bakken Air Quality Study, Front Range Pollution Photochemistry Experiment" 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 Jul 15, 2014 and posted on Jul 15, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 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 $318,398.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $318,398.00 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 opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award funding to Colorado State University (CSU) to continue an ongoing cooperative research effort focused on understanding air pollution in and around U.S. National Parks. It is not an open solicitation and is explicitly not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as public notice that NPS plans to make a single award without full and open competition because the work is a continuation of an existing, actively funded effort where recompeting would disrupt continuity and completion. The project centers on analyzing results from two major field efforts, the winter 2013/2014 Bakken Air Quality Study and the summer 2014 Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) conducted in and near Rocky Mountain National Park, along with expanded monitoring and analysis of reactive nitrogen deposition.
The anticipated award totals $318,398 with no cost share required. The instrument is a cooperative agreement, reflecting that NPS will be substantially involved in the work rather than acting only as a pass-through funder. The award is structured as a task agreement (P14AC01196) under a broader cooperative agreement (P14AC00728), run through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) at a negotiated overhead rate of 17.5 percent. The projected period of performance runs from the award date through August 31, 2015. The eligible applicant category listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, but the recipient identified for this continuation action is CSU, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Jeffery Collett. The CFDA listing is 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System (CESU). The statutory authorities cited include 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933, which collectively support NPS entering cooperative agreements with universities and other entities to conduct research and produce integrated information products relevant to park resources and surrounding regions.
At a practical level, the project goal is to improve understanding of where pollutants affecting parks come from, how they move and chemically transform in the atmosphere, how they deposit onto landscapes, and what impacts they have on park ecosystems and air quality values such as ozone exposure, visibility impairment, and particulate pollution. A key theme is that this work is meant to complement, not replace, routine national and regional monitoring networks. The announcement specifically references networks like IMPROVE (visibility and aerosol monitoring), AMon (ammonia), NADP (wet deposition), and CASTNet (air and deposition trends). By adding intensive field measurements, specialized chemical analyses, and interpretation across datasets, NPS and CSU aim to fill gaps that routine monitoring cannot address, such as detailed pollutant speciation, episodic events, and clearer links between measured concentrations and particular emission sources.
The expected public value is framed in both management and policy terms. The data and analyses are intended to inform local, state, and federal decision-making, and the announcement notes that outputs are directly used by EPA and air agencies in Clean Air Act implementation, while deposition-related findings help clarify the roles of both regulated and unregulated pollutants in ecosystem stress. The work is also positioned as broadly useful beyond government, with nongovernmental organizations and industry groups using the results. For CSU, the benefits include research products and peer-reviewed publications, strengthened collaboration with NPS scientists who specialize in aerosols, deposition, and remote monitoring, and hands-on training opportunities for graduate students via thesis and dissertation research tied to real-world, policy-relevant questions.
CSU's responsibilities are laid out as a set of concrete technical tasks. First, CSU will analyze and report findings from the winter 2013/14 Bakken field study and collaborate with NPS on related modeling and source apportionment, meaning efforts to determine how much different emission sectors and regions contribute to observed pollution. Second, CSU will continue a broader national assessment of total reactive nitrogen deposition in sensitive areas, including analyzing nationwide patterns of oxidized versus reduced nitrogen in wet and dry deposition, plus historical trends in how those forms have changed over time. Third, CSU will analyze samples and synthesize findings from the July/August 2014 FRAPPE deployment in Rocky Mountain National Park, a campaign designed to capture Front Range pollution chemistry and transport into the park. Fourth, CSU will continue investigating organic nitrogen as a potentially important component of reactive nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountain region, completing analyses and summarizing results from multiple measurement efforts (including RoMANS, GrandTReNDS, and USGS snowpack analyses) with the goal of producing an overview publication on the occurrence and deposition of organic nitrogen. Fifth, the project initiates longer-term monitoring of reactive nitrogen concentrations and deposition at the Longs Peak air quality monitoring site in Rocky Mountain National Park during two defined windows (September 1 to October 15, 2014 and March 15 to August 31, 2015), indicating a shift from short campaigns toward sustained measurements that can capture seasonal patterns. Sixth, CSU will continue to maintain the NPS Mobile Air Sampling Laboratory, which supports specialized field sampling and rapid deployment capability.
NPS is not a passive sponsor in this structure, and the announcement spells out substantial federal involvement, consistent with the cooperative agreement model. NPS staff will participate directly in data analysis, modeling, report writing, and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications. NPS will also provide access to monitoring locations, equipment shelters, and specialized instruments, and will assign both an Agreement Technical Representative and a technical lead to guide and coordinate the work. NPS scientists will work closely with CSU on interpreting key measurements from FRAPPE, including fine particle composition, volatile organic compounds, and reactive nitrogen gas-phase species, all of which are central to understanding ozone formation, particulate matter chemistry, and deposition. NPS will also conduct air quality modeling alongside CSU to evaluate how different regional emission sources influence observed concentrations and deposition fluxes, provide meteorological fields needed to drive the models, and oversee aspects of temporal and spatial analysis to connect measurements to transport patterns and source regions.
Finally, the competition status is a major administrative feature of this posting. The Department of the Interior requires a written justification for any single-source assistance award, and this notice relies on the "continuation" criterion: the work is necessary to satisfactorily complete or continue an existing funded activity, and competing it would significantly harm continuity or completion. In other words, NPS is using this announcement to document why the award is being directed to CSU under an existing cooperative framework rather than opened to new applicants, while also providing transparency on scope, roles, funding level, and legal authority. The point of contact listed for the NPS is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, junezastrow@nps.gov), and the posting dates indicate it was published July 15, 2014 with a closing date of July 29, 2014, consistent with notice timing rather than a true application window.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this an open grant competition?
No. This is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to make a single award and it is explicitly not a request for applications. It is public notice that NPS plans to fund a continuation of an existing, actively funded effort without full and open competition.
Can new applicants submit proposals for this funding?
No. The notice states it is not an open solicitation and is not a request for applications. NPS intends to make a single continuation award to Colorado State University (CSU).
Why is the award being made without full and open competition?
The notice cites the "continuation" justification. The work is a continuation of an existing funded activity, and recompeting it would disrupt continuity and completion of the ongoing research effort.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
Colorado State University (CSU) is the identified recipient for this continuation action. The Principal Investigator listed is Dr. Jeffery Collett.
What is the total anticipated funding amount?
The anticipated award total is $318,398.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states that no cost share is required.
What type of funding instrument will be used?
The instrument is a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial involvement by NPS in the work rather than NPS acting only as a pass-through funder.
How is this award structured administratively?
The award is structured as a task agreement (P14AC01196) under a broader cooperative agreement (P14AC00728). It is run through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) at a negotiated overhead rate of 17.5 percent.
What is the projected period of performance?
The projected period of performance runs from the award date through August 31, 2015.
What is the main focus of the project?
The project focuses on understanding air pollution in and around U.S. National Parks, including where pollutants come from, how they move and transform chemically in the atmosphere, how they deposit onto landscapes, and what impacts they have on park ecosystems and air quality values.
Which field studies and campaigns are being analyzed in this work?
The notice highlights analysis of results from two major field efforts: the winter 2013/2014 Bakken Air Quality Study and the summer 2014 Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) conducted in and near Rocky Mountain National Park.
What pollutants or air quality concerns are emphasized?
The work is framed around pollutants and impacts relevant to national parks, including ozone exposure, visibility impairment, particulate pollution, and reactive nitrogen deposition (including expanded monitoring and analysis of reactive nitrogen forms).
How does this work relate to routine monitoring networks?
The notice states the work is intended to complement, not replace, routine national and regional monitoring networks. It references networks including IMPROVE (visibility and aerosol monitoring), AMon (ammonia), NADP (wet deposition), and CASTNet (air and deposition trends).
What is the purpose of adding intensive field measurements and specialized analyses?
According to the notice, intensive measurements and specialized chemical analyses help fill gaps that routine monitoring cannot address, such as detailed pollutant speciation, episodic events, and clearer links between measured concentrations and specific emission sources.
What is "source apportionment" in the context of this project?
In this notice, source apportionment refers to analysis and modeling intended to determine how much different emission sectors and regions contribute to observed pollution.
What are CSU's key technical tasks under this continuation effort?
The notice describes multiple tasks for CSU, including: (1) analyzing and reporting findings from the winter 2013/14 Bakken field study and collaborating with NPS on modeling and source apportionment; (2) continuing a national assessment of total reactive nitrogen deposition in sensitive areas, including patterns of oxidized versus reduced nitrogen in wet and dry deposition and historical trends; (3) analyzing samples and synthesizing findings from the July/August 2014 FRAPPE deployment; (4) investigating organic nitrogen as a component of reactive nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountain region and producing an overview publication using multiple measurement efforts (RoMANS, GrandTReNDS, and USGS snowpack analyses); (5) initiating longer-term monitoring at the Longs Peak air quality monitoring site during two defined windows; and (6) maintaining the NPS Mobile Air Sampling Laboratory.
What are the defined monitoring windows at the Longs Peak site?
The notice specifies two monitoring windows for reactive nitrogen concentrations and deposition at the Longs Peak air quality monitoring site in Rocky Mountain National Park: September 1 to October 15, 2014 and March 15 to August 31, 2015.
What is the NPS Mobile Air Sampling Laboratory and what will CSU do with it?
The notice states CSU will continue to maintain the NPS Mobile Air Sampling Laboratory, which supports specialized field sampling and rapid deployment capability.
What does "substantial federal involvement" mean here?
In this cooperative agreement, NPS is expected to participate directly in data analysis, modeling, report writing, and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications. NPS will also provide access to monitoring locations, equipment shelters, and specialized instruments, and will assign roles to guide and coordinate the work.
What roles will NPS staff play during the project?
The notice states NPS staff will participate in analysis, modeling, reporting, and publications; provide access to monitoring locations and equipment; supply meteorological fields for modeling; and oversee aspects of temporal and spatial analysis linking measurements to transport patterns and source regions. NPS will also assign an Agreement Technical Representative and a technical lead.
What types of measurements are specifically mentioned for FRAPPE interpretation?
The notice mentions interpretation of key measurements including fine particle composition, volatile organic compounds, and reactive nitrogen gas-phase species, described as central to understanding ozone formation, particulate matter chemistry, and deposition.
What is the expected public value of the project?
The notice frames public value in management and policy terms. The data and analyses are intended to inform local, state, and federal decision-making, with outputs used by EPA and air agencies in Clean Air Act implementation. Deposition findings are intended to help clarify roles of regulated and unregulated pollutants in ecosystem stress, and the results are described as useful to nongovernmental organizations and industry groups as well.
What benefits to CSU are described in the notice?
The notice describes CSU benefits including research products and peer-reviewed publications, strengthened collaboration with NPS scientists specializing in aerosols, deposition, and remote monitoring, and hands-on graduate student training through thesis and dissertation research tied to policy-relevant questions.
What is the CFDA number and program name associated with this award?
The CFDA listing provided is 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System (CESU).
What legal authorities are cited for making this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933 as statutory authorities supporting NPS entering cooperative agreements with universities and other entities to conduct research and produce integrated information products relevant to park resources and surrounding regions.
Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The point of contact listed is June Zastrow at 303-987-6718 and junezastrow@nps.gov.
What are the posting dates and what do they imply?
The notice indicates it was published July 15, 2014 with a closing date of July 29, 2014. The notice also explains this timing is consistent with providing public notice and transparency rather than a true application window.
What park or region is specifically referenced in the work?
The notice references work conducted in and near Rocky Mountain National Park, including FRAPPE and monitoring at the Longs Peak air quality monitoring site.
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