Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00404
Apply for F16AS00404
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the agriculture, business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, information and statistics, law, justice and legal services, natural resources, regional development, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Asian Elephant Conservation Fund" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.621.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 01, 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Asian Elephant Conservation Fund is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) grant and cooperative agreement opportunity that funds practical, on-the-ground work to conserve the endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) across its range. It is authorized under the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, signed into law in 1997 in response to escalating threats to Asian elephants and their long-term survival. The program is designed to support conservation programs in Asian elephant range countries and to back projects led by individuals or organizations with demonstrated expertise in Asian elephant conservation. While projects are generally expected to take place within the species range, work conducted outside the range can still be considered if the proposal clearly shows direct relevance and benefits to Asian elephant conservation.
The fund prioritizes projects that measurably improve the status of Asian elephants and the habitats they rely on. This includes applied research that directly supports management decisions, such as population surveys, habitat assessments, and monitoring programs that help agencies and partners understand where elephants are, how populations are changing, and which threats are most urgent. It also supports efforts that reduce the removal of wild elephants from nature, curb demand in consumer countries for ivory and other elephant body parts, and prevent illegal killing through anti-poaching strategies and strengthened enforcement. Proposals can focus on developing or implementing elephant conservation management plans, improving compliance with treaties and laws governing elephant take and trade, and strengthening habitat protection and management, including better protected-area operations in key elephant landscapes.
A major emphasis is placed on reducing human-elephant conflict, which is often one of the most immediate drivers of elephant mortality and negative attitudes toward conservation. Eligible work in this area can include prevention and mitigation strategies that protect both people and elephants, as well as community-based approaches that reduce retaliatory killings and improve coexistence. The opportunity also encourages education and outreach that builds public support and practical local engagement, along with projects that enhance direct protection of high-risk populations. Capacity building is another core theme, with support available for strengthening local institutions and staff skills needed to run effective conservation programs over the long term, including training in wildlife inspection, law enforcement techniques, and forensic skills that help identify and prosecute wildlife crime.
The fund also explicitly supports efforts that influence decision making and policy outcomes by improving the knowledge of stakeholders who shape conservation results. This can include legislators, educators, students, journalists, tourists, NGOs, and private sector groups, with the goal of helping these audiences positively affect wildlife conservation, management practices, legislation, policy, and financing, and to align conservation objectives with broader national priorities. Applied research proposals are expected to be management-relevant rather than purely academic, and they should address specific needs and actions, including emerging and evolving threats such as disease, poaching trends, and climate change impacts on elephant habitat and survival.
Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00404; CFDA 15.621) is categorized as discretionary funding and uses grant and cooperative agreement instruments. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice). The posted award ceiling is $500,000, with an expected total of about 20 awards under the announcement. The opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2016, and the original closing date was Nov 1, 2016.
Asian Elephant Conservation Fund (USFWS) - FAQs
What is the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund?
The Asian Elephant Conservation Fund is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) grant and cooperative agreement opportunity that supports practical, on-the-ground work to conserve the endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) across its range.
Which agency runs this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What law authorizes the fund?
The program is authorized under the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, which was signed into law in 1997 in response to escalating threats to Asian elephants and concerns about their long-term survival.
What is the main goal of the program?
The fund prioritizes projects that measurably improve the status of Asian elephants and the habitats they depend on, with an emphasis on practical conservation outcomes.
Where are projects expected to take place?
Projects are generally expected to occur within Asian elephant range countries. However, work conducted outside the species range can still be considered if the proposal clearly demonstrates direct relevance and benefits to Asian elephant conservation.
Who is the program designed to support?
The program is designed to support conservation programs in Asian elephant range countries and to back projects led by individuals or organizations with demonstrated expertise in Asian elephant conservation.
What types of activities does the fund support?
Supported activities include practical conservation and management work such as applied research tied to management decisions, efforts to reduce illegal killing and trade, habitat protection and management, human-elephant conflict mitigation, education and outreach, direct protection of high-risk populations, and capacity building for long-term conservation effectiveness.
Does the fund support research, and if so, what kind?
Yes. The fund supports applied research that directly informs management decisions rather than purely academic work. Examples mentioned include population surveys, habitat assessments, and monitoring programs that help determine where elephants are, how populations are changing, and which threats are most urgent.
What does "management-relevant" applied research mean in this program?
Management-relevant applied research is research designed to address specific conservation needs and actions. It should be directly useful for decisions and interventions (for example, informing protection priorities, threat responses, or habitat management) rather than focusing only on academic questions.
What threats and issues are specifically mentioned as priorities?
The opportunity highlights several priority issues, including human-elephant conflict, illegal killing and anti-poaching needs, removal of wild elephants from nature, demand for ivory and other elephant body parts, and emerging or evolving threats such as disease, poaching trends, and climate change impacts on habitat and survival.
Are anti-poaching and enforcement projects eligible?
Yes. The fund supports strategies to prevent illegal killing, including anti-poaching approaches and strengthened enforcement, as well as efforts that improve compliance with treaties and laws governing elephant take and trade.
Does the fund support work related to wildlife trade and consumer demand?
Yes. The fund supports efforts to curb demand in consumer countries for ivory and other elephant body parts and to strengthen enforcement and compliance related to take and trade.
Can proposals include developing or implementing conservation management plans?
Yes. Proposals can focus on developing or implementing elephant conservation management plans and related actions that improve conservation outcomes.
Does the program fund habitat protection and protected-area management?
Yes. The opportunity supports strengthening habitat protection and management, including improving protected-area operations in key elephant landscapes.
How important is human-elephant conflict mitigation to this fund?
Reducing human-elephant conflict is described as a major emphasis of the fund, because it is often an immediate driver of elephant mortality and can fuel negative attitudes toward conservation.
What kinds of human-elephant conflict activities are considered eligible?
Eligible work can include prevention and mitigation strategies that protect both people and elephants, as well as community-based approaches aimed at reducing retaliatory killings and improving coexistence.
Does the opportunity encourage education and outreach?
Yes. The fund encourages education and outreach that builds public support and promotes practical local engagement, alongside projects that enhance direct protection of high-risk populations.
What is meant by "capacity building" in this program?
Capacity building is a core theme and includes strengthening local institutions and improving staff skills needed to run effective conservation programs over the long term. Examples provided include training in wildlife inspection, law enforcement techniques, and forensic skills that support identifying and prosecuting wildlife crime.
Does the fund support projects aimed at influencing policy or decision making?
Yes. The fund explicitly supports efforts that influence decision making and policy outcomes by improving the knowledge of stakeholders who shape conservation results.
Which stakeholders are specifically mentioned as audiences for knowledge-building efforts?
The opportunity lists legislators, educators, students, journalists, tourists, NGOs, and private sector groups as examples of stakeholders whose improved knowledge could positively affect conservation outcomes, management practices, legislation, policy, and financing.
Can projects address broad national priorities as well as elephant conservation?
Yes. The opportunity notes a goal of aligning conservation objectives with broader national priorities, particularly through efforts that affect policy, legislation, and financing.
What funding instruments are used for this opportunity?
The opportunity uses grant and cooperative agreement instruments.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00404.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.621.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full notice.
What is the maximum award amount?
The posted award ceiling is $500,000.
How many awards were expected under this announcement?
The announcement indicates an expected total of about 20 awards.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2016, and the original closing date was Nov 1, 2016.
Can proposals address climate change or disease impacts on elephants?
Yes. The opportunity mentions emerging and evolving threats, including disease and climate change impacts on elephant habitat and survival, as issues that applied research and management-focused work can address.
Is purely academic research a good fit for this fund?
The opportunity indicates that applied research should be management-relevant rather than purely academic, meaning proposals should connect research to specific conservation needs and actions.
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