Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00404
Apply for F14AS00404
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigans Areas of Concern and Associated Screening Water and Sediment for Contaminants of Emerging Concern" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662 Great Lakes Restoration.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 18, 2014 and posted on Aug 18, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2014 This is a notice of intent to award a single source grant to Calvin College under justification 505DM 2.14B(2)(4).. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $250,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This is a notice of intent to award a single source grant to Calvin College under justification 505DM 2.14B(2)(4).
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Great Lakes Restoration program (CFDA 15.662), supports a focused research and monitoring effort on colonial, fish-eating waterbirds breeding in Michigan Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). The project centers on determining how environmental contaminants are affecting bird populations in places such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River, with comparisons to both cleaner reference sites (non-AOC locations) and historical measurements collected in earlier studies. The overall intent is to track whether conditions are improving over time and to help document progress on Great Lakes cleanup goals, including the status of Beneficial Use Impairments tied to wildlife health.
The work emphasizes three main biological areas: population status (how many birds are breeding and whether colonies are stable), reproductive performance (measures linked to successful nesting and chick production), and immunological health (specific immune system endpoints that can signal contaminant-related stress). A key feature is that the recipient must already have deep, demonstrated experience working directly with Great Lakes bird colonies and using established immune-function methods so results remain scientifically credible and directly comparable with the long-running dataset that already exists for these sites. That comparability is not a minor detail; it is central to the project because trend analysis depends on consistent methods across years.
In addition to continuing monitoring at existing AOC and reference locations, the project expands the field effort to an additional site, Bellow Island, where the same population, reproductive, and immune health endpoints will be measured. The grant also adds a newer environmental component: evaluating the possible influence of contaminants of emerging concern on the measured bird health outcomes. To support that evaluation, the recipient will screen water and sediment samples from the relevant watersheds for these emerging contaminants, linking environmental measurements with biological indicators observed in the birds.
Administratively, this announcement is a notice of intent to make a single-source, non-competitive award to Calvin College, with Dr. Keith Grasman as the lead researcher, justified under Departmental guidance (505 DM 2.14B(2)(4)). The rationale for a sole-source award is that Dr. Grasman is considered uniquely qualified due to his long-standing work in this exact system and his peer-reviewed findings connecting PCB exposure with suppressed T-cell mediated immunity and altered antibody-mediated immunity in Great Lakes birds such as herring gulls and Caspian terns. Because he developed and applied the core immunological methods at these study sites over roughly two decades, the data produced under this award can be directly aligned with prior results, strengthening the ability to assess trends and evaluate ecological recovery.
The opportunity was posted August 18, 2014, with an original and current closing date of August 25, 2014, and an archive date of August 26, 2014. The expected number of awards is one. Estimated total funding is $250,000, with an award floor of $150,000 and an award ceiling of $250,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding instrument is a discretionary grant, categorized under environmental activity. Eligibility is effectively restricted by the single-source intent described in the notice. For additional details or help accessing the full announcement, the listed agency contact was Jeremy N. Moore (517-351-8318, jeremynmoore@fws.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this grant opportunity about?
This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant (Great Lakes Restoration program, CFDA 15.662) funds research and monitoring of colonial, fish-eating waterbirds breeding in Michigan Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). The focus is on understanding how environmental contaminants are affecting bird populations, and on tracking whether conditions are improving over time in support of Great Lakes cleanup goals.
2) Which bird groups does the project focus on?
The work targets colonial, fish-eating waterbirds that breed in the Great Lakes region. The notice specifically references species studied in this system such as herring gulls and Caspian terns.
3) What geographic areas are included?
The monitoring is centered on Michigan Great Lakes AOCs, including places such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River, with comparisons to cleaner reference (non-AOC) sites. The effort also expands to an additional site, Bellow Island.
4) What are the main scientific questions being addressed?
The project is designed to determine how environmental contaminants are affecting waterbird populations in AOCs, compare conditions against non-AOC reference sites, and compare current results to historical measurements from earlier studies. A core objective is to support trend analysis and document progress toward ecological recovery.
5) What biological endpoints or topic areas will be measured in the birds?
The work emphasizes three main areas:
- Population status (how many birds are breeding and whether colonies are stable)
- Reproductive performance (measures linked to nesting success and chick production)
- Immunological health (immune system endpoints that can indicate contaminant-related stress)
6) Why is comparability with previous studies emphasized so strongly?
The notice states that results must remain scientifically credible and directly comparable to a long-running dataset from these sites. Consistent methods across years are central because trend analysis depends on being able to align new measurements with historical measurements.
7) What experience is required to carry out the work described?
The recipient is expected to already have deep, demonstrated experience working directly with Great Lakes bird colonies and using established immune-function methods that have been applied at these study sites. The intent is to ensure continuity with past monitoring and analytical approaches.
8) What is new or expanded in this project compared to prior monitoring?
The notice describes two main expansions:
- Field monitoring is expanded to an additional site (Bellow Island) while continuing monitoring at existing AOC and reference locations.
- An added environmental component evaluates contaminants of emerging concern by screening water and sediment samples from relevant watersheds, then linking those environmental measurements with bird health indicators.
9) What contaminants are explicitly mentioned?
The justification references peer-reviewed findings connecting PCB exposure with suppressed T-cell mediated immunity and altered antibody-mediated immunity in Great Lakes birds. The project also includes evaluation of contaminants of emerging concern through water and sediment screening.
10) What is the overall purpose from a Great Lakes restoration perspective?
The intent is to track whether environmental conditions and wildlife health are improving over time and to help document progress on Great Lakes cleanup goals, including the status of Beneficial Use Impairments related to wildlife health.
11) What federal agency is issuing the funding?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Great Lakes Restoration program.
12) What is the CFDA number listed for this program?
The CFDA number provided in the notice is 15.662.
13) What type of funding instrument is this?
The funding instrument is a discretionary grant, and it is categorized under environmental activity.
14) Is this a competitive opportunity open to multiple applicants?
No. The notice is a notice of intent to make a single-source, non-competitive award, with an expected number of awards listed as one.
15) Who is the intended recipient?
The announcement states an intent to make a single-source award to Calvin College, with Dr. Keith Grasman as the lead researcher.
16) Why is the award being made as a sole-source (single-source) award?
The rationale given is that Dr. Grasman is considered uniquely qualified based on long-standing work in this exact system, peer-reviewed findings on PCB-related immune effects in Great Lakes birds, and the fact that he developed and applied the core immunological methods at these study sites over roughly two decades. This unique continuity enables direct alignment with the existing dataset.
17) What authority or guidance is cited for the sole-source approach?
The notice cites Departmental guidance at 505 DM 2.14B(2)(4) as justification for the single-source, non-competitive award.
18) How much funding is available under this opportunity?
The estimated total funding is $250,000.
19) What are the award floor and award ceiling?
The award floor is $150,000 and the award ceiling is $250,000.
20) How many awards does the agency expect to make?
The expected number of awards is one.
21) Is cost sharing or a match required?
No. The notice states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
22) When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on August 18, 2014. Both the original and current closing date are listed as August 25, 2014. The archive date is August 26, 2014.
23) Who can be considered eligible to apply?
Eligibility is effectively restricted by the single-source intent described in the notice. The announcement indicates the agency intends to make a non-competitive award to a specific institution and investigator.
24) What sites are used for comparisons and why?
The work compares AOC locations (such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River) to cleaner reference sites (non-AOC locations). These comparisons are used to help interpret contaminant-related effects and to evaluate whether conditions in AOCs are improving over time.
25) What kinds of environmental samples are included in the emerging contaminants component?
The recipient will screen water and sediment samples from the relevant watersheds for contaminants of emerging concern and link those environmental results to biological indicators measured in the birds.
26) Who is the agency contact for questions or for help accessing the full announcement?
The listed agency contact is Jeremy N. Moore. Phone: (517) 351-8318. Email: jeremynmoore@fws.gov.
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