Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00431
Apply for F16AS00431
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michiganâ¿¿s Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 01, 2016 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source grant to the Calvin College-Dr. Keith Grasman under justification 505DM 2.14B. (2) and (4).. (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 $118,153.00 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).
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigan's Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay" (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00431), is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.662). The project focuses on understanding how environmental contaminants are affecting fish-eating colonial waterbirds that breed in Michigan-linked Great Lakes locations, especially within designated Areas of Concern (AOCs) such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River. The overall intent is to continue and strengthen long-running monitoring work so the condition of these bird populations can be tracked over time and compared both to cleaner reference sites and to earlier measurements from the same colonies.
The core work involves field and lab efforts to measure three connected areas of population well-being: breeding population numbers, reproductive performance, and immunological health. The project is designed to generate new, comparable data that can reveal whether contamination-related impacts are persisting, improving, or worsening. A key feature is continuity with prior investigations, meaning the study is not starting from scratch; it is deliberately building on a historical dataset to evaluate trends. That long-term perspective matters in environmental restoration because changes in contaminant exposure and ecosystem recovery can take years to show up in wildlife health and reproduction.
A major technical emphasis of the grant is immune function testing using specific immunological endpoints. The opportunity description makes it clear that the recipient must already have proven experience working with Great Lakes bird colonies and using established immune-measurement methods, because the scientific value depends heavily on consistency and comparability. If different methods were used, it would be harder to tell whether differences over time reflect real biological change or just differences in how the measurements were taken. Alongside the established monitoring sites, the work is expanded to include Bellow Island, where the same population, reproductive, and immune endpoints will be measured. The project also adds attention to contaminants of emerging concern, with the goal of evaluating whether newer or less traditionally monitored pollutants could be influencing the same health indicators.
The results are intended to directly support Great Lakes restoration and management decisions, specifically by informing the assessment of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) related to "Wildlife Populations and Reproductive Deformities" in Michigan's Areas of Concern. In practical terms, the data generated under this grant can help agencies judge whether conditions at these AOCs are still impaired, whether remediation is translating into measurable biological recovery, and what remaining contaminant-related risks may be present for top-of-food-web fish-eating birds.
Administrative details in the notice indicate this is not an open, competitive grant solicitation. It is a notice of intent to make a single-source award to Dr. Keith Grasman of Calvin College, with no application process. The justification given is that competition is not practical because Dr. Grasman is uniquely qualified based on his specific history with these colonies, his methods, and his published research linking PCB exposure to immune suppression and altered immune responses in Great Lakes bird chicks (including herring gulls and Caspian terns). Because he has applied these immunological approaches at the same study sites for roughly two decades, the grant emphasizes that the new data will be directly comparable to past datasets, strengthening the ability to evaluate long-term trends and progress toward restoration goals.
The opportunity was created on August 25, 2016, with an original closing date of September 1, 2016, reflecting its administrative posting rather than a traditional application window. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $118,153. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the original posting, but the notice explicitly states the award is intended for the single identified recipient under Departmental justification criteria (505 DM 2.14.B. (2) and (4)).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the official title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigan's Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00431.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.
What CFDA program is associated with this grant?
The CFDA number listed is 15.662.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is to understand how environmental contaminants are affecting fish-eating colonial waterbirds breeding in Great Lakes-linked locations in Michigan, with an emphasis on designated Areas of Concern (AOCs). The work is intended to continue and strengthen long-running monitoring so conditions can be tracked over time and compared to cleaner reference sites and earlier measurements from the same colonies.
Which bird populations are being studied?
The focus is on fish-eating colonial waterbirds that breed in Michigan-linked Great Lakes locations. The notice references past research on species including herring gulls and Caspian terns in relation to PCB exposure and immune effects.
What geographic areas are emphasized in the work?
The project emphasizes Michigan-linked Great Lakes locations, particularly within Michigan-designated Areas of Concern (AOCs) such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River, and also includes Grand Traverse Bay. The work is expanded to include Bellow Island.
What are "Areas of Concern" (AOCs) in the context of this project?
AOCs are designated Great Lakes locations where environmental degradation has been identified and where restoration actions are tracked, including through measures such as Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs).
What does the project measure or monitor?
The work measures three connected areas of population well-being: (1) breeding population numbers, (2) reproductive performance, and (3) immunological health, using a combination of field and laboratory efforts.
Why is immune function testing highlighted in the opportunity?
Immune function testing is a major technical emphasis, using specific immunological endpoints. The opportunity stresses that scientific value depends on consistent methods so data can be compared over time and across sites.
What are "immunological endpoints" in this grant notice?
The notice describes them as specific immune function measures used to assess immunological health. It emphasizes that established immune-measurement methods must be used to maintain comparability with prior investigations.
Why does the grant emphasize continuity with prior investigations?
The project is designed to build on a historical dataset rather than start from scratch. Using comparable methods at the same sites helps determine whether changes over time reflect real biological trends (improving, worsening, or persisting impacts) rather than differences in measurement approaches.
What kinds of environmental stressors is the project focused on?
The project focuses on environmental contaminants affecting top-of-food-web, fish-eating colonial waterbirds. It also adds attention to contaminants of emerging concern to evaluate whether newer or less traditionally monitored pollutants may influence the same health indicators.
How will the results be used?
The results are intended to support Great Lakes restoration and management decisions by informing assessment of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), specifically those related to "Wildlife Populations and Reproductive Deformities" in Michigan's Areas of Concern.
What is the connection to Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs)?
The data generated under this grant can help agencies evaluate whether conditions in AOCs remain impaired, whether remediation is translating into measurable biological recovery, and what contaminant-related risks may remain for fish-eating colonial waterbirds.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity with an application process?
No. The notice indicates this is not an open, competitive solicitation. It is a notice of intent to make a single-source award, and it states there is no application process.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The award is intended for Dr. Keith Grasman of Calvin College.
Why is the award being made as a single-source action?
The notice states competition is not practical because the intended recipient is uniquely qualified based on a specific history with the same Great Lakes bird colonies, consistent methods used over roughly two decades, and published research linking PCB exposure to immune suppression and altered immune responses in Great Lakes bird chicks.
What justification criteria are cited for the single-source award?
The notice references Departmental justification criteria under 505 DM 2.14.B. (2) and (4).
How many awards are expected?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $118,153.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on August 25, 2016, with an original closing date of September 1, 2016. The dates reflect administrative posting rather than a traditional application window.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the original posting. However, the notice explicitly states the award is intended for the single identified recipient and is not presented as an open application opportunity.
What makes method consistency important for this project?
The notice emphasizes that if different methods were used, it would be difficult to determine whether observed differences over time were true biological changes or simply artifacts of changing measurement techniques. Consistency supports reliable trend analysis and comparisons to reference sites.
What is new or expanded in this phase of work compared to prior monitoring?
The notice describes an expansion to include Bellow Island, where the same population, reproductive, and immune endpoints will be measured, and it adds attention to contaminants of emerging concern.
How does long-term monitoring help with restoration decisions?
The opportunity notes that changes in contaminant exposure and ecosystem recovery can take years to appear in wildlife health and reproduction, so long-term, comparable monitoring strengthens the ability to evaluate trends and progress toward restoration goals.
Does the notice specify particular contaminants of concern?
It broadly addresses environmental contaminants and explicitly mentions PCB exposure in relation to the intended recipient's published research. It also notes an added focus on contaminants of emerging concern, without listing specific emerging contaminants in the provided description.
What kinds of comparisons are intended for the data?
The data are intended to be comparable over time at the same colonies and also comparable between AOC sites and cleaner reference sites.
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