Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00307
Apply for P15AS00307
- The National Park Service in the community development education employment, labor and training environment information and statistics natural resources regional development science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centennial Bioblitz Data Management Support Phase One" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944 Natural Resource Stewardship.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 13, 2015 and posted on Aug 13, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $70,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $7,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The "Centennial Bioblitz Data Management Support - Phase One" notice is a public announcement that the National Park Service (NPS) planned to make a non-competitive, single-source cooperative agreement award to the California Academy of Sciences. It is explicitly not a request for applications; instead, it serves as a notice of intent to fund a specific set of project activities without open competition. The award is tied to the NPS Natural Resource Stewardship program (CFDA 15.944) and is authorized under 54 USC 101702(a). The anticipated federal funding amount is $70,000, with a substantial cost share listed at $68,000, and the period of performance was intended to run from the final signature date through 12/31/2016.
At its core, the opportunity supports the NPS Centennial Bioblitz, an initiative meant to expand biodiversity discovery and public engagement as the agency entered its second century. The NPS framed the work as part of its broader "Go Digital" push to modernize its online presence and better connect parks with community-based programs, youth participation, and citizen science. A key driver behind the project is that NPS identified gaps in technical expertise and data systems needed to handle the volume, quality, visualization, and safeguarding requirements associated with bioblitz data. The announcement highlights practical research and stewardship needs the data could support, such as tracking non-native species, documenting threatened and endangered species occurrences, analyzing phenology (seasonal biological timing), and detecting climate-related shifts in species distributions.
The California Academy of Sciences was selected because it develops and maintains iNaturalist, an established web and mobile platform used widely by the public, universities, and agencies for recording, validating, and sharing biodiversity observations. The plan was to integrate NPS datasets and boundaries into iNaturalist and then use iNaturalist as the primary observation and reporting environment for Centennial Bioblitz participation. NPS emphasized that using iNaturalist would not only increase participation by making it easy for the public to submit observations, but would also improve scientific rigor through expert involvement and structured inventory workflows, producing data and tools that could continue to benefit NPS and similar biodiversity efforts beyond the Centennial event.
Phase One work is described as a jointly managed set of tasks. The Academy's responsibilities include helping design and implement data management functionality for the Bioblitz, loading NPS data into iNaturalist (notably geospatial boundaries for NPS administrative units and species checklists for those units), and protecting sensitive information provided by NPS. A major deliverable is a suite of web-based visualizations built from Bioblitz observations in iNaturalist. These visualizations were expected to show summary statistics across participating NPS bioblitz projects, highlight specific observations identified by NPS Natural Resources staff as especially noteworthy, generate slide-style outputs displaying final tallies by taxonomic category for selected parks, and provide a custom interface allowing users to explore projects by place and observations by taxonomic group. The Academy was also to build configuration tools so NPS could maintain and reuse the visualization system over time, including the ability to add or remove projects and taxonomic groups, adjust layouts for presentations, and rely on documentation for ongoing use. Standard reporting requirements under the cooperative agreement would apply as well.
NPS responsibilities focus on supplying the authoritative inputs and coordination needed to make the system accurate, secure, and usable on NPS platforms. NPS committed to providing the best available geospatial boundary data for all NPS administrative units, delivering species checklists for a subset of units (including flags for sensitive species where location information should be protected), and providing a separate checklist of "species of interest" to meet reporting needs. NPS also agreed to give clear specifications for the desired web visualizations, share any existing iNaturalist documentation and training materials, document development requirements for needed app functionality, and coordinate with the NPS web team to incorporate visualizations into nps.gov pages. Both parties agreed to stay substantially involved across planning, research, coordination, and publication or dissemination of results, to ensure iNaturalist projects were created before the Centennial event so tallies could be generated on time, to engage diverse communities as digital docents to drive adoption among students and scientists, and to maintain frequent communication using a transparent project management tool for stakeholders.
Finally, the award was justified as single-source under the Department of the Interior policy criteria for a non-competitive award, specifically the "Continuation" justification. The announcement explains that the work was a task agreement under an existing cooperative agreement between NPS and the Academy, and that competing the work would risk disrupting continuity or completion. Administrative details in the listing include the funding opportunity number (P15AS00307), the expectation of one award, eligibility limited to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits (though the award was already targeted), and contact information for the NPS point of contact, June Zastrow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Centennial Bioblitz Data Management Support - Phase One" notice?
It is a public notice that the National Park Service (NPS) intended to make a non-competitive, single-source cooperative agreement award for specific project activities related to Centennial Bioblitz data management and visualization.
Is this notice a request for applications (RFA) or an open funding competition?
No. The notice is explicitly not a request for applications. It serves as a notice of intent to fund a specific recipient without open competition.
Who was the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient was the California Academy of Sciences.
Why was the award planned as non-competitive and single-source?
The notice states the award was justified under Department of the Interior policy criteria for a non-competitive award using a "Continuation" justification. The work was described as a task agreement under an existing cooperative agreement between NPS and the California Academy of Sciences, and competing it was described as a risk to continuity or completion.
What type of funding instrument was planned?
A cooperative agreement, with NPS and the recipient both remaining substantially involved in planning, coordination, and dissemination of results.
What is the funding opportunity number?
P15AS00307.
What program and authority does the award fall under?
The award is tied to the NPS Natural Resource Stewardship program (CFDA 15.944) and is authorized under 54 USC 101702(a).
How much federal funding was anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount was $70,000.
Was a cost share included?
Yes. The notice lists a substantial cost share of $68,000.
What was the planned period of performance?
From the final signature date through 12/31/2016.
How many awards were expected?
One award was expected.
Who was eligible under the listing?
Eligibility was limited to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits, although the notice indicates the award was already targeted to a specific organization.
What is the Centennial Bioblitz and what is the overall purpose of this project?
The Centennial Bioblitz is an NPS initiative intended to expand biodiversity discovery and public engagement as the agency entered its second century. Phase One focused on strengthening the data management, reporting, visualization, and safeguarding capabilities needed to handle bioblitz observations.
How does this connect to the NPS "Go Digital" effort?
The notice describes the work as part of NPS efforts to modernize its online presence and better connect parks with community-based programs, youth participation, and citizen science through digital tools and workflows.
What problems or gaps was NPS trying to address?
NPS identified gaps in technical expertise and data systems needed to manage the volume and quality of bioblitz data, create visualizations, and safeguard sensitive information.
What kinds of stewardship or research needs could the bioblitz data support?
Examples listed include tracking non-native species, documenting threatened and endangered species occurrences, analyzing phenology (seasonal biological timing), and detecting climate-related shifts in species distributions.
What platform was central to the planned approach?
iNaturalist, a web and mobile biodiversity observation platform developed and maintained by the California Academy of Sciences.
Why was iNaturalist selected for the Centennial Bioblitz effort?
The notice describes iNaturalist as an established platform used by the public, universities, and agencies for recording, validating, and sharing biodiversity observations. NPS emphasized it could increase public participation and improve scientific rigor through expert involvement and structured inventory workflows.
What does "Phase One" cover in this notice?
Phase One is described as jointly managed work focused on designing and implementing bioblitz data management functionality, loading NPS data into iNaturalist, protecting sensitive information, and producing web-based visualizations and configuration tools for NPS use.
What responsibilities were assigned to the California Academy of Sciences?
The Academy was responsible for helping design and implement data management functionality for the Bioblitz, loading NPS datasets into iNaturalist (including NPS administrative unit boundaries and species checklists), protecting sensitive information provided by NPS, and building a suite of web-based visualizations and related configuration tools and documentation.
What specific NPS data were to be loaded into iNaturalist?
The notice highlights geospatial boundaries for NPS administrative units and species checklists for those units.
How was sensitive information supposed to be handled?
The Academy was tasked with protecting sensitive information provided by NPS. NPS also planned to provide species checklists that include flags for sensitive species where location information should be protected.
What were the major visualization deliverables?
The planned deliverables included web-based visualizations derived from Centennial Bioblitz observations in iNaturalist, including: summary statistics across participating projects; highlighting specific observations identified by NPS Natural Resources staff as noteworthy; slide-style outputs showing final tallies by taxonomic category for selected parks; and a custom interface to explore projects by place and observations by taxonomic group.
What were the planned configuration and maintenance tools for NPS?
The Academy was expected to build configuration tools so NPS could maintain and reuse the visualization system over time, including the ability to add or remove projects and taxonomic groups, adjust layouts for presentations, and use documentation to support ongoing operation.
What responsibilities were assigned to NPS?
NPS responsibilities included providing authoritative geospatial boundary data for all NPS administrative units, delivering species checklists for a subset of units (including sensitive species flags), providing a separate checklist of "species of interest" for reporting needs, supplying clear specifications for web visualizations, sharing any existing iNaturalist documentation and training materials, documenting development requirements for needed app functionality, and coordinating with the NPS web team to incorporate visualizations into nps.gov pages.
What is meant by a "species of interest" checklist in this notice?
The notice states NPS would provide a separate checklist of "species of interest" to meet reporting needs.
How were NPS and the Academy expected to coordinate during the project?
Both parties were expected to remain substantially involved in planning, research, coordination, and publication or dissemination of results; maintain frequent communication; and use a transparent project management tool for stakeholders.
What timing constraints are mentioned for creating iNaturalist projects and producing tallies?
The notice states iNaturalist projects were to be created before the Centennial event so that tallies could be generated on time.
How does the notice describe community engagement for the Bioblitz effort?
It mentions engaging diverse communities as digital docents to drive adoption among students and scientists and to support participation through digital means.
Were standard reporting requirements included?
Yes. The notice states standard cooperative agreement reporting requirements would apply.
Where were the visualizations intended to be displayed?
NPS planned to coordinate with its web team to incorporate the visualizations into nps.gov pages.
Who is the NPS point of contact listed in the notice?
June Zastrow.
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