Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00016
Apply for F14AS00016
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the education environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Program to Introduce Youth to Natural Resource Conservation Careers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.676 Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 1, 2014 and posted on Nov 4, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 12, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $20,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- 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 Conservation Program to Introduce Youth to Natural Resource Conservation Careers is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant/cooperative agreement initiative designed to give young people an early, practical introduction to careers in natural resources and conservation. The core idea is workforce development: participants do not just learn about conservation in a classroom setting, they get structured training, real field experience, and mentoring directly from USFWS natural resource professionals. The program is explicitly intended to reach a wide range of students, with an emphasis on including culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse youth and young adults who may not otherwise have easy access to conservation career pathways.
USFWS planned to award these funds to the Student Conservation Association (SCA) for a term of up to five years. SCA, a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, would serve as the primary partner to help place and support individuals and teams of youth in USFWS work environments. The hands-on placements can occur across multiple USFWS program settings, including national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices, allowing participants to see different parts of the conservation mission and the day-to-day work associated with these careers.
A major component highlighted in the announcement is the link to Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency work in USFWS Region 5 (the Northeast). Region 5 received Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 funding (Public Law 113-2) and intended to use this youth conservation program to support Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts through resiliency projects. In practical terms, that means youth participants would gain career exposure and job skills while contributing to real post-disaster conservation and resilience work at USFWS sites in the Northeast. For these Hurricane Sandy-related awards, the CFDA number listed is 15.677, while the broader youth engagement program is associated with CFDA 15.676 (Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment Programs).
Administratively, the opportunity was listed as discretionary funding and used cooperative agreement and grant instruments, reflecting an expectation of active involvement and partnership between USFWS and SCA during implementation. The total estimated funding amount for the opportunity was $20,000,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The award ceiling and floor were both listed as $0, which often indicates the agency did not specify per-award dollar limits in the public summary and instead expected funding levels to be defined in the agreement structure or associated project scopes. Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, and the narrative makes clear USFWS intended the award for SCA in particular.
Key dates in the posting show it was originally posted November 4, 2013, with an original closing date of December 4, 2013, later updated to December 12, 2013, and an archive date of January 3, 2014. The funding opportunity number is F14AS00016. For access issues with the full announcement, the listed contact was Gerri Watkins at GerriWatkins@fws.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Conservation Program to Introduce Youth to Natural Resource Conservation Careers?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant/cooperative agreement initiative focused on workforce development. The program is designed to give young people an early, practical introduction to natural resources and conservation careers through structured training, real field experience, and mentoring from USFWS natural resource professionals.
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The core purpose is workforce development in conservation and natural resources. Rather than being only classroom-based, the program emphasizes hands-on placements, job skills development, and direct exposure to day-to-day conservation work alongside USFWS staff.
Who is this program intended to serve?
The program is intended to reach a wide range of students, with a specific emphasis on including culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse youth and young adults who may not otherwise have easy access to conservation career pathways.
What kinds of experiences do participants receive?
Participants receive structured training, real field experience, and mentoring directly from USFWS natural resource professionals. Placements are intended to provide practical exposure to conservation career options and the work performed in different USFWS settings.
Where can hands-on placements take place?
Hands-on placements can occur across multiple USFWS program settings, including national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices. This is meant to help participants see different parts of the USFWS conservation mission.
How does the program connect to Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency work?
A major component described in the announcement is support for Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency projects in USFWS Region 5 (the Northeast). Region 5 received Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 funding (Public Law 113-2) and intended to use this youth conservation program to contribute to post-disaster conservation and resilience work at USFWS sites in the Northeast.
What region is associated with the Hurricane Sandy-related work?
The Hurricane Sandy-related awards described in the posting are associated with USFWS Region 5, which covers the Northeast.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The posting references two CFDA numbers: 15.676 for the broader Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment Programs, and 15.677 for Hurricane Sandy-related awards tied to recovery and resiliency work.
What type of funding opportunity is this (discretionary or formula)?
The opportunity was listed as discretionary funding.
What award instruments are mentioned?
The announcement referenced both cooperative agreement and grant instruments. The use of a cooperative agreement indicates an expectation of active involvement and partnership between USFWS and the partner organization during implementation.
How much total funding was estimated for the opportunity?
The total estimated funding amount listed for the opportunity was $20,000,000.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Were there minimum or maximum award amounts (floor or ceiling) specified?
The award ceiling and floor were both listed as $0. In practice, this often means the public summary did not specify per-award dollar limits and that funding levels would be defined through the agreement structure or the project scopes.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education.
Was this opportunity intended for a specific applicant?
Yes. The narrative indicates USFWS planned to award the funds to the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and that SCA would serve as the primary partner to place and support youth participants in USFWS work environments.
What role does the Student Conservation Association (SCA) play?
SCA, a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, was identified as the primary partner. Its role would be to help place and support individuals and teams of youth in USFWS work environments for hands-on training and career exposure.
What is the planned period of performance?
USFWS planned a term of up to five years for the award.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number listed is F14AS00016.
When was the opportunity posted, and what were the closing dates?
The posting shows it was originally posted on November 4, 2013. The original closing date was December 4, 2013, and it was later updated to December 12, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is January 3, 2014.
Who can be contacted for access issues with the full announcement?
The contact listed for access issues was Gerri Watkins at GerriWatkins@fws.gov.
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