Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00999
Apply for P15AS00999
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Survey and Record Updates for NPS Herbarium Specimens" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 16, 2015 and posted on Jun 16, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 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 $22,682.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 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 only to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Please see the notice of intent for further information.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity titled "Conservation Survey and Record Updates for NPS Herbarium Specimens" (Funding Opportunity Number P15AS00999) is a public notice of the agency's intent to make a single, non-competitive award rather than an open call for applications. In other words, it is not inviting proposals from the broader public. Instead, NPS is documenting that it plans to fund a specific partner, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), to carry out a defined set of museum and data-management tasks related to NPS plant specimens held at the University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium (ALA). The award is structured as a cooperative agreement/task agreement under statutory authority 54 USC 100703 and CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System). The anticipated federal funding amount is $22,682, there is no cost share requirement, and the expected period of performance is about 1.5 years, starting in FY2015 and finishing before the end of FY2016. Only one award is expected.
The core purpose of the project is collections stewardship: conducting a conservation survey and condition assessment for roughly 13,000 NPS herbarium specimens curated at ALA, paired with updates to locality information and georeferencing where needed. These specimens include more than 650 plants associated with Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) and approximately 12,440 additional specimens from NPS units across the Alaska Region. The work is fundamentally a hands-on, specimen-by-specimen inventory to verify what is physically present, document condition issues, and ensure that the associated catalog records accurately reflect the specimens and their collecting locations. A key outcome is improved data quality and usability for park management, researchers, and the public, since herbarium data are often used for biodiversity studies, long-term ecological change analyses, and resource decision-making.
UAF, through ALA, is responsible for providing the scientific and technical leadership needed to complete the deliverables. This includes physically inventorying the KEFJ subset first and then proceeding through the broader Alaska Region holdings, organized alphabetically and by major plant groups (beginning with ferns and related groups, then gymnosperms, monocots, and dicots). For each specimen, ALA will assign a condition assessment determination and evaluate whether the locality description and mapped coordinates need updating. The announcement notes that extensive georeferencing is not expected, but if a specimen lacks latitude and longitude coordinates, ALA will generate them using standard tools and services such as BioGeomancer and then enter or update those data in Arctos, the museum collection database platform referenced in the plan. The intent is to strengthen the accuracy and completeness of specimen records, particularly location information that supports mapping and spatial analysis.
The primary tangible deliverable to NPS is a digital results file documenting the inventory and assessment outcomes. That file is expected to capture the inventory results, condition determinations, any updated catalog information, and identified specimen needs, while also cross-referencing both NPS and ALA identifiers (catalog and accession numbers). This crosswalk matters because specimens are on long-term loan and may be tracked differently in NPS systems versus the university museum system; aligning identifiers helps prevent record mismatches and supports accountability. In addition to the technical deliverables, UAF must submit semiannual federal financial reporting using the SF-425 Federal Financial Report form.
NPS responsibilities are described as both financial and administrative support for the work. NPS will provide the funding that allows UAF to conduct the surveys, inventories, record updates, and data uploads for the KEFJ collection housed at ALA. NPS will also provide ALA with a digital specimen list of KEFJ items that are already cataloged in the NPS Interior Collections Management System (ICMS), helping ALA reconcile physical holdings with NPS documentation. After receiving the results, NPS will distribute the findings from the conservation survey and the catalog updates to the individual parks in the Alaska Region so each unit can use the information for collections planning and resource management. The agreement also requires that ALA be clearly identified and acknowledged in any published materials produced under the task agreement, reflecting the collaborative nature of the work.
A major feature of this notice is the justification for awarding without competition. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), NPS must explain why a competitive process is not practicable. NPS cites the "Unique Qualifications" criterion. The practical rationale is that the relevant NPS herbarium specimens are already curated at UAF's ALA on a long-term loan, meaning ALA is the facility with physical custody, established workflows, and the technical infrastructure (including Arctos records) needed to efficiently perform the condition assessments and record updates. The notice also points out that ALA makes these specimens available for NPS use, public reference, and university research, and that UAF supports internships and hands-on training opportunities that extend the university curriculum, aligning with the cooperative research and training purpose of the program.
Finally, the posting information shows this notice was posted June 16, 2015, with an original and current closing date of June 25, 2015, and an archive date of July 25, 2015. The listing includes an award ceiling of $50,000 and an award floor of $0, though the anticipated award amount is $22,682. The named point of contact is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist, with a listed phone number, and the eligibility statement clarifies that this is strictly a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks rather than an opportunity open to other applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the title and funding opportunity number for this NPS notice?
The notice is titled "Conservation Survey and Record Updates for NPS Herbarium Specimens" and lists Funding Opportunity Number P15AS00999.
2) Is this an open grant competition where anyone can apply?
No. This is a public notice of intent to make a single, non-competitive award. It is not an open call for proposals from the general public.
3) Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The National Park Service (NPS) intends to fund a specific partner: the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), working through the University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium (ALA).
4) How many awards will be made under this notice?
Only one award is expected.
5) What type of agreement will be used for this award?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement/task agreement.
6) What is the statutory authority and CFDA program listed for this award?
The notice cites statutory authority 54 USC 100703 and CFDA 15.945, described as "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
7) What is the main purpose of the project?
The project focuses on collections stewardship: conducting a conservation survey and condition assessment of NPS herbarium specimens held at ALA, and updating associated catalog records (especially locality information and georeferencing where needed) to improve data quality and usability.
8) About how many specimens are included in the work?
The work covers roughly 13,000 NPS herbarium specimens curated at ALA.
9) Which parks or NPS units are specifically mentioned?
The notice specifically mentions more than 650 plant specimens associated with Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ), plus approximately 12,440 additional specimens from other NPS units across the Alaska Region.
10) What work will be performed on each specimen?
The work is described as a hands-on, specimen-by-specimen inventory to verify what is physically present, document condition issues through a condition assessment determination, and evaluate and update catalog information such as locality descriptions and mapped coordinates where needed.
11) Will the project include georeferencing?
Yes, when needed. The notice says extensive georeferencing is not expected, but if a specimen lacks latitude and longitude coordinates, ALA will generate coordinates using standard tools/services (for example, BioGeomancer) and then enter or update those data in the collection database.
12) What database system is referenced for entering or updating specimen data?
The plan references Arctos as the museum collection database platform where data will be entered or updated.
13) In what order will ALA inventory the collections?
ALA will inventory the KEFJ subset first and then proceed through the broader Alaska Region holdings. The broader work is organized alphabetically and by major plant groups, beginning with ferns and related groups, then gymnosperms, monocots, and dicots.
14) What is the key deliverable that NPS expects to receive?
The primary tangible deliverable is a digital results file documenting the inventory and assessment outcomes. The file is expected to capture inventory results, condition determinations, any updated catalog information, and identified specimen needs.
15) Will the deliverables include identifier cross-references between NPS and the museum?
Yes. The results are expected to cross-reference both NPS and ALA identifiers (including catalog and accession numbers). This crosswalk supports alignment between NPS tracking and museum tracking for specimens on long-term loan.
16) Are there federal financial reporting requirements?
Yes. UAF must submit semiannual federal financial reports using the SF-425 Federal Financial Report form.
17) What will NPS provide to support the work?
NPS will provide funding for the surveys, inventories, record updates, and data uploads for the KEFJ collection housed at ALA. NPS will also provide ALA with a digital specimen list of KEFJ items already cataloged in the NPS Interior Collections Management System (ICMS) to help reconcile holdings and documentation.
18) What will NPS do with the results after receiving them?
NPS will distribute the findings from the conservation survey and the catalog updates to the individual parks in the Alaska Region so each unit can use the information for collections planning and resource management.
19) Is there an acknowledgement requirement for published materials?
Yes. The agreement requires that ALA be clearly identified and acknowledged in any published materials produced under the task agreement.
20) Why is NPS awarding this without competition?
The notice justifies a single-source award under the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) using the "Unique Qualifications" rationale. NPS explains that the specimens are already curated at UAF's ALA on long-term loan, and ALA has the physical custody, established workflows, and technical infrastructure (including Arctos records) needed to perform the work efficiently.
21) What is the anticipated federal funding amount?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $22,682.
22) Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
23) What are the award ceiling and floor shown in the posting?
The listing shows an award ceiling of $50,000 and an award floor of $0, while noting the anticipated award amount is $22,682.
24) What is the expected project period of performance?
The expected period of performance is about 1.5 years, starting in FY2015 and finishing before the end of FY2016.
25) What are the posted dates (posting, closing, and archive) for this notice?
The notice was posted on June 16, 2015. The original and current closing date is June 25, 2015. The archive date is July 25, 2015.
26) Who is the point of contact listed for this notice?
The named point of contact is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist, with a phone number listed in the posting.
27) What does the eligibility statement mean for other potential applicants?
It means the notice is strictly documenting NPS intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is not an opportunity open to other applicants.
28) Where are the specimens housed during this project?
The specimens are held at the University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium (ALA) and are described as being on long-term loan, which is part of why identifier cross-referencing is emphasized.
29) What kinds of uses are mentioned for the improved herbarium data?
The notice describes herbarium data as being used for biodiversity studies, long-term ecological change analyses, and resource decision-making, and it emphasizes improved usability for park management, researchers, and the public.
30) What role does UAF/ALA play beyond doing the physical work?
UAF/ALA is described as providing the scientific and technical leadership needed to complete the deliverables, maintaining infrastructure for records, making specimens available for NPS use and public reference, and supporting internships and hands-on training opportunities aligned with the cooperative research and training purpose of the program.
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