Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00572
Apply for P16AS00572
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Contrasting Nuisance and Non-nuisance Black Bear Activity and Behavior in Great Smoky Mountains National." and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 29, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 06, 2016. (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 $24,888.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, titled "Contrasting Nuisance and Non-nuisance Black Bear Activity and Behavior in Great Smoky Mountains National" (Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00572), was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. It is a discretionary funding opportunity to be awarded through a cooperative agreement, meaning the Park Service would likely expect to be actively involved in the project rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The activity falls under the Natural Resources category and is associated with CFDA number 15.945. The opportunity was created on August 29, 2016, with an original closing date of September 6, 2016, indicating a short application window.
The core purpose of the project is to conduct a radio-telemetry study focused on black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, specifically comparing bears classified as "nuisance" with those considered "non-nuisance." In park management, nuisance bears are typically animals that have repeated conflicts with people, such as obtaining human food or garbage, approaching developed areas, damaging property, or behaving aggressively or boldly around visitors. Non-nuisance bears, by contrast, are bears that generally avoid human interaction and do not routinely create management problems. The study is intended to determine whether these two groups differ in measurable ways that can explain why some bears become involved in conflict while others do not.
The opportunity emphasizes a broad set of comparison metrics. Using radio telemetry, the study would track bear behavior and movement patterns over time, which can reveal how far bears travel, how they use the landscape, whether they preferentially move near roads, campgrounds, picnic areas, or other developed sites, and how their home ranges may differ. It also calls for evaluating habitat characteristics, which can include the types of habitats bears spend time in (for example, forest types, elevation zones, distance to water, or proximity to human infrastructure) and whether nuisance bears show stronger selection for areas that increase the chance of encountering human foods.
In addition to movement and habitat use, the project aims to compare activity budgets, essentially how bears allocate their time to key behaviors such as foraging, resting, traveling, or interacting with human-related resources. The study also seeks to examine physical and demographic indicators including body mass, overall health, survival, and reproductive rates. Those measurements can help determine whether nuisance behavior is associated with better or worse body condition, whether accessing human foods correlates with higher weight or poorer health outcomes, and whether nuisance bears experience different survival rates due to management actions, vehicle collisions, euthanasia, relocation stress, or other risks. Reproductive comparisons, such as cub production or reproductive success, could indicate whether nuisance strategies provide a fitness benefit or impose costs.
Funding for the project had an award ceiling of $24,888, which suggests a relatively small, targeted study component or a limited-duration effort, potentially supporting equipment, fieldwork, or analysis rather than a large multi-year program. The listing shows expected awards as 0, which sometimes appears in older postings and may reflect uncertainty at the time of announcement or an administrative placeholder rather than a firm statement that no award would be made.
Eligibility for applicants includes private institutions of higher education, along with additional eligible parties described more generally as "Others" with clarification referenced in the full eligibility text. In practical terms, the posting signals that a university-based research team could apply, and that the agency was open to other qualified organizations depending on the specific eligibility language.
Overall, the grant is designed to support applied wildlife research that directly informs park management of black bears by identifying behavioral, ecological, and health-related differences between conflict-prone bears and bears that do not generate incidents. The outcomes would be expected to help the National Park Service refine prevention strategies, target education or enforcement, improve waste and food storage policies, and reduce human-bear conflict while maintaining healthy bear populations and visitor safety.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Contrasting Nuisance and Non-nuisance Black Bear Activity and Behavior in Great Smoky Mountains National".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P16AS00572.
Which federal agency issued this opportunity?
This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
Is this a discretionary or mandatory funding opportunity?
It is a discretionary funding opportunity.
What type of award is expected?
The award is expected to be a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically indicates the National Park Service expects to be actively involved in the project rather than only providing funding with minimal involvement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 15.945.
What category does this project fall under?
The activity falls under the Natural Resources category.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on August 29, 2016.
What was the application closing date?
The original closing date was September 6, 2016.
How long was the application window?
Based on the posted dates (August 29, 2016 to September 6, 2016), the opportunity had a very short application window.
What is the main purpose of the proposed project?
The core purpose is to conduct a radio-telemetry study of black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to compare bears classified as "nuisance" with those considered "non-nuisance" and determine whether measurable differences help explain why some bears become involved in conflict while others do not.
Where will the study take place?
The study is focused on black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
What are "nuisance" black bears in the context of this project?
In park management terms described in the opportunity, nuisance bears are typically bears with repeated conflicts with people, such as obtaining human food or garbage, approaching developed areas, damaging property, or behaving aggressively or boldly around visitors.
What are "non-nuisance" black bears in the context of this project?
Non-nuisance bears are described as bears that generally avoid human interaction and do not routinely create management problems.
What method will be used to study bear behavior and movement?
The project is intended to use radio telemetry to track bear behavior and movement patterns over time.
What kinds of movement patterns might radio telemetry help evaluate?
Radio telemetry tracking can help evaluate how far bears travel, how they use the landscape, whether they preferentially move near roads, campgrounds, picnic areas, or other developed sites, and how home ranges may differ between nuisance and non-nuisance bears.
Does the opportunity include habitat comparisons?
Yes. The opportunity calls for evaluating habitat characteristics and comparing habitat use between nuisance and non-nuisance bears.
What types of habitat characteristics are mentioned as examples?
Examples mentioned include the types of habitats bears spend time in (such as forest types), elevation zones, distance to water, proximity to human infrastructure, and whether nuisance bears show stronger selection for areas that increase the chance of encountering human foods.
What are "activity budgets," and are they part of the study?
Yes. The project aims to compare activity budgets, meaning how bears allocate time among behaviors such as foraging, resting, traveling, or interacting with human-related resources.
What physical or demographic indicators does the project aim to compare?
The opportunity seeks to compare indicators including body mass, overall health, survival, and reproductive rates.
Why compare body mass and health between nuisance and non-nuisance bears?
These comparisons can help evaluate whether nuisance behavior is associated with better or worse body condition, and whether access to human foods correlates with higher weight or poorer health outcomes.
Why compare survival between nuisance and non-nuisance bears?
The opportunity notes survival comparisons can help determine whether nuisance bears experience different risks or outcomes due to factors such as management actions, vehicle collisions, euthanasia, relocation stress, or other risks.
Why compare reproductive rates between nuisance and non-nuisance bears?
Reproductive comparisons (such as cub production or reproductive success) could indicate whether nuisance strategies provide a fitness benefit or impose costs.
What is the maximum funding amount available under this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed for the project is $24,888.
What does the relatively small award ceiling suggest about the scope of work?
Based on the information provided, the $24,888 ceiling suggests a relatively small, targeted study component or a limited-duration effort, potentially supporting items like equipment, fieldwork, or analysis rather than a large multi-year program.
How many awards were expected?
The listing shows expected awards as 0.
Does "expected awards: 0" mean no award would be made?
Not necessarily. The description notes that this sometimes appears in older postings and may reflect uncertainty at the time of announcement or an administrative placeholder rather than a firm statement that no award would be made.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes private institutions of higher education. The opportunity also lists additional eligible parties as "Others," with clarification referenced in the full eligibility text.
Does the posting indicate universities can apply?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes private institutions of higher education, indicating that university-based research teams could apply.
What is the intended management value of the research?
The research is intended to directly inform park management by identifying behavioral, ecological, and health-related differences between conflict-prone bears and bears that do not generate incidents.
How might the results be used by the National Park Service?
The outcomes are expected to help refine prevention strategies, target education or enforcement, improve waste and food storage policies, reduce human-bear conflict, and support visitor safety while maintaining healthy bear populations.
Is this research considered applied wildlife management research?
Yes. The opportunity describes the work as applied wildlife research designed to inform National Park Service management of black bears.
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