Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00242

  • The DOI-FWS in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
  • This funding opportunity was created on May 27, 2016 and posted on May 27, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by This announcement is for notification purposes only.. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
Apply for F16AS00242

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Opportunity Summary:

The grant opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00242) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) financial assistance action being issued as a cooperative agreement. It is not a competitive solicitation. Instead, it serves as a public notice that the agency intends to make a single-source award to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with the project period spanning five years. Because it is strictly a notification announcement, it does not function like a typical open grant competition: there is no actionable application deadline for other entities, and the listed closing date is essentially a placeholder stating that the posting is for notification purposes only.

The project itself focuses on understanding ecological relationships in New England boreal forests, specifically by evaluating how climate conditions, habitat characteristics, and species interactions (particularly competition) shape two linked outcomes: carnivore occupancy patterns and snowshoe hare population dynamics. In practical terms, this means the work is aimed at figuring out where carnivores are present across the landscape and why, how those patterns may be connected to prey availability and habitat quality, and how changing environmental conditions may shift the balance among predators, prey, and competing species. The emphasis on teasing apart the relative influence of climate, habitat, and competition signals a goal of separating overlapping drivers that often move together in nature, which is especially important when trying to anticipate what will happen under future climate scenarios.

A central reason for the project is the ecological importance and vulnerability of the snowshoe hare. Snowshoe hare are described as a keystone species in boreal ecosystems, meaning changes in their abundance can cascade through the food web and affect many other species, including predators and other wildlife that share resources or habitats. The announcement also highlights that snowshoe hare are vulnerable to climate change, reflecting broader concerns that warming temperatures, altered snow conditions, and habitat shifts can disrupt key adaptations (such as seasonal camouflage) and affect survival and reproduction. By linking hare dynamics with carnivore occupancy, the work is positioned to improve understanding of predator-prey relationships under environmental change, rather than treating each part of the system in isolation.

The intended end use of the research is applied: to inform conservation and management decisions in the region. The announcement states that the ultimate goal is to understand how current community dynamics may be altered as climate and habitat conditions change, and to translate that understanding into better-informed planning. That could include identifying habitats likely to remain important under future conditions, anticipating shifts in predator distributions, and improving regional strategies for maintaining boreal forest biodiversity and ecological function.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding within the Environment and Natural Resources activity area, associated with CFDA number 15.678. Eligibility is listed as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which fits the named recipient (UMass Amherst). The award ceiling is shown as $300,000, and the posting indicates an expected awards count of 0 because the action is not a new open competition with anticipated multiple awards; it is a notice tied to a single identified recipient. The opportunity was created and posted on May 27, 2016, aligning with the formal public record of the intended cooperative agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00242.

Which agency is issuing this opportunity?

This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) financial assistance action.

What type of award is being issued?

The action is being issued as a cooperative agreement.

Is this a competitive grant solicitation?

No. This is not a competitive solicitation. It is a public notice that the agency intends to make a single-source award.

Who is the intended recipient of the award?

The notice indicates the agency intends to make a single-source award to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Can other organizations apply for this opportunity?

Based on the notice, no. The posting is for notification purposes only and announces an intended single-source award to a specific recipient (UMass Amherst), rather than an open competition.

Is there an application deadline?

No actionable application deadline is provided for other entities because this is strictly a notification announcement. The listed closing date is described as essentially a placeholder indicating the posting is for notification purposes only.

What is the project period?

The project period spans five years.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is shown as $300,000.

How many awards are expected?

The posting indicates an expected awards count of 0 because it is not an open competition with multiple anticipated awards; it is a notice tied to a single identified recipient.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.678.

What is the funding category and activity area?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding within the Environment and Natural Resources activity area.

What eligibility category is listed?

Eligibility is listed as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which aligns with the intended recipient (UMass Amherst).

When was the opportunity created and posted?

The opportunity was created and posted on May 27, 2016.

What is the research focus of the project?

The project focuses on understanding ecological relationships in New England boreal forests by evaluating how climate conditions, habitat characteristics, and species interactions (particularly competition) shape two linked outcomes: carnivore occupancy patterns and snowshoe hare population dynamics.

What does "carnivore occupancy patterns" mean in this context?

In practical terms, it refers to understanding where carnivores are present across the landscape and why, including how those patterns may connect to prey availability, habitat quality, and changing environmental conditions.

Why is competition mentioned as a key factor?

The project emphasizes teasing apart the relative influence of climate, habitat, and competition, with the goal of separating overlapping drivers that often shift together in nature. This is described as especially important for anticipating outcomes under future climate scenarios.

Why is the snowshoe hare central to the project?

The snowshoe hare is described as a keystone species in boreal ecosystems, meaning changes in hare abundance can cascade through the food web and affect many other species, including predators and other wildlife that share resources or habitats.

How does climate change relate to the snowshoe hare in this project?

The announcement highlights that snowshoe hare are vulnerable to climate change, reflecting concerns that warming temperatures, altered snow conditions, and habitat shifts can disrupt key adaptations and affect survival and reproduction.

How are predator-prey relationships addressed in the project?

By linking snowshoe hare dynamics with carnivore occupancy, the work is positioned to improve understanding of predator-prey relationships under environmental change, rather than treating predators and prey as separate topics.

What is the intended end use of the research?

The intended end use is applied: the research is meant to inform conservation and management decisions in the region by improving understanding of how community dynamics may be altered as climate and habitat conditions change.

What kinds of management insights does the announcement suggest this work could support?

The notice suggests the results could help with better-informed planning, such as identifying habitats likely to remain important under future conditions, anticipating shifts in predator distributions, and improving regional strategies for maintaining boreal forest biodiversity and ecological function.

Why does the posting include a closing date if there is no competition?

The closing date is described as essentially a placeholder because the posting is for notification purposes only, not an open solicitation with an application window.

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