Opportunity Information: Apply for P12AS20425
Apply for P12AS20425
- The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit on Climate Change Research" 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 May 2, 2012 and posted on May 2, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 1, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $52,229.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $52,229.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit on Climate Change Research opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P12AS20425) is a National Park Service discretionary funding announcement issued under the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program, which supports partnerships that deliver research, technical assistance, and education to public land managers. This particular notice is a notification of intent to make a single cooperative agreement award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The work is framed around climate-driven landscape change in northern Alaska and how that change can threaten or expose archaeological resources, with the practical goal of giving park managers a better way to anticipate where impacts will occur and how to respond.
At the center of the project is the problem of landscape instability linked to permafrost degradation and thermokarst processes. As permafrost thaws, ground ice can melt and cause the land surface to subside, slump, erode, or reconfigure drainage patterns, which in turn can damage archaeological sites or reveal sites that were previously buried. The project is designed to identify the key physical and ecological processes driving these changes and to connect them directly to cultural resource risk. Rather than relying on scattered observations, the National Park Service is seeking a structured, repeatable approach that can be used to prioritize where to conduct archaeological inventories, where to focus site evaluations, and where to plan data recovery or other mitigation measures.
The planned work is organized into three major components that build on each other. First, researchers will develop a park-wide model of landscape change and stability using a synthesis of existing scientific literature across relevant fields such as geomorphology, soil science, botany, and hydrology, combined with existing GIS layers for soils, vegetation, and geomorphology. Using GIS, the team will delineate geographic units across the park and assign each unit a relative stability rating, essentially producing a stability map. That map will then be overlaid with an archaeological potential map so the project can highlight areas that are both likely to change (and therefore threaten sites) and likely to contain archaeological resources. The outcome of this phase is a risk-based prioritization tool intended to make cultural resource management more efficient and proactive.
Second, the project moves from modeling to intensive fieldwork focused on the high-risk, high-potential zones identified by the GIS analysis. The field surveys are intended to systematically locate and document archaeological sites and gather enough information to evaluate significance using National Register of Historic Places criteria. This component ties the predictive model to on-the-ground reality by testing whether the predicted risk areas actually contain sites and whether the kinds of landscape processes anticipated are occurring in ways that threaten those resources.
Third, after field seasons are completed, the team will synthesize the data, evaluate and refine the risk model, and deliver reporting. Model validation is not treated as a one-time step; instead, evaluation and adjustment are expected after each field season, with a final synthesis following the third and last field season. This structure is meant to improve accuracy over time and ensure the final product is not just an academic exercise but a management-ready tool that reflects field conditions.
The announcement also lays out a specific phased schedule with milestones. Phase 1, due by September 30, 2012, focuses on foundational planning and reconnaissance: conducting and writing up a technical literature review on climate change, permafrost, and thermokarst geomorphology; interviewing scientists working on permafrost and climate change in northern Alaska to incorporate current knowledge; designing a detailed field study plan; and completing an approximately two-week reconnaissance trip in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve to build firsthand familiarity with thermokarst landscapes and identify candidate locations for follow-up studies related to the long-term history of thermokarst activity. Phase 2, due by September 30, 2013, emphasizes integrated field and laboratory analysis, including mapping thermokarst features in relation to modern climate gradients and site factors such as massive ground ice occurrence, slope aspect, elevation, geologic substrate, and substrate age, along with measuring carbon content. A notable element of this phase is the analysis of lake cores to reconstruct prehistoric episodes of thermokarst activity and associated carbon release, linking contemporary observations to longer-term environmental change. Phase 3, due by September 30, 2014, focuses on communicating results through peer-reviewed scientific publications and technical reports prepared for the National Park Service, with reports intended to be suitable for public-facing web pages.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), which typically implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project. Only one award was expected, with total estimated funding of $52,229 and an identical ceiling and floor (meaning the budget amount is effectively fixed in the announcement). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the CESU partnership framework and the stated intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The opportunity was posted May 2, 2012, with a closing date of June 1, 2012, and an archive date of July 1, 2012. The CFDA listing associated with the program is 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs, Resources of the National Park System. The listed contact for access issues is Tina Spengler, Contract Specialist, at 907-644-3303.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit on Climate Change Research" opportunity?
This is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding announcement issued under the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program. It supports partnership-based work that provides research, technical assistance, and education to public land managers. This particular notice is a notification of intent to make a single cooperative agreement award focused on climate-driven landscape change in northern Alaska and related risks to archaeological resources.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P12AS20425.
Which federal agency is issuing this funding announcement?
The announcement is issued by the National Park Service (NPS).
What program is this opportunity issued under?
It is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program, which supports partnerships that deliver research, technical assistance, and education to public land managers.
Is this a standard grant or a cooperative agreement?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant. The announcement notes that cooperative agreements typically involve substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project.
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
Only one award was expected.
Who is the intended award recipient?
This notice is a notification of intent to make a single cooperative agreement award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the CESU partnership framework and the stated intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
What is the total estimated funding amount?
The total estimated funding is $52,229.
Is the funding amount flexible (is there a range)?
The announcement lists an identical ceiling and floor of $52,229, meaning the budget amount is effectively fixed in the announcement.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is designed to help park managers better anticipate where climate-driven landscape impacts will occur in northern Alaska and how to respond, especially where landscape change threatens or exposes archaeological resources.
What landscape processes are central to the project?
The project centers on landscape instability linked to permafrost degradation and thermokarst processes. As permafrost thaws, ground ice can melt, which can cause subsidence, slumping, erosion, and drainage reconfiguration.
Why do permafrost thaw and thermokarst matter for archaeology?
These processes can damage archaeological sites (through erosion, slumping, or other ground disturbance) and can also expose sites that were previously buried, changing where resources are visible and where they are at risk.
What management problem is the National Park Service trying to solve with this project?
NPS is seeking a structured, repeatable approach to connect climate-driven landscape change directly to cultural resource risk. The goal is to help prioritize where to conduct archaeological inventories, site evaluations, and data recovery or other mitigation measures, rather than relying on scattered observations.
How is the project structured?
The planned work is organized into three major components that build on each other: (1) GIS-based modeling of landscape stability and risk, (2) intensive fieldwork in high-risk/high-potential zones, and (3) synthesis, validation/refinement of the model, and reporting after field seasons.
What happens in the first major component (modeling)?
Researchers develop a park-wide model of landscape change and stability using a synthesis of existing scientific literature (including geomorphology, soil science, botany, and hydrology) and existing GIS layers for soils, vegetation, and geomorphology. Geographic units are delineated and assigned relative stability ratings to produce a stability map.
How does the project connect landscape stability to archaeological risk?
The stability map is overlaid with an archaeological potential map to highlight areas that are both likely to change (and therefore threaten sites) and likely to contain archaeological resources. The output is intended to be a risk-based prioritization tool for cultural resource management.
What happens in the second major component (fieldwork)?
After GIS analysis identifies high-risk, high-potential zones, the project conducts intensive field surveys to systematically locate and document archaeological sites. The surveys are intended to gather enough information to evaluate site significance using National Register of Historic Places criteria.
Why is fieldwork included if the project already has a model?
The fieldwork is meant to tie the predictive model to on-the-ground reality, testing whether predicted risk areas actually contain sites and whether the anticipated landscape processes are occurring in ways that threaten those resources.
What happens in the third major component (synthesis and reporting)?
After field seasons, the team synthesizes data, evaluates and refines the risk model, and produces reports. The announcement emphasizes that model validation and adjustment are expected after each field season, with a final synthesis after the third and last field season.
How many field seasons are planned?
The schedule describes evaluation and adjustment after each field season, with a final synthesis following the third and last field season, indicating three field seasons.
What is Phase 1 and when is it due?
Phase 1 is due by September 30, 2012. It focuses on foundational planning and reconnaissance: a technical literature review on climate change, permafrost, and thermokarst geomorphology; interviews with scientists working on permafrost and climate change in northern Alaska; a detailed field study plan; and an approximately two-week reconnaissance trip in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.
What is included in the Phase 1 reconnaissance trip?
The approximately two-week reconnaissance trip in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is intended to build firsthand familiarity with thermokarst landscapes and identify candidate locations for follow-up studies related to the long-term history of thermokarst activity.
What is Phase 2 and when is it due?
Phase 2 is due by September 30, 2013. It emphasizes integrated field and laboratory analysis, including mapping thermokarst features in relation to modern climate gradients and site factors such as massive ground ice occurrence, slope aspect, elevation, geologic substrate, and substrate age, along with measuring carbon content.
Does Phase 2 include any paleoenvironmental or long-term reconstruction work?
Yes. Phase 2 includes analysis of lake cores to reconstruct prehistoric episodes of thermokarst activity and associated carbon release, linking contemporary observations to longer-term environmental change.
What is Phase 3 and when is it due?
Phase 3 is due by September 30, 2014. It focuses on communicating results through peer-reviewed scientific publications and technical reports prepared for the National Park Service, with reports intended to be suitable for public-facing web pages.
What kinds of deliverables are expected?
Deliverables described in the announcement include a technical literature review, interview-based incorporation of current scientific knowledge, a detailed field study plan, reconnaissance and fieldwork outputs, GIS-based stability and risk products (including a stability map and an overlay with archaeological potential), model refinement after each field season, peer-reviewed publications, and NPS technical reports suitable for public-facing web pages.
Where is the project work geographically focused?
The work is framed around climate-driven landscape change in northern Alaska. Phase 1 specifically includes a reconnaissance trip in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.
What is the CFDA listing associated with this program?
The CFDA listing is 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs, Resources of the National Park System.
When was this opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was posted May 2, 2012. The closing date was June 1, 2012. The archive date was July 1, 2012.
Who can be contacted for access issues?
The listed contact for access issues is Tina Spengler, Contract Specialist, at 907-644-3303.
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