Cooperative Research and Training Programs | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Cooperative Research and Training Programs.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00425.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, within the Department of the Interior.

Is this a competitive grant that multiple applicants can apply for?

No. This posting is a notice of intent to make a single-source award. It is not a competitive grant posting and it does not include a full funding announcement for open applications.

What type of award instrument will be used?

The Service indicates it plans to use a cooperative agreement, which typically involves substantial involvement and collaboration between the federal agency and the recipient during the project.

Who is the intended recipient of the award?

The intended recipient is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the cooperating U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

How many awards does the Service expect to make?

The posting indicates Expected Awards: 1.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The core purpose is to assess detection probability metrics tied to the revised survey and monitoring guidelines for the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).

What does "detection probability" mean in this context?

Detection probability addresses the reality that a species can be present but not detected during a survey. Quantifying or improving detection probability helps agencies interpret survey results more accurately, refine monitoring protocols, and support better-informed conservation and compliance decisions.

Why is this being handled as a single-source award instead of being competed?

The notice states that key underlying datasets were created and collected by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the cooperating USGS unit during 2012 to 2013 and were provided to the Fish and Wildlife Service at no cost as in-kind cooperative support. The Service argues that competing the work could disrupt continuity, slow progress, and increase government costs because the work is closely tied to those existing datasets and the team that developed them.

What data will the project rely on?

The analysis is based on datasets collected in 2012-2013 by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the cooperating USGS unit and provided to the Fish and Wildlife Service as in-kind support.

What species does this work focus on?

The work focuses on the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).

How does this project relate to survey and monitoring guidance?

The project is intended to support and evaluate revised Indiana bat survey and monitoring guidelines by analyzing detection probability metrics, which can inform how survey results are interpreted and how monitoring protocols are set.

How does this support Endangered Species Act decisions?

The posting indicates that improved detection probability information can support better-informed conservation and compliance decisions under the Endangered Species Act, because it helps account for cases where bats may be present but not detected.

What activity areas does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under activity areas including education, environment, science and technology, and other research and development.

What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?

The CFDA listing provided is 15.945.

Is eligibility actually unrestricted?

Although the metadata shows eligibility as "unrestricted", the body of the notice makes clear the action is not open for competitive applications. It is a stated intent to make a non-competitive award to the named institution and unit.

Is there a full funding announcement (FOA) attached with application instructions?

No. The description indicates there is no full funding announcement attached, consistent with the single-source, non-competitive nature of the posting.

What is the posted award ceiling?

An award ceiling is shown as "1" in the source record, but it does not appear to be a typical dollar-denominated ceiling. The notice does not provide a clear maximum funding amount in dollars.

When was this notice created?

The notice was created on August 23, 2016.

What is the listed closing date, and does it function like a normal deadline?

The posting lists an original closing date of August 30, 2016. However, the description suggests this functions more like an administrative posting window rather than a true application deadline, because the award is described as single-source with no full announcement for applications.

What does "substantial collaboration" mean here?

The notice indicates the award will be a cooperative agreement, which generally implies the Fish and Wildlife Service expects to be actively involved with the recipient during performance of the work, rather than providing funding with minimal federal involvement.

Why does the notice emphasize continuity and institutional knowledge?

Because the project depends on specific datasets already developed by the intended recipient team, the notice argues that keeping the work with that team avoids disruption, preserves continuity, and reduces the risk of delays and added costs that could result from transferring data-dependent work to a new party.

If someone is not the intended recipient, is there an application they can submit anyway?

Based on the notice text provided, no. The Service is explicitly stating its intent to make a non-competitive, single-source cooperative agreement to the named institution and unit, and the posting does not include a full announcement or application instructions for other applicants.