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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Data Sharing GIS in South Dakota (L11AS00138)

What is the "Data Sharing GIS in South Dakota" grant opportunity?

"Data Sharing GIS in South Dakota" (Funding Opportunity Number L11AS00138) was a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Natural Resources funding activity category. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.224 (Cultural Resource Management).

Who offered this funding?

The funding was offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

What type of award was this?

This opportunity was structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What was the main purpose of the grant?

The core purpose was to support hands-on cultural records management work at the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The work focused on entering, editing, and updating cultural resource records (including legacy paper files and database records) and integrating the improved information into South Dakota's statewide Geographic Information System (GIS).

What kinds of activities were expected to be funded?

The announcement emphasized practical, production-oriented tasks rather than research alone. The described activities included:

• Entering data from existing paper files into electronic systems
• Editing and updating existing database records
• Correcting, standardizing, and improving data quality in cultural resource records
• Integrating updated records into the statewide GIS

Was the grant focused on research or on implementation work?

The opportunity was oriented toward practical implementation and production work (such as digitization, data entry, editing, and integration into GIS) rather than research alone.

Where would the work take place or who would be supported?

The work described was to support cultural records management at the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), with the goal of integrating improved records into South Dakota's statewide GIS.

What is meant by integrating records into a statewide GIS?

Based on the announcement, this meant taking improved cultural resource records (including updated electronic database information derived from paper files) and ensuring those records could be incorporated into South Dakota's statewide Geographic Information System so they could be mapped and used alongside other relevant datasets.

Were there GIS software compatibility requirements?

Yes. A key expectation was that resulting GIS information would be compatible with current ESRI GIS projects.

Did the opportunity mention interoperability or data sharing?

Yes. The description emphasized data sharing and interoperability, including integrating improved cultural resource records alongside complementary datasets and other appropriate electronic media across systems.

What funding activity category did this fall under?

The funding activity category listed was Natural Resources.

What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed was 15.224 (Cultural Resource Management).

How much funding was expected to be available in total?

Total program funding was estimated at $250,000.

How many awards were expected?

The opportunity listed an expected number of awards of one.

What were the listed award floor and award ceiling?

The notice listed an award floor of $2,500 and an award ceiling of $5,000.

Why does the award ceiling/floor look inconsistent with the total estimated funding?

The notice indicated an estimated total program amount of $250,000 while also listing a $5,000 ceiling and $2,500 floor. The posting itself suggested applicants would normally verify this apparent mismatch against the full announcement on Grants.gov, since ceiling/floor fields can sometimes reflect a component amount, a minimum/maximum for certain cost categories, or an administrative entry that may not represent the full expected project budget.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was indicated in the notice, which typically means non-federal funds or in-kind support were not required as a condition of receiving an award.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as "unrestricted," meaning it was open to any type of applicant entity, subject to any clarifications that may have been included in the full announcement text.

Where could applicants find the full announcement details?

The notice referenced Grants.gov for full documentation via an additional information link.

What were the posting and closing dates?

The posting date and creation date were both June 24, 2011. The original closing date and current closing date were both July 24, 2011.

How long was the application window?

Based on the listed dates (June 24, 2011 to July 24, 2011), the application window was approximately one month.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was archived on August 23, 2011, and the closing date was July 24, 2011.

Who was the contact person for questions or access issues?

The listed contact was Lori Anderson, Grants Management Officer.

What was the contact phone number?

The phone number provided for the listed contact was 406-896-5196.

What should applicants do if they cannot access the opportunity online?

The notice stated that applicants who could not access the announcement online could contact Lori Anderson, the Grants Management Officer, at 406-896-5196.

What was the intended outcome of the funded work?

The intended outcome was improved, updated, and standardized cultural resource records that could be reliably integrated into South Dakota's statewide GIS, compatible with ESRI-based GIS projects, and usable alongside complementary datasets to support broader data sharing and interoperability for planning, compliance, and resource management.