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Desert Tortoise Data Model (F12AS00187) - FAQ

What is the Desert Tortoise Data Model grant opportunity?

The Desert Tortoise Data Model opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F12AS00187) was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary funding announcement for science and technology research and development. It focused on data modeling work intended to support the Mojave population of the desert tortoise, a threatened species.

What was the purpose of this funding?

The purpose was to build or improve a data model that can organize, analyze, and interpret existing information relevant to the Mojave Desert desert tortoise, so that management and conservation decisions can be strengthened through better use of available data.

What kind of work was the project expected to support?

The notice described work centered on developing or enhancing a data model that helps organize and make sense of existing desert tortoise information. The intent was to improve how available data can be used to inform practical conservation and management decisions.

Which agency offered this opportunity?

This opportunity was offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What funding mechanism was used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement. This typically means the funding agency expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination on technical direction, data standards, deliverables, or review milestones) rather than a more hands-off grant relationship.

What program or CFDA listing was this associated with?

The opportunity was listed under CFDA 15.608, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.

Does the CFDA listing say anything about the nature of the work?

CFDA 15.608 indicates the work is tied to practical fish and wildlife management needs, even though the activity category for this opportunity was research and development.

How much funding was available?

The estimated total funding was $24,343.

Was the award amount flexible or a fixed amount?

The funding amount was fixed. Both the award ceiling and the award floor were $24,343, which signals the intent to make a single award at a set amount rather than fund multiple awards or a range of budgets.

How many awards were expected?

The expected number of awards was one.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The notice indicated no cost sharing or matching was required, meaning applicants would not have needed to provide non-federal matching funds under the terms described.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. In practical terms, this aimed the competition at state universities and similar public academic institutions, rather than private universities, non-profits, or for-profit entities.

Were private universities eligible?

Not under the eligibility description provided. The eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

Were non-profits or for-profit contractors eligible?

Not under the eligibility description provided. The opportunity was aimed at public and state-controlled institutions of higher education rather than non-profits or for-profit contractors.

What species and location did this opportunity focus on?

The work was focused on the Mojave population of the desert tortoise and the Mojave Desert.

What were the key dates for the solicitation?

The opportunity was posted and created on June 1, 2012. The original and current closing date was June 15, 2012. It was archived on June 28, 2012.

How long was the application window?

Based on the dates provided, the time from posting (June 1, 2012) to closing (June 15, 2012) was a short, roughly two-week application window.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The notice indicates the opportunity closed on June 15, 2012 and was archived on June 28, 2012.

Where could applicants find the full announcement details?

The listing pointed to Grants.gov for additional information via the provided link. The full announcement on Grants.gov would have contained details not shown in the summary.

What additional details would the full Grants.gov announcement likely include?

According to the summary, the Grants.gov posting would likely include specifics such as precise technical requirements, expected deliverables, reporting schedules, data sources to be used, and the evaluation criteria the Service planned to apply when selecting the recipient.

Who was the contact person for this opportunity?

The notice provided a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contact: Brenda Krone.

What contact information was provided?

Phone: 775-861-6314. Email: brendakrone@fws.gov.

Why does the summary suggest this was a targeted call?

The combination of a short solicitation timeline, a fixed award amount (with identical ceiling and floor), and an expected single award suggests it was a brief, targeted call for proposals, potentially intended to fill a specific near-term analytical gap related to desert tortoise data management and modeling.