Development of Visitor based Acoustical Indicators and Standards | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity titled "Development of Visitor based Acoustical Indicators and Standards" (Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00281) is a discretionary cooperative agreement notice related to natural resources work within the National Park System. The purpose of the project is to continue an ongoing social science effort focused on soundscapes in national parks and other protected natural areas. Specifically, the project examines how human-made noise and natural sounds influence visitor experiences, and how noise can affect interactions between visitors and wildlife. In practical terms, the work supports the development of visitor-based acoustic indicators and standards, meaning measurable sound-related metrics that reflect what visitors actually perceive and how those sound conditions shape their enjoyment, behavior, and overall experience in park settings.

This notice is not an open call for applications. The announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications and is being posted to provide public notice of the NPS intent to fund the project activities without full and open competition. That typically indicates the agency planned to continue or extend work with a specific partner rather than run a competitive process. The eligible applicant category listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, signaling the work is intended to be carried out by an academic partner with the capacity to conduct social science research, data collection, analysis, and the translation of findings into practical management tools that parks can use.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System, and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement generally means NPS expects to have substantial involvement in the project, such as collaborating on study design, coordinating with parks for fieldwork, helping shape deliverables, and ensuring results are usable for management decisions. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement indicated. The posting date and creation date are August 21, 2014, with an original and current closing date of August 23, 2014, which is consistent with a short public notice period for a non-competitive, intended award rather than a typical competitive grant cycle. The listing shows zeroes for estimated total funding and award floor/ceiling, which often occurs in notices that function primarily as an intent-to-award announcement rather than a full solicitation with detailed budget ranges.

The core subject matter is soundscape management: understanding and quantifying how acoustic conditions relate to visitor experience and to wildlife-related outcomes in areas managed for natural and cultural resource protection. Research in this area often feeds into practical standards or thresholds that help park managers make decisions about aircraft overflights, road traffic, mechanical equipment, construction activities, and other noise sources, while also recognizing the value of natural quiet and natural sounds as part of the park resource and a component of visitor enjoyment. By emphasizing "visitor based" indicators, the project is framed around human perception and experience as measured through social science methods (for example, surveys, interviews, observational studies, and potentially linking perceived sound conditions to measured acoustic data), rather than focusing only on physical decibel levels.

For additional details, the announcement points to Grants.gov as the source for the full notice. The NPS contact listed for access issues is Rita Mihalik, Financial Assistance Officer, reachable at 301-663-1481 x 225 and via email at ritamihalik@nps.gov.

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