Dinosaurs of the Cantwell Formation, Denali National Park and Preserve insights into a Late Cretaceous, high latitude ecosystem in a Greenhouse World. | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This opportunity (Funding Announcement Number P15AS01027) is a National Park Service notice of intent to make a single award, not an open call for applications. In other words, it is published mainly for transparency: the NPS is announcing that it plans to fund a specific project with a specific recipient without full and open competition. The project is titled "Dinosaurs of the Cantwell Formation, Denali National Park and Preserve: insights into a Late Cretaceous, high latitude ecosystem in a Greenhouse World," and it is structured as a cooperative agreement under statutory authority 54 USC 100702 and CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs). The anticipated total award amount is $30,750 with no cost share requirement, and the anticipated period of performance runs from August 15, 2015 through June 30, 2020. The named recipient and principal investigator is Dr. Patrick (Pat) Druckenmiller of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, based at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, with the NPS Agreement Technical Representative (ATR) and point of contact listed as Dr. Denny Capps, Park Geologist at Denali National Park and Preserve.

At its core, the agreement is a partnership between Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) aimed at improving scientific understanding of Arctic dinosaur life and environments recorded in the Cantwell Formation within the park. The Cantwell Formation preserves abundant trace fossils, especially dinosaur tracks, and the project is designed to move beyond simply noting that tracks exist toward a more complete picture of diversity and paleoecology. The research goals emphasize four connected outcomes: identifying and documenting important fossil sites in the Cantwell Formation; interpreting the track evidence to infer likely trackmakers and other biological behaviors or patterns; reconstructing environmental conditions using sedimentology and fossil plants (and related evidence); and placing Denali's dinosaur record into a broader regional context by comparing it with the roughly same-age Prince Creek Formation on Alaska's North Slope.

The work plan describes a mix of field discovery, improved geologic dating, modern documentation methods, specimen archiving, and database management. DENA staff and UAF researchers will survey and monitor known fossil sites and also conduct reconnaissance to locate new localities, with attention not only to dinosaur tracks but also to associated fossil plants, invertebrate trace fossils, and any vertebrate material that may exist. A notable point in the description is that body fossils such as bones and teeth had not been found in the park at the time of the announcement, but the project explicitly includes targeted prospecting for them because such finds would dramatically expand the scientific value of Denali's record. The partners also plan to refine the age constraints of the fossil-bearing rock units by locating and sampling tephra (volcanic ash) layers suitable for radiometric dating, which can help pin down when, exactly, the animals lived and when the sediments were deposited.

A major technical emphasis is on high-quality documentation and long-term data access. Field data collection is expected to use GPS, photogrammetry (to create accurate, measurable 3D models), silicone peels of track surfaces, and selective collection of physical specimens where appropriate. The plan calls for establishing a photogrammetry database so park fossils can be examined as three-dimensional digital resources without repeated disturbance to sensitive sites. Physical and replicated materials will be archived at the University of Alaska Museum (UAM), including silicone peels and 3D prints of tracks, while specimen records will be digitally cataloged and georeferenced. Those museum records will then be shared back for incorporation into the NPS paleontological database, aligning research results with federal resource management needs and standardizing how the information is stored and retrieved.

Because this is a cooperative agreement, the NPS role is not limited to providing funds. Substantial NPS involvement is built into the project, reflecting the practical realities of conducting paleontological work inside a remote national park and the specialized knowledge that park staff hold about site locations and protocols. Denali staff are expected to participate directly in investigations of known sites and in reconnaissance for new ones, help ensure compliance with park research and data-collection requirements, and accompany the UAF team during summer fieldwork. The park also supports the work operationally through safety and travel orientation, coordination for travel on the park road system (which has unique restrictions and logistics), and, when necessary, helicopter support for remote field trips. Additional in-kind support includes access to transportation and housing within the park and the sharing of appropriate safety and field equipment such as radios and GPS units. The Park Geologist (listed as the ATR) is positioned as the supervisor, technical expert, and liaison for research permitting, indicating that this project is intended to be closely integrated with ongoing park resource stewardship.

The announcement also explains why the NPS is making this award as a single-source action rather than competing it. The justification cites two Department of the Interior single-source criteria: (1) unsolicited proposal and (4) unique qualifications. The rationale is that Denali staff continue to find and track paleontological resources in the Cantwell Formation but need outside specialized expertise to interpret and advance the scientific program, particularly in vertebrate paleontology and Arctic dinosaur research. Dr. Druckenmiller is presented as unusually well-suited due to his specific experience studying polar dinosaurs and successfully planning and executing fieldwork in remote parts of Alaska, including multiple regions relevant to the state’s Cretaceous fossil record. The notice emphasizes that relatively few dinosaur researchers focus on Arctic systems, and that his recent work on interior Alaska dinosaur remains and related fossil assemblages makes him a particularly strong match for Denali's needs. A secondary programmatic consideration is Denali's stated interest in partnering with Alaskans and building local involvement; selecting UAF supports that objective by engaging an in-state university, its researchers, and potentially its students.

Finally, the project includes a public-facing education and outreach component, which is a consistent theme in NPS research partnerships. The plan anticipates using discoveries and research products to create display-quality replicas and other educational materials that park staff can use for interpretation and visitor outreach. That means the work is not only aimed at academic outputs and improved scientific understanding of a Late Cretaceous high-latitude ecosystem during a global greenhouse climate, but also at translating those findings into tangible resources the park can use to help visitors understand Denali’s deep-time natural history.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Park Service

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education

Next opportunity: High resolution hydrologic modeling of Glacier Bay National Park

Previous opportunity: KEFJ Centennial Mural

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for P15AS01027

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (P15AS01027) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "P15AS01027", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.