Opportunity Information: Apply for P13AS00147
Apply for P13AS00147
- The National Park Service in the education science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Educational Models of 4 significant truss designs in wooden truss evolution" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 22, 2013 and posted on Jul 22, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 5, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $60,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice describes the National Park Service (NPS) intent to make a single, non-competitive continuation award under a cooperative agreement to support educational work on historic wooden bridge engineering. Importantly, it is not a call for proposals and not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as a public notice that NPS plans to fund a specific set of project activities with an identified partner without full and open competition, using a continuation rationale tied to an existing cooperative agreement relationship.
The funded project is titled "Educational Models of Four Significant Truss Designs in Wooden Truss Evolution: Burr, Town, Long, and Howe." The anticipated recipient is Johns Hopkins University, Department of Civil Engineering, with Benjamin Schafer listed as the principal investigator/program manager. The total anticipated federal amount is $60,000, with no cost share or matching requirement. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and the announcement indicates this effort is structured as a task agreement under an existing cooperative agreement (H227009017). The anticipated period of performance runs from the award date through June 30, 2017, reflecting a continuation rather than a brand-new standalone award.
The core purpose of the work is to develop plans and construct scale educational models representing four truss systems that were widely used in historic covered bridges and are important milestones in the evolution of timber truss design. Specifically, Johns Hopkins University Civil Engineering agrees to develop plans and scale models for a Burr truss (referenced to the Pine Grove Bridge), a Town lattice truss (Brown Bridge), a Long truss (Eldean Bridge), and a Howe truss (Pine Brook Bridge). These models are intended for educational use, helping students and the public better understand how structural systems developed, how loads are carried through different timber arrangements, and why particular truss forms became prominent in different eras of bridge building.
The announcement frames the educational motivation in the context of engineering instruction. It notes that early undergraduate engineering curricula often emphasize foundational technical sequences (calculus, physics, chemistry), which are essential but may not expose students to broader aspects of design such as aesthetics, innovation, and historical context. The project aligns with courses that try to fill that gap, particularly a course titled "Perspectives on the Evolution of Structures," inspired by David Billington's influential teaching on structural art and later adapted and taught by faculty at Johns Hopkins and other universities (including UMass Amherst, Bucknell, and Virginia Tech). In that sense, the scale truss models are positioned as tangible teaching tools that can spark interest, support interpretation, and connect technical behavior to historical engineering practice.
Because this is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant with minimal agency involvement), the NPS anticipates substantial involvement in the project. The key NPS role described is to provide Johns Hopkins with architectural plans created through the National Covered Bridges Recording Project. Those plans are necessary inputs for building accurate educational models tied to real historic bridges and documented bridge typologies. This division of responsibilities is central to why the cooperative agreement mechanism is used: the university provides the educational modeling and design work, while NPS supports the effort with specialized documentation resources and coordination.
The notice also explains why the award is being made without competition. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy requirements (505 DM 2), non-competitive assistance awards require written justification. NPS cites the single-source criterion of "Continuation," meaning the activity is necessary to complete or continue work already underway under the existing cooperative agreement, and competing the award would risk disrupting continuity or completion. In practical terms, the agency is signaling that this task agreement is part of an ongoing collaboration and fits within an established programmatic partnership focused on the study, preservation, interpretation, and documentation of historic engineering sites, structures, and objects, along with related training and public information efforts.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number P13AS00147, categorized as discretionary, with a cooperative agreement as the instrument type and an activity category that includes education and research and development. It lists an expected number of awards of one, an award ceiling of $60,000 (and an award floor of $1), and eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The CFDA program referenced is 15.945, "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System." The NPS point of contact is June Zastrow (phone 303-987-6718, email junezastrow@nps.gov). The public posting date is July 22, 2013, with an original and current closing date of August 5, 2013, consistent with a notice format rather than an open competition window.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this a call for proposals or an open request for applications?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a call for proposals and not a request for applications. It is a public notice that the National Park Service (NPS) intends to make a single, non-competitive continuation award to a specific partner for a defined set of activities.
What is the purpose of this notice?
The purpose is to publicly announce NPS's intent to issue a single, non-competitive continuation award under an existing cooperative agreement relationship. It explains the planned project activities, the intended recipient, the funding amount, and the justification for not using full and open competition.
What is the project title?
The project is titled "Educational Models of Four Significant Truss Designs in Wooden Truss Evolution: Burr, Town, Long, and Howe."
Who is the anticipated recipient of the award?
The anticipated recipient is Johns Hopkins University, Department of Civil Engineering.
Who is listed as the principal investigator/program manager?
Benjamin Schafer is listed as the principal investigator/program manager.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The total anticipated federal amount is $60,000.
Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share or matching requirement.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The notice also indicates the effort is structured as a task agreement under an existing cooperative agreement (H227009017).
What is the anticipated period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance runs from the award date through June 30, 2017.
Why is this described as a continuation rather than a new award?
NPS frames this as a continuation because the activity is tied to an existing cooperative agreement relationship and is intended to continue or complete work already underway under that established partnership.
How many awards does NPS expect to make under this notice?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling is $60,000, and the award floor is $1.
What are the main deliverables or activities funded by this project?
The core work is to develop plans and construct scale educational models representing four historic timber truss systems. These models are meant to be used as educational tools for understanding how different truss forms carry loads and how timber bridge structural systems evolved.
Which four truss designs are included in the project?
The four truss designs are the Burr truss, the Town lattice truss, the Long truss, and the Howe truss.
Which historic bridges are referenced for each truss model?
The models are referenced to specific bridges as follows: Burr truss (Pine Grove Bridge), Town lattice truss (Brown Bridge), Long truss (Eldean Bridge), and Howe truss (Pine Brook Bridge).
What is the educational motivation behind building scale truss models?
The notice explains that early undergraduate engineering education often emphasizes foundational technical sequences and may provide limited exposure to broader design aspects such as aesthetics, innovation, and historical context. The models are positioned as tangible teaching tools that help connect structural behavior to historical engineering practice.
How does this project relate to engineering curriculum or specific courses?
The project aligns with courses intended to broaden engineering students' perspective on design and history, including a course titled "Perspectives on the Evolution of Structures," inspired by David Billington's teaching on structural art and adapted at Johns Hopkins and other universities (including UMass Amherst, Bucknell, and Virginia Tech).
Why is a cooperative agreement used instead of a standard grant?
Because NPS anticipates substantial involvement in the project. The notice describes a key NPS role: providing architectural plans produced through the National Covered Bridges Recording Project, which are necessary inputs for building accurate educational models tied to real historic bridges and documented bridge types.
What is NPS's role in the project?
NPS is expected to provide Johns Hopkins University with architectural plans created through the National Covered Bridges Recording Project. This specialized documentation supports accuracy in the educational models and is part of the substantial involvement characteristic of a cooperative agreement.
Why is the award being made without competition?
The notice cites Department of the Interior single-source policy requirements (505 DM 2) and uses the single-source criterion of "Continuation." NPS states that the activity is necessary to complete or continue work under the existing cooperative agreement, and that competing the award could disrupt continuity or completion.
What is the broader programmatic context mentioned for this work?
The notice places the task within an established partnership focused on the study, preservation, interpretation, and documentation of historic engineering sites, structures, and objects, along with related training and public information efforts.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P13AS00147.
Is the opportunity categorized as discretionary?
Yes. The notice lists the opportunity category as discretionary.
What activity categories are associated with this opportunity?
The notice lists activity categories that include education and research and development.
Who is listed as eligible to apply?
The notice lists eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. However, the notice also emphasizes that it is not an open request for applications and is intended as a non-competitive continuation award to an identified partner.
What CFDA program is referenced?
The CFDA program referenced is 15.945, "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
What are the posting date and closing date shown in the notice?
The public posting date is July 22, 2013. The original and current closing date is August 5, 2013, which aligns with the notice format rather than a competitive application window.
Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The point of contact is June Zastrow. Phone: 303-987-6718. Email: junezastrow@nps.gov.
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