Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AC00542
Apply for P15AC00542
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluation of nearshore communities and habitats Ecological Processes in Lower Cook Inlet" 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 Jun 3, 2015 and posted on Jun 3, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 3, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $45,900.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This announcement is posted for informational use only.
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice is a National Park Service (NPS) "Notice of Intent to Award" for a cooperative agreement titled "Evaluation of nearshore communities and habitats: Ecological Processes in Lower Cook Inlet" (Funding Opportunity Number P15AC00542). It is not a call for proposals and not a competitive application opportunity. Instead, it serves as public notification that NPS planned to make a single-source award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), with Katrin Iken listed as the principal investigator/program manager. The anticipated federal funding amount is $45,900.20, there is no cost share requirement, and the planned period of performance runs from May 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016. The instrument is a cooperative agreement under 16 USC 5933(a), and it falls under CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System). The posting dates show it was published June 3, 2015, with an informational closing date of July 3, 2015, and archived August 2, 2015.
The main purpose of the project is to pull together and update what is known about nearshore benthic life in Lower Cook Inlet, specifically intertidal and shallow subtidal species across multiple habitat types, including kelp-associated communities. This work is framed around the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Cook Inlet Planning Area and the federal offshore leasing context in the Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (2012-2017), which included a Cook Inlet lease sale planned for 2017. A key driver is that the last NEPA analysis for an OCS Cook Inlet lease sale had not been conducted since 2003, so agencies needed more current environmental and biological information. The project is intended to strengthen the baseline understanding of the physical and biological environment (including variability in oceanographic conditions), nearshore benthic communities, and information relevant to sensitive species. The outputs are meant to directly support NEPA analyses and documentation for the planned lease sale, and to inform potential future Exploration Plans (EPs) and Development and Production Plans (DPPs).
The management approach is explicitly collaborative, with NPS coordinating the overall effort and UAF contributing specialized scientific expertise. UAFs role centers on taxonomic and ecological expertise for intertidal and subtidal invertebrates and algae, plus input on subtidal sampling design and interpretation of collected data. A substantial theme throughout the announcement is protocol compatibility: the field methods and data products are expected to align, where practical, with existing monitoring and survey frameworks such as NPS SWAN, Gulf Watch Alaska, NaGISA/Census of Marine Life, and in appropriate cases MARINe. The announcement also notes that NPS and UAF already work together on Gulf Watch Alaska, and the final completion report is planned to be co-authored by staff from both organizations.
Tasking is divided between the partners in a way that reflects their strengths and ongoing responsibilities. UAF agrees to help shape the subtidal sampling design, interpret the resulting data, and conduct subtidal surveys near intertidal canopy kelp sites in Lower Cook Inlet in cooperation with NPS. UAF is also expected to deliver recommendations to NPS about where and how to continue assessing sites for a more extensive evaluation of subtidal canopy kelps and selected intertidal invertebrates. If funds allow, UAF may also participate in additional site assessments beyond the initial work, covering both intertidal areas and subtidal canopy kelp habitats, again using protocols compatible with existing regional programs. NPS, for its part, is expected to oversee compilation of historical datasets and reports on benthic organisms and habitats (working with partners such as CIRCAC, NOAA, and UAF), conduct intertidal surveys in collaboration with those partners, and potentially carry out additional site assessments if funding permits. NPS principal investigators are also described as responsible for end-to-end project coordination, including schedule management and ensuring deliverables are completed, and NPS will co-author the final report with UAF.
The award is justified as single-source (non-competitive) under the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), specifically the "Unique Qualifications" criterion. The justification emphasizes that the work depends on UAF personnel with established expertise in intertidal and subtidal invertebrates and algae and that the project requires subtidal sampling that involves SCUBA diving, an area where the UAF partners are described as experts. It also stresses the importance of using established subtidal sampling protocols already in place in Kachemak Bay and the need for familiarity with Gulf Watch Alaska protocols and standard operating procedures. The announcement argues that bringing in another recipient would require significant training time (estimated at up to a month for NPS investigators) to reach the required proficiency and consistency with those established methods, making competition impractical for this particular effort.
Overall, this opportunity is best read as a targeted, time-bounded baseline and synthesis effort designed to update nearshore ecological information in Lower Cook Inlet for federal environmental review and decision-making tied to offshore oil and gas leasing. It funds coordinated data compilation and field surveys (intertidal and shallow subtidal, including kelp-associated habitats), with strong emphasis on scientific consistency with existing Alaska monitoring programs and on producing a co-authored completion report that can feed directly into NEPA documentation and related planning. Contact information in the notice lists James Cato, Contract Specialist (907-644-3302), for assistance accessing the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this notice?
This is a National Park Service (NPS) "Notice of Intent to Award" for a cooperative agreement titled "Evaluation of nearshore communities and habitats: Ecological Processes in Lower Cook Inlet" (Funding Opportunity Number P15AC00542).
Is this a call for proposals or an open application opportunity?
No. The notice is not a call for proposals and not a competitive application opportunity. It functions as public notification that NPS planned to make a single-source award to a specific recipient.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The planned single-source recipient is the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).
Who is listed as the principal investigator/program manager?
Katrin Iken is listed as the principal investigator/program manager.
What is the funding opportunity number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P15AC00542.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $45,900.20.
Is there a required cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
What is the period of performance?
The planned period of performance runs from May 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016.
What type of award instrument is being used?
The instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What is the legal authority cited for this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites 16 USC 5933(a) as the authority for the cooperative agreement.
What CFDA program is this associated with?
This opportunity falls under CFDA 15.945, "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
What were the key posting dates for the notice?
The notice shows it was published June 3, 2015, had an informational closing date of July 3, 2015, and was archived August 2, 2015.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The main purpose is to pull together and update what is known about nearshore benthic life in Lower Cook Inlet, focusing on intertidal and shallow subtidal species across multiple habitat types, including kelp-associated communities.
What kinds of organisms and habitats are a focus?
The project emphasizes nearshore benthic communities, including intertidal and shallow subtidal species, across multiple habitat types. Kelp-associated communities (including subtidal canopy kelp areas) are specifically called out.
What geographic and planning context is referenced?
The work is framed around the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Cook Inlet Planning Area and the federal offshore leasing context in the Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (2012-2017), which included a Cook Inlet lease sale planned for 2017.
Why was this work considered necessary (NEPA context)?
A key driver stated in the notice is that the last NEPA analysis for an OCS Cook Inlet lease sale had not been conducted since 2003, so agencies needed more current environmental and biological information.
How will the project outputs be used?
The outputs are intended to directly support NEPA analyses and documentation for the planned lease sale, and to inform potential future Exploration Plans (EPs) and Development and Production Plans (DPPs).
What kinds of information is the project expected to strengthen?
The notice describes strengthening baseline understanding of the physical and biological environment (including variability in oceanographic conditions), nearshore benthic communities, and information relevant to sensitive species.
How is the work managed between NPS and UAF?
The management approach is explicitly collaborative: NPS coordinates the overall effort, while UAF contributes specialized scientific expertise, particularly taxonomic and ecological expertise for intertidal and subtidal invertebrates and algae.
What role does UAF play in the project?
UAF is expected to help shape subtidal sampling design, interpret resulting data, and conduct subtidal surveys near intertidal canopy kelp sites in Lower Cook Inlet in cooperation with NPS. UAF is also expected to deliver recommendations about where and how to continue assessing sites for a more extensive evaluation of subtidal canopy kelps and selected intertidal invertebrates. If funds allow, UAF may participate in additional site assessments in intertidal and subtidal canopy kelp habitats.
What role does NPS play in the project?
NPS is expected to oversee compilation of historical datasets and reports on benthic organisms and habitats (working with partners such as CIRCAC, NOAA, and UAF), conduct intertidal surveys in collaboration with partners, and potentially carry out additional site assessments if funding permits. NPS principal investigators are described as responsible for end-to-end project coordination, including schedule management and ensuring deliverables are completed. NPS will co-author the final report with UAF.
Is field work included, or is this only a literature/data synthesis?
Both are included. The notice describes compiling and updating what is known (including historical datasets and reports) and also conducting field surveys in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas, including surveys associated with kelp habitats.
Does the project involve subtidal sampling and SCUBA diving?
Yes. The single-source justification highlights that the project requires subtidal sampling involving SCUBA diving and describes the UAF partners as experts in this area.
What does "protocol compatibility" mean in this notice?
It means field methods and data products are expected to align, where practical, with existing monitoring and survey frameworks so results are consistent and comparable with regional efforts.
Which monitoring or survey frameworks are named as targets for alignment?
The notice references NPS SWAN, Gulf Watch Alaska, NaGISA/Census of Marine Life, and in appropriate cases MARINe.
Why is this a single-source (non-competitive) award?
The award is justified as single-source under the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) using the "Unique Qualifications" criterion. The notice emphasizes dependence on UAF personnel with established expertise in intertidal and subtidal invertebrates and algae, expertise in SCUBA-based subtidal sampling, and familiarity with established protocols already in place in Kachemak Bay and with Gulf Watch Alaska protocols and standard operating procedures.
Why was competition described as impractical for this effort?
The notice argues that bringing in another recipient would require significant training time (estimated at up to a month for NPS investigators) to reach required proficiency and consistency with established methods and protocols.
What deliverable is explicitly mentioned?
A final completion report is planned, and it is described as being co-authored by staff from both NPS and UAF.
Are other partners mentioned besides NPS and UAF?
Yes. For compilation of historical datasets and reports, the notice mentions working with partners such as CIRCAC, NOAA, and UAF.
What does the notice say about additional work if funds allow?
It indicates that if funds allow, UAF may participate in additional site assessments beyond the initial work (covering intertidal areas and subtidal canopy kelp habitats), and NPS may also potentially carry out additional site assessments if funding permits.
Who is the listed contact for help accessing the full announcement?
The notice lists James Cato, Contract Specialist, at 907-644-3302 for assistance accessing the full announcement.
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