Opportunity Information: Apply for NWRS R2 22521 03
Apply for NWRS R2 22521 03
- The Region 2 in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fire Effects on Vegetation and Small Mammals in Mixed Scrub Grasslands on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650 Research Grants (Generic).
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 9, 2010 and posted on Aug 9, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 20, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $22,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $22,000.00 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:
The Fire Effects on Vegetation and Small Mammals in Mixed Scrub Grasslands on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico grant opportunity was a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) research funding announcement for work on San Andres National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico (Region 2). The award was structured as a cooperative agreement under an environmental research activity category and was intended to support field-based research during the FY 2010 to FY 2015 period. The central purpose was to generate practical, management-ready information about how prescribed fire, applied once or multiple times, influences lower-elevation rangeland vegetation and associated wildlife, with an emphasis on mixed scrub-grassland systems in the San Andres Mountains. The results were meant to feed directly into long-term vegetation management planning on the refuge, especially decisions about whether, where, and how often prescribed burning should be used to meet habitat objectives.
The project focus was explicitly comparative: the refuge sought research that would evaluate similar ecological sites that differed mainly in their burn histories. The first objective targeted vegetation outcomes, calling for quantification of vegetation cover, plant species composition, and ground cover attributes across sites that had experienced different fire frequencies or timing. In practice, this implies collecting standardized measures that can capture post-fire shifts such as changes in dominant grass versus shrub cover, recovery of perennial species, recruitment of annuals, litter and bare ground proportions, and other ground-layer conditions that matter for erosion risk, forage production, and habitat structure. By emphasizing both cover and composition, the refuge signaled interest not only in how much vegetation returns after fire, but also in what kind of vegetation returns and whether fire is pushing the system toward desired community states.
The second objective broadened the evaluation to wildlife by requiring measurement of how the small mammal community responds across those same ecological sites with different burn histories. This typically involves assessing community metrics such as species presence, abundance, diversity, and potentially demographic indicators, recognizing that small mammals often respond strongly to changes in vegetation structure, food availability, and ground cover created by fire. Because small mammals are both prey and ecological engineers in arid and semi-arid systems, their response can be a sensitive indicator of broader habitat change and can help managers understand tradeoffs between vegetation goals and wildlife outcomes.
The third objective tied the study together analytically by asking investigators to compare both the individual and interactive effects of fire frequency and ecological site. In other words, the refuge was not only interested in whether more frequent fire produces different outcomes than a single burn, but also whether those outcomes depend on underlying site characteristics (soil, elevation, plant potential, moisture regime, and similar factors that define an ecological site). This interaction is critical for management because prescribed fire can be effective in one site type and ineffective or risky in another, and the refuge wanted evidence that could help tailor burn programs to specific landscape contexts. The stated management question was practical: evaluate the efficacy of prescribed fire as a tool to meet vegetation and wildlife management goals in lower-elevation grasslands on the refuge.
From an administrative standpoint, the announcement listed an estimated total program funding and maximum award amount of $22,000 over five years, with an initial first-year allocation of $12,000. The agency noted that these figures were estimates and did not guarantee future availability of funds beyond the initial period, meaning later-year support would depend on appropriations and refuge priorities. Only one award was expected. The opportunity fell under CFDA 15.650 (Research Grants, Generic) and did not require cost sharing or matching funds. Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, indicating the refuge was seeking an academic partner with research capacity, likely to conduct multi-year monitoring and analysis aligned with refuge management needs.
The opportunity timeline reflected a short application window: it was posted and created on August 9, 2010, with an original and current closing date of August 20, 2010, and it was archived on September 19, 2010. For applicants needing assistance accessing the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Mara Weisenberger, Wildlife Biologist, reachable by phone at 575-382-5047 or email at maraweisenberger@fws.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Fire Effects on Vegetation and Small Mammals in Mixed Scrub Grasslands on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
Which federal agency offered this opportunity?
This was a research funding announcement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Where is the work expected to take place?
The work was intended to occur on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, within USFWS Region 2.
What type of award mechanism was used?
The award was structured as a cooperative agreement under an environmental research activity category.
What time period was the project intended to cover?
The announcement described support for field-based research during FY 2010 through FY 2015 (a five-year period).
What was the central purpose of the project?
The main purpose was to generate practical, management-ready information on how prescribed fire (applied once or multiple times) influences lower-elevation rangeland vegetation and associated wildlife, with an emphasis on mixed scrub-grassland systems in the San Andres Mountains.
How were the results expected to be used by the refuge?
The results were intended to feed directly into long-term vegetation management planning on the refuge, especially decisions about whether, where, and how often prescribed burning should be used to meet habitat objectives.
What kind of study design was the refuge looking for?
The project focus was explicitly comparative. The refuge sought research that would evaluate similar ecological sites that differed mainly in their burn histories.
What was the first research objective (vegetation)?
The first objective was to quantify vegetation outcomes by measuring vegetation cover, plant species composition, and ground cover attributes across sites that had experienced different fire frequencies or timing.
What specific vegetation and ground cover changes did the announcement suggest could matter?
The description implied collecting standardized measures capable of capturing post-fire shifts such as changes in dominant grass versus shrub cover, recovery of perennial species, recruitment of annuals, litter and bare ground proportions, and other ground-layer conditions relevant to erosion risk, forage production, and habitat structure.
Why did the refuge emphasize both vegetation cover and species composition?
The emphasis indicated interest not only in how much vegetation returns after fire, but also what kind of vegetation returns and whether fire is moving the plant community toward desired community states.
What was the second research objective (small mammals)?
The second objective required measuring how the small mammal community responds across the same ecological sites with different burn histories.
What small mammal metrics were implied by the announcement?
The opportunity described community-level metrics such as species presence, abundance, diversity, and potentially demographic indicators, recognizing that small mammals can respond strongly to fire-driven changes in vegetation structure, food availability, and ground cover.
Why were small mammals considered important for this study?
The announcement noted that small mammals are both prey and ecological engineers in arid and semi-arid systems, so their response can act as a sensitive indicator of broader habitat change and help managers understand tradeoffs between vegetation goals and wildlife outcomes.
What was the third research objective (analysis and comparisons)?
The third objective asked investigators to compare both the individual and interactive effects of fire frequency and ecological site.
What does "interactive effects of fire frequency and ecological site" mean in this context?
It means the refuge wanted to know not only whether outcomes differ between single versus repeated fires, but also whether those outcomes depend on underlying site characteristics that define an ecological site (for example, soil, elevation, plant potential, and moisture regime).
What management question was this funding meant to answer?
The stated management question was to evaluate the efficacy of prescribed fire as a tool to meet vegetation and wildlife management goals in lower-elevation grasslands on the refuge.
How much funding was available?
The announcement listed an estimated total program funding and maximum award amount of $22,000 over five years, with an initial first-year allocation of $12,000.
Was funding beyond the first year guaranteed?
No. The agency stated the amounts were estimates and did not guarantee future availability of funds beyond the initial period. Later-year support would depend on appropriations and refuge priorities.
How many awards were expected?
Only one award was expected.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity fell under CFDA 15.650 (Research Grants, Generic).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement stated that cost sharing or matching funds were not required.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
What does the eligibility restriction suggest about the type of partner the refuge wanted?
Based on the stated eligibility, the refuge was seeking an academic partner with research capacity to conduct multi-year monitoring and analysis aligned with refuge management needs.
When was the opportunity posted, and what was the application deadline?
The opportunity was posted and created on August 9, 2010. The original and current closing date was August 20, 2010.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on September 19, 2010.
Who was the point of contact for questions about the announcement?
The listed point of contact was Mara Weisenberger, Wildlife Biologist.
How could applicants contact the point of contact?
Applicants could contact Mara Weisenberger by phone at 575-382-5047 or by email at maraweisenberger@fws.gov.
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