Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS CESU 5
Apply for FWS CESU 5
- The Fisheries Habitat Conservation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fish and Wildlife Service, CESU Sole Source Task Agreements under 505 DM 2.14(5) Emergencies" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.649 Service Training and Technical Assistance (Generic Training).
- This funding opportunity was created on May 9, 2008 and posted on May 9, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 22, 2008. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- For this announcement of Intent to Award discretionary financial assistance to single sources without competition beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 for the duration of Service participation in the CESU cooperative agreements (renewable every five years), the justification for award without competition is Department of the Interior s 505 DM 2.14 (5) Emergencies program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed. Financial assistance recipients include any university or institution that is a member of a CESU to which the Service is a cooperating partner in the cooperative agreement, and which can satisfy the Service s needs relative to a specific biogeographic area of concentration, a particular ecosystem type, a particular management regime, a combination of these themes, a special expertise, or a required timeframe to meet regional or program needs.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity is an announcement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) intent to make discretionary financial assistance awards through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) using sole-source task agreements justified under the Department of the Interior (DOI) policy 505 DM 2.14(5), which covers emergency situations. In practical terms, it is designed for cases where there is not enough time to run a normal competitive process because of compelling and unusual urgency, or because delays could create substantial danger to health or safety. Rather than opening a broad competition, FWS issues task agreements under existing CESU cooperative agreements to a single qualified CESU partner that can meet urgent program needs.
The CESU network is a congressionally authorized partnership framework created to deliver research, technical assistance, and education for natural resource and environmental management. CESUs are collaborative hubs that typically revolve around a host university and include multiple federal agencies plus other universities, tribes, NGOs, or institutions as partners, depending on the region. The model is meant to make it easier for federal land and resource agencies to rapidly access multidisciplinary expertise across biological, physical, social, and cultural sciences, and to apply that expertise to real management problems at multiple geographic scales. CESUs are usually organized around biogeographic regions (for example, the Colorado Plateau or Southern Appalachians), ecosystem types (such as urban systems or high deserts), management regimes (such as wilderness or multiple-use landscapes), or combinations of these, and some units offer specialized expertise that can be used more broadly across the national CESU network.
The work supported under these task agreements can include applied research, technical assistance, and education or training activities that help resource managers respond to pressing needs. The notice emphasizes that substantial federal involvement is expected, which is a hallmark of a cooperative agreement. That means FWS staff are anticipated to be actively engaged in shaping the work, collaborating on technical direction, and participating in achieving project objectives, rather than simply providing funds and receiving a final product.
Eligibility is limited to universities or institutions that are already members of a CESU in which the Fish and Wildlife Service is a cooperating partner. To be selected for a particular task agreement, a CESU partner must be able to meet FWS needs tied to a specific region, ecosystem type, management context, specialized capability, or an urgent timeframe connected to regional or program requirements. The sole-source approach is justified not as a general preference, but specifically under the emergency authority in 505 DM 2.14(5), which allows awards without competition when time constraints or risk considerations make full competitive procedures impractical.
Several administrative and compliance points are built into the opportunity. Each individual task agreement must include (1) a statement describing substantial federal involvement and (2) a written justification for using a sole-source award without competition under the DOI emergency criteria. The notice also instructs applicants and program staff to attach a copy of the Grants.gov notice to the task agreement package that is submitted to an authorized FWS financial officer. Importantly, the federal government is not obligated to fund any task agreement until an authorized Service financial officer approves the award, meaning the announcement itself does not guarantee funding. The opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs), which sometimes triggers state-level review processes.
From a cataloging standpoint, one CFDA number identified for this work is 15.649 (Service Training and Technical Assistance, described as generic training), although the notice notes that other CFDA numbers might apply depending on the specific project content. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, the activity category is natural resources, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated in the listing. The opportunity was posted May 9, 2008, with an original and current closing date of May 22, 2008, and it was archived June 21, 2008. The funding opportunity number is FWS CESU 5, and the FWS program area is listed as Fisheries and Habitat Conservation.
For coordination and next steps, FWS identifies regional Science Support Partnership contacts as the main points of contact for CESU cooperative agreements. The notice provides named contacts for each FWS region (including headquarters), indicating that prospective task agreements are typically coordinated through the appropriate regional office based on geography and program need. It also lists a program analyst contact (Jo Ann Mills, phone 703-358-2430) for assistance accessing the full announcement electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a notice of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) intent to make discretionary financial assistance awards through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) using sole-source task agreements. The sole-source approach is justified under Department of the Interior (DOI) policy 505 DM 2.14(5), which covers emergency situations where a normal competitive process is impractical due to compelling urgency or risks to health or safety.
Is this a competitive grant solicitation?
No. Rather than opening a broad competition, FWS issues task agreements under existing CESU cooperative agreements to a single qualified CESU partner that can meet urgent program needs. The justification is tied specifically to the DOI emergency authority in 505 DM 2.14(5).
What does “sole-source” mean in this context?
“Sole-source” means FWS may select one specific CESU partner for a task agreement without running a full competitive process. Under this notice, that approach must be justified under the emergency criteria in DOI policy 505 DM 2.14(5), such as when time constraints or delays could create substantial danger to health or safety.
What is a CESU?
A Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) is a congressionally authorized partnership framework intended to deliver research, technical assistance, and education for natural resource and environmental management. CESUs are collaborative hubs that often revolve around a host university and include federal agencies plus other partners such as universities, tribes, NGOs, or other institutions (depending on the region).
What kinds of projects can be supported under these task agreements?
Work supported under these task agreements can include applied research, technical assistance, and education or training activities that help resource managers respond to pressing needs. The notice emphasizes the ability to respond rapidly to urgent program requirements.
What type of award instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. A key feature highlighted in the notice is that substantial federal involvement is expected.
What does “substantial federal involvement” mean for applicants and projects?
It means FWS staff are expected to be actively engaged in shaping the work, collaborating on technical direction, and participating in achieving project objectives, rather than simply providing funds and receiving a final deliverable. The task agreement must include a statement describing this substantial federal involvement.
Who is eligible to receive an award under this opportunity?
Eligibility is limited to universities or institutions that are already members of a CESU in which FWS is a cooperating partner.
How does FWS decide which CESU partner receives a task agreement?
To be selected for a particular task agreement, a CESU partner must be able to meet FWS needs tied to a specific region, ecosystem type, management context, specialized capability, or an urgent timeframe connected to regional or program requirements.
Why is FWS using emergency authority for these awards?
The notice states the sole-source approach is justified under DOI emergency criteria (505 DM 2.14(5)) for situations where there is not enough time to conduct a normal competitive process due to compelling and unusual urgency, or where delays could create substantial danger to health or safety.
What documentation must each task agreement include?
Each individual task agreement must include: (1) a statement describing substantial federal involvement and (2) a written justification for using a sole-source award without competition under the DOI emergency criteria.
Is there a requirement to attach anything from Grants.gov to the task agreement package?
Yes. The notice instructs applicants and program staff to attach a copy of the Grants.gov notice to the task agreement package submitted to an authorized FWS financial officer.
Does this announcement guarantee funding?
No. The federal government is not obligated to fund any task agreement until an authorized FWS financial officer approves the award. The announcement itself does not guarantee funding.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the listing.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
One CFDA number identified is 15.649 (Service Training and Technical Assistance, described as generic training). The notice also indicates other CFDA numbers might apply depending on the specific project content.
What is the activity category and program area?
The activity category is natural resources. The FWS program area is listed as Fisheries and Habitat Conservation.
Is this opportunity subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review)?
No. The notice states the opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is FWS CESU 5.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on May 9, 2008, with an original and current closing date of May 22, 2008. It was archived on June 21, 2008.
Who are the main points of contact for coordinating CESU task agreements?
FWS identifies regional Science Support Partnership contacts as the main points of contact for CESU cooperative agreements. The notice indicates there are named contacts for each FWS region (including headquarters), and coordination is typically handled through the appropriate regional office based on geography and program need.
Is there a contact for help accessing the full announcement electronically?
Yes. The notice lists a program analyst contact for assistance accessing the full announcement electronically: Jo Ann Mills, phone 703-358-2430.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Natural Resources
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Previous opportunity: Fish and Wildlife Service, CESU Sole Source Task Agreements under 505 DM 2.14(3) Legislative Intent
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