Opportunity Information: Apply for P12AS14951
Apply for P12AS14951
- The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Habitat Harbor Seals Study" 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 5, 2012 and posted on Jun 5, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 4, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $298,517.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $298,517.00 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 Habitat Harbor Seals Study grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P12AS14951) is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding announcement issued through the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program. CESUs are partnership frameworks that let federal agencies work closely with universities and other partners to deliver research, technical support, and education tied to natural and cultural resource management. In this case, the announcement is not a typical open competition; it serves as a formal notice of the NPS intent to make a cooperative agreement award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), specifically through its Geophysical Institute, under an existing CESU cooperative agreement (task order under agreement H9911080028). The award was planned as a single expected award, with an estimated total funding amount of $298,517 (also listed as the award ceiling and floor), and it did not require cost sharing or matching.
The project itself focuses on Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska, specifically Johns Hopkins Inlet, where harbor seals use tidewater glacial ice as a resting platform (often described as haul-out habitat). The central idea behind the study is to better understand how the amount and distribution of floating glacial ice influences where seals choose to rest and how many seals use the area over time. The project was designed to run from August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2014, and it was positioned as a new line of work that directly complements and ties into ongoing NPS harbor seal population monitoring already occurring in Glacier Bay. In other words, the NPS was already counting and tracking seals, and this new project would add a rigorous way to measure the changing ice habitat those seals rely on, using more advanced mapping and analytical methods.
A major emphasis of the work is on developing and applying remote sensing and geospatial tools to identify, measure, and model glacial ice conditions. The approach relies on digital imagery and remote sensing technology, paired with geospatial modeling and advanced geostatistical analysis, to quantify “ice availability” and relate it to seal distribution and abundance. The two primary objectives are clearly stated: first, to examine the relationship between glacial ice availability and harbor seal spatial distribution and abundance using remote sensing techniques and advanced geostatistical models; and second, to quantify seasonal and annual trends in the availability of glacial ice. This structure shows the project is both ecological (understanding habitat use and population patterns) and methodological (building tools and workflows that can consistently measure ice conditions from imagery).
Because this was structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the NPS outlined an active collaboration role rather than simply providing funds. The NPS committed to providing UAF access to airborne imagery data collected in Johns Hopkins Inlet from 2007 to 2013 that captured both seals and glacial ice. Those image archives were intended to support development of remote sensing methods for quantifying ice availability and density as well as seal density. The NPS also committed to timely cooperation on data requests, input, and collaboration on manuscripts and reports; to communicating compliance requirements tied to NPS scientific integrity and information quality guidance (including the interim guidance governing code of conduct, peer review, and information quality correction, and any later replacement guidance); and to staying engaged with UAF staff to make sure project products match NPS needs in terms of content, process, and timeline. The NPS also indicated an expectation of joint authorship and collaboration on publications or formal presentations derived from the work, and participation in a 60-day wrap-up period after the final deliverable due date to close out remaining tasks and ensure products are usable for park management.
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which aligns with the CESU model and the intent to award to UAF. The NPS justified the lack of full and open competition on the basis that this was a task order under an existing cooperative agreement and that the recipient had “unique qualifications,” including factors like technical expertise and other demonstrable capabilities relevant to the work. Administrative details in the posting include the CFDA listing (15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System), the posting and creation date (June 5, 2012), the original and current closing date (July 4, 2012), and the archive date (August 3, 2012). A contract specialist contact, Tina Spengler, was provided for access issues with the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Habitat Harbor Seals Study grant opportunity?
The Habitat Harbor Seals Study (Funding Opportunity Number P12AS14951) is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding announcement issued through the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program. It serves as a formal notice of NPS intent to make a cooperative agreement award for a specific research project related to harbor seals and glacial ice habitat.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P12AS14951.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the National Park Service (NPS).
Is this a typical open, competitive grant opportunity?
No. The posting is not a typical open competition. It is a formal notice of the NPS intent to award a cooperative agreement to a specific recipient under an existing CESU cooperative agreement.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The NPS indicated its intent to make the award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), specifically through the Geophysical Institute.
Why was full and open competition not used?
The NPS justified the lack of full and open competition on the basis that the work was structured as a task order under an existing CESU cooperative agreement and that the recipient had "unique qualifications," including relevant technical expertise and capabilities for the project.
What agreement vehicle is being used for this award?
This effort was planned as a cooperative agreement award under an existing CESU cooperative agreement, described as a task order under agreement H9911080028.
What is a CESU and how does it relate to this announcement?
CESUs (Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Units) are partnership frameworks that allow federal agencies to work closely with universities and other partners to deliver research, technical support, and education tied to natural and cultural resource management. This announcement was issued through the CESU program to support collaborative research and product development with an academic partner.
How many awards were expected?
The posting described a single expected award.
What is the total estimated funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $298,517.
What were the award ceiling and award floor?
Both the award ceiling and award floor were listed as $298,517.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement indicated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
Where will the project take place?
The project focuses on Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska, specifically Johns Hopkins Inlet.
What habitat feature is central to the study?
The study centers on tidewater glacial ice used by harbor seals as a resting platform (haul-out habitat), and how the availability and distribution of floating glacial ice influences seal haul-out patterns and numbers over time.
What is the main scientific purpose of the project?
The central purpose is to better understand how the amount and distribution of floating glacial ice affects where harbor seals choose to rest and how many seals use the area over time.
How does this project relate to ongoing NPS work?
The project was described as a new line of work that directly complements and ties into ongoing NPS harbor seal population monitoring in Glacier Bay. The NPS was already conducting seal counts and monitoring, and this project adds methods to quantify the changing ice habitat those seals rely on.
What are the primary objectives of the project?
The announcement listed two primary objectives: (1) examine the relationship between glacial ice availability and harbor seal spatial distribution and abundance using remote sensing techniques and advanced geostatistical models; and (2) quantify seasonal and annual trends in the availability of glacial ice.
What methods and tools are emphasized in the project?
The work emphasizes remote sensing and geospatial approaches, using digital imagery, geospatial modeling, and advanced geostatistical analysis to quantify ice availability and relate it to harbor seal distribution and abundance.
What data was the NPS planning to provide to support the work?
The NPS committed to providing UAF access to airborne imagery data collected in Johns Hopkins Inlet from 2007 to 2013 that captured both seals and glacial ice.
How would the imagery data be used in the project?
The imagery archives were intended to support the development of remote sensing methods for quantifying ice availability and density, as well as seal density, and to support analyses linking ice conditions to seal distribution and abundance.
What role does the NPS play under this cooperative agreement?
Because this was structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the NPS described an active collaboration role. This included providing imagery access, cooperating on data requests and technical input, collaborating on manuscripts and reports, communicating applicable compliance requirements, and staying engaged to ensure products meet NPS needs for content, process, and timeline.
Are there any expectations regarding publications or presentations?
Yes. The NPS indicated expectations of joint authorship and collaboration on publications or formal presentations derived from the work.
Are there specific compliance or quality requirements mentioned?
Yes. The NPS indicated it would communicate compliance requirements tied to NPS scientific integrity and information quality guidance, including interim guidance covering code of conduct, peer review, and information quality correction, as well as any later replacement guidance.
What were the planned project dates?
The project was designed to run from August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2014.
Was there a closeout or wrap-up period after the final deliverable?
Yes. The NPS described participation in a 60-day wrap-up period after the final deliverable due date to close remaining tasks and ensure the products are usable for park management.
Who was eligible to apply based on the posting?
Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the CESU model and the intent to award to UAF.
What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?
The CFDA listing provided was 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System.
What were the posting and closing dates listed in the announcement?
The posting/creation date was June 5, 2012. The original and current closing date was July 4, 2012. The archive date was August 3, 2012.
Who is the contact person listed for access issues with the full announcement?
The posting listed a contract specialist contact, Tina Spengler, for access issues with the full announcement.
Does the announcement describe what kind of deliverables will be produced?
It describes an expectation of collaboration on manuscripts and reports and indicates that products should match NPS needs in content, process, and timeline, but it does not list specific deliverable titles in the provided information.
What specific location within Glacier Bay is highlighted, and why?
Johns Hopkins Inlet is specifically highlighted because harbor seals use the tidewater glacial ice there as a haul-out (resting) habitat, making it a focal area for linking ice availability to seal distribution and abundance.
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