Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00369
Apply for P14AS00369
- The National Park Service in the community development education employment, labor and training environment natural resources science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hands on Lands" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954 National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 15, 2014 and posted on Sep 15, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The "Hands on Lands" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00369) is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award a continuation cooperative agreement, not an open call for new applications. In other words, it is published mainly for public transparency to explain that NPS plans to make a single award without full and open competition. The anticipated award amount is $400,000 with no cost share requirement, issued as a Cooperative Agreement under CFDA 15.954 (National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education). The statutory authority cited is 16 USC 1(g), which allows NPS to enter into cooperative agreements and transfer appropriated funds to eligible public and nonprofit partners to carry out NPS programs. The recipient identified is the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEEF), with Carol Watson listed as the principal investigator/program manager, and June Zastrow as the NPS point of contact.
Programmatically, the project continues and expands the interagency partnership known as Hands on the Land (HOL), a national network of field classrooms and public land agency resources managed by NEEF. HOL is designed to connect students, teachers, families, and volunteers with public lands and waterways through locally tailored, hands-on learning experiences that use natural, cultural, historical, and archaeological settings to make classroom instruction more tangible. A key idea in the announcement is that national parks already conduct science-based resource monitoring (tracking ecological trends and species, among other indicators), and those real-world monitoring activities can be translated into student-facing STEM learning and citizen science projects, where students collect or contribute data in ways that can be applied and understood beyond a single lesson.
The specific focus of this continuation is to strengthen STEM programming linked to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, especially for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) tribal grantee schools located near NPS units. The overarching goal is workforce-oriented: align federal resources to help address the national need for a STEM-prepared workforce by improving student retention and interest in STEM disciplines. The project frames this as mutually beneficial: students gain authentic STEM experiences in national parks, while ED advances its mission of improving student achievement and readiness for global competitiveness. The project also emphasizes the broader civic and educational value of national parks by "bringing public lands to the classroom and the classroom to public lands."
Under the planned work, the HOL network (managed by NEEF) is expected to select and support five NPS units within the HOL network to provide afterschool STEM opportunities for nearby BIE tribal schools that are 21st CCLC grantees. HOL will also provide clear points of contact for participating states and sites, deliver environmental monitoring and citizen science training for both 21st CCLC staff and park staff, and create blended professional development (online and in-person) beginning around November 2014. In addition, HOL will help develop or expand monitoring and citizen science projects customized to each park and its partner learning site, collaborate with NPS on the selection and implementation of an external evaluation, and produce best-practice guidelines or standards for student participation in monitoring and citizen science across the network. A final deliverable theme is visibility and scalability: expanding HOL's online presence by developing or expanding online monitoring projects, mentoring, and connections through social networks and federal websites.
NPS is expected to be substantially involved, which is typical for a cooperative agreement where the federal agency plays an active programmatic role rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. NPS responsibilities include coordinating regularly with NEEF (biweekly calls and monthly performance reviews), helping define criteria and approve the external evaluator, updating and adapting curricula and supporting materials (such as educator guides, rubrics, and student instructions) to better emphasize STEM skills and align with 21st CCLC objectives, and providing technical support and professional development to participating parks and partner afterschool sites. NPS will also help design a collaborative citizen science project for each park-site partnership. Examples given include water quality monitoring, ground-level ozone monitoring, and species inventories. Another core expectation is direct student engagement with NPS STEM experts at local parks on a schedule coordinated with ED, HOL, and the 21st CCLC sites, plus selecting exemplary student work to highlight publicly (including on NPS websites and through media advisories).
Finally, the announcement explains why the award is being made as a single-source continuation. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), NPS must justify why competition is not practicable. The stated justification is the "continuation" criterion: the funded activities are necessary to complete or continue work already underway under an existing cooperative agreement (P12AC31002), and recompeting the effort would risk disrupting continuity and successful completion. The anticipated period of performance runs from the date of award through September 30, 2015, with the task agreement referenced as P14AC01723 under the larger cooperative agreement framework.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Hands on Lands (Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00369)
What is the "Hands on Lands" opportunity (P14AS00369)?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award a continuation cooperative agreement. The notice is published mainly for public transparency to explain that NPS plans to make a single award without full and open competition.
Is this an open funding opportunity where new applicants can apply?
No. This is not an open call for new applications. It is a continuation award notice identifying a single intended recipient.
Why did NPS publish the notice if it is not competitive?
The notice is published for public transparency and to document NPS's intent to make a single-source continuation award without full and open competition.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The identified recipient is the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEEF).
Who are the key contacts listed for this project?
Carol Watson is listed as the principal investigator/program manager for the recipient (NEEF). June Zastrow is listed as the NPS point of contact.
What is the anticipated award amount?
The anticipated award amount is $400,000.
Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
What type of federal assistance instrument will be used?
The award will be issued as a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means NPS will be substantially involved in the work rather than simply issuing funds with minimal involvement.
Which CFDA program is associated with this award?
The notice cites CFDA 15.954, National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education.
What legal authority allows NPS to make this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites 16 USC 1(g), which authorizes NPS to enter into cooperative agreements and transfer appropriated funds to eligible public and nonprofit partners to carry out NPS programs.
What is "Hands on the Land" (HOL) in this announcement?
Hands on the Land (HOL) is described as an interagency partnership and national network of field classrooms and public land agency resources managed by NEEF. It is designed to connect students, teachers, families, and volunteers with public lands and waterways through locally tailored, hands-on learning experiences.
What kinds of learning experiences does HOL emphasize?
The project emphasizes hands-on learning that uses natural, cultural, historical, and archaeological settings to make classroom instruction more tangible, including STEM learning and citizen science activities tied to real-world resource monitoring in national parks.
How does resource monitoring in national parks relate to student learning in this project?
The notice explains that national parks already conduct science-based resource monitoring (such as tracking ecological trends and species). Those monitoring activities can be translated into student-facing STEM learning and citizen science projects where students collect or contribute data in ways that apply beyond a single lesson.
What is the specific focus of this continuation award?
The continuation focuses on strengthening STEM programming linked to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, especially for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) tribal grantee schools located near NPS units.
What is the overarching goal described in the notice?
The overarching goal is workforce-oriented: aligning federal resources to help address the national need for a STEM-prepared workforce by improving student retention and interest in STEM disciplines.
How is this project described as mutually beneficial?
The notice frames the work as mutually beneficial: students gain authentic STEM experiences in national parks, while ED advances its mission of improving student achievement and readiness for global competitiveness.
Which schools are specifically emphasized for participation?
The notice emphasizes Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) tribal grantee schools that are 21st CCLC grantees and are located near NPS units.
How many NPS units are expected to be selected and supported?
HOL (managed by NEEF) is expected to select and support five NPS units within the HOL network to provide afterschool STEM opportunities for nearby BIE tribal schools that are 21st CCLC grantees.
What support will HOL provide to states and participating sites?
HOL is expected to provide clear points of contact for participating states and sites and deliver training related to environmental monitoring and citizen science for both 21st CCLC staff and park staff.
What professional development is planned?
The notice states HOL will create blended professional development (online and in-person) beginning around November 2014.
What kinds of projects will be developed or expanded under this effort?
The work includes developing or expanding monitoring and citizen science projects customized to each park and its partner learning site, along with producing best-practice guidelines or standards for student participation in monitoring and citizen science across the network.
Will there be an external evaluation?
Yes. HOL will collaborate with NPS on the selection and implementation of an external evaluation, and NPS will help define criteria and approve the external evaluator.
What does the notice say about expanding visibility and scaling the work?
A stated theme is visibility and scalability through expanding HOL's online presence by developing or expanding online monitoring projects, mentoring, and connections through social networks and federal websites.
What does "substantial involvement" by NPS mean in this cooperative agreement?
The notice indicates NPS is expected to play an active programmatic role. Examples include biweekly calls and monthly performance reviews with NEEF, helping select and approve an external evaluator, updating curricula and supporting materials to emphasize STEM skills and align with 21st CCLC objectives, and providing technical support and professional development to participating parks and afterschool sites.
How often will NPS coordinate with NEEF during implementation?
The notice describes coordination through biweekly calls and monthly performance reviews.
Will NPS help develop the educational materials used by students and educators?
Yes. NPS is expected to update and adapt curricula and supporting materials (such as educator guides, rubrics, and student instructions) to better emphasize STEM skills and align with 21st CCLC objectives.
What role will NPS play in designing citizen science projects?
NPS will help design a collaborative citizen science project for each park-site partnership and provide technical support to participating parks and partner afterschool sites.
What examples of monitoring or citizen science activities are mentioned?
Examples listed in the notice include water quality monitoring, ground-level ozone monitoring, and species inventories.
Will students interact directly with NPS STEM experts?
Yes. The notice includes direct student engagement with NPS STEM experts at local parks on a schedule coordinated with ED, HOL, and the 21st CCLC sites.
How will student work be shared or highlighted?
The notice states NPS will select exemplary student work to highlight publicly, including on NPS websites and through media advisories.
Why is this a single-source (noncompetitive) continuation award?
The notice cites Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) and uses the "continuation" criterion: the activities are necessary to complete or continue work already underway under an existing cooperative agreement, and recompeting could disrupt continuity and successful completion.
What existing agreement is this continuation building on?
The notice references an existing cooperative agreement identified as P12AC31002.
What task agreement is referenced for this continuation?
The notice references task agreement P14AC01723 under the larger cooperative agreement framework.
What is the anticipated period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance runs from the date of award through September 30, 2015.
What audiences does the project aim to serve?
The notice describes connecting students, teachers, families, and volunteers with public lands and waterways, with a specific emphasis in this continuation on afterschool STEM opportunities tied to 21st CCLC sites and nearby BIE tribal grantee schools.
What is the core educational concept behind "bringing public lands to the classroom and the classroom to public lands"?
As described in the notice, the concept is to use national parks and other public land resources as authentic settings and data sources for STEM learning, while also translating park-based science and monitoring into student-accessible classroom and afterschool activities.
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