Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS LIGRSM100104
Apply for NPS LIGRSM100104
- The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Systemic Treatment Research Study Letters of Interest" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 00.000 Not Elsewhere Classified.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 11, 2010 and posted on Jun 11, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Park Service (NPS), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), issued this notice as a request for Letters of Interest (LOIs) to identify qualified potential research collaborators for a planned Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) systemic treatment study. It is explicitly not a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and the Park is not accepting grant applications through this posting. Instead, GRSM is using LOIs to learn who has relevant expertise and to gather examples of current and past work related to systemic chemical treatment of HWA in Eastern Hemlock. Responses are voluntary, unpaid, and do not create any contractual obligation on the government. The opportunity was posted June 11, 2010, with an LOI deadline of June 25, 2010, and it lists an indicative award amount of $80,000 (floor and ceiling), although the announcement itself functions as market research rather than an offer to fund.
The project is driven by the ecological importance of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in the Park. Hemlock occurs broadly across forest types up to roughly 5,000 feet elevation and is described as the Park's only shade-tolerant tree, functioning as a keystone species with major aesthetic, recreational, and ecological value. Since 2002, hemlocks in GRSM have faced the risk of ecological extinction from HWA, a non-native invasive insect. Park staff and volunteers have implemented a wide range of control measures, including systemic neonicotinoid insecticides (imidacloprid and dinotefuran), foliar applications of horticultural oils and soaps, and biological control through releases of predatory beetles (Sasajiscymnus tsugae and Laricobius nigrinus). The Park reports extensive operational experience, noting about 150,000 systemic treatments documented in a database, and a broader strategy of establishing treated "Conservation Areas" that act as genetic reservoirs for hemlock and refugia for species dependent on hemlock-dominated habitats.
A central motivation for the new study is that treatment outcomes vary due to differing dosages, application methods, chemicals, and environmental and tree-level conditions (such as pre-treatment tree health, soil moisture and drought, live canopy percentage, and tree diameter/volume). A 2009 pilot study measured systemic pesticide residues in treated hemlock canopies to better understand what concentrations are needed for control, how long residues persist under different conditions and application methods, and how chemicals move within the canopy (upper, mid, lower). That pilot also examined pesticide mobility via water quality sampling in streams near treated trees. Findings suggested that some trees treated six years earlier still showed effective control levels (reported as 200 ppb or greater of imidacloprid or metabolites), while other more recently treated trees showed very low concentrations. The pilot also observed that imidacloprid metabolites could contribute to control and appeared to translocate upward in the canopy, opposite the trend for the parent compound. Dinotefuran was not detected in canopy samples, and both canopy and water sampling results raised concerns about potential sampling/contamination errors. While most water samples were negative, a few small detections occurred, including at a control site, reinforcing the need for more rigorous follow-up work.
The planned research aims to support a long-term hemlock management plan that keeps systemic pesticide residues high enough to protect trees from HWA while reducing the risk of secondary impacts to non-target organisms and ecosystems. GRSM is seeking a deeper, process-level understanding of how systemic treatments behave in Park conditions and how they affect tree health and surrounding resources. The envisioned long-term program would address treatment and retreatment regimes, effectiveness monitoring, and monitoring for secondary effects, and may also include an "exit strategy" to phase down chemical treatments as biological controls become more effective or resistance indicators show promise.
The notice lays out several specific study themes that collaborators might address: determining chemical application rates and canopy residual concentrations needed for effective control in GRSM; adjusting application considerations to Park-specific habitats and micro-environments that could affect standard procedures; establishing baseline residual conditions in non-target environments (including adjacent aquatic habitats) given the Park's long history of treatments; evaluating fate and transport of treatment chemicals in Park environments; and determining effect thresholds for key aquatic and terrestrial systems associated with treatment areas, including development of LOAEL and NOAEL values. Because earlier work raised questions about sampling integrity, GRSM emphasizes the need for strong quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), performance evaluation approaches, and laboratory credentials such as EPA accreditation or equivalent (for example, USGS-level capability). The Park also highlights interest in teams with demonstrated experience and publications using pesticide analytical methods such as LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry), along with a solid data management plan aligned with the Park's data standards and federal metadata requirements. A literature review and a detailed task-based budget are also identified as elements that could be part of an eventual study design.
Eligibility is broadly open, with GRSM specifically encouraging capable and qualified sources such as universities, university-affiliated research centers, and private or public companies, though the listing indicates unrestricted eligibility in general. The announcement notes there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Finally, GRSM states it is not required to acknowledge receipt of LOIs or provide feedback, and it will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding. A contact is provided for access issues: Judith Couch, Financial Agreements Specialist, phone 865-436-1224.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this notice from Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) about?
This notice is a request for Letters of Interest (LOIs) to identify qualified potential research collaborators for a planned Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) systemic treatment study in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), which is part of the National Park Service (NPS).
2) Is this a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).
3) Can I submit a grant application through this posting?
No. GRSM states it is not accepting grant applications through this posting. The purpose is to gather LOIs as market research to understand who has relevant expertise and examples of related work.
4) What is the purpose of submitting a Letter of Interest (LOI)?
The LOI is used by GRSM to learn which parties have relevant expertise and to gather examples of current and past work related to systemic chemical treatment of HWA in Eastern Hemlock.
5) Does submitting an LOI create any contractual obligation with the government?
No. Responses are voluntary and unpaid, and they do not create any contractual obligation on the government.
6) Will the government reimburse costs associated with preparing or submitting an LOI?
No. GRSM states it will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding.
7) Will GRSM acknowledge receipt of LOIs or provide feedback?
GRSM notes it is not required to acknowledge receipt of LOIs or provide feedback.
8) When was this opportunity posted and what was the LOI deadline?
The notice was posted on June 11, 2010, and the LOI deadline was June 25, 2010.
9) What award amount is mentioned, and does it guarantee funding?
An indicative award amount of $80,000 is listed (with both floor and ceiling at $80,000). However, the notice functions as market research rather than an offer to fund, and it is not a formal FOA.
10) What species and problem is the planned study focused on?
The planned study focuses on Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and systemic treatment approaches for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), described as a non-native invasive insect threatening hemlocks in GRSM.
11) Why is Eastern Hemlock important in GRSM?
The notice describes Eastern Hemlock as ecologically important and broadly occurring across forest types up to roughly 5,000 feet elevation. It is described as the Park's only shade-tolerant tree and a keystone species with major aesthetic, recreational, and ecological value.
12) What management actions has the Park already used against HWA?
GRSM reports using a range of control measures, including systemic neonicotinoid insecticides (imidacloprid and dinotefuran), foliar applications of horticultural oils and soaps, and biological control through releases of predatory beetles (Sasajiscymnus tsugae and Laricobius nigrinus).
13) How extensive is GRSM's prior experience with systemic treatments?
The Park notes extensive operational experience, including about 150,000 systemic treatments documented in a database.
14) What are "Conservation Areas" in the Park's hemlock strategy?
The notice describes treated "Conservation Areas" intended to act as genetic reservoirs for hemlock and as refugia for species dependent on hemlock-dominated habitats.
15) Why does GRSM want a new systemic treatment study?
GRSM reports that treatment outcomes can vary due to differences in dosage, application methods, chemicals, and environmental and tree-level conditions (including pre-treatment tree health, soil moisture and drought, live canopy percentage, and tree diameter/volume). The planned study is motivated by the need to better understand these sources of variation and improve long-term management decisions.
16) What did the 2009 pilot study examine?
The 2009 pilot study measured systemic pesticide residues in treated hemlock canopies to understand concentrations needed for control, how long residues persist under different conditions and application methods, and how chemicals move within the canopy (upper, mid, lower). It also examined pesticide mobility via water quality sampling in streams near treated trees.
17) What did the pilot study suggest about long-term residue persistence and control?
The notice reports that some trees treated six years earlier still showed effective control levels (reported as 200 ppb or greater of imidacloprid or metabolites), while other more recently treated trees showed very low concentrations.
18) What did the pilot study observe about imidacloprid metabolites and canopy movement?
The notice states that imidacloprid metabolites could contribute to control and appeared to translocate upward in the canopy, opposite the trend for the parent compound.
19) Was dinotefuran detected in the pilot canopy samples?
No. Dinotefuran was not detected in canopy samples, as reported in the notice.
20) Were there concerns about sampling or contamination in the pilot study?
Yes. The notice indicates that canopy and water sampling results raised concerns about potential sampling/contamination errors. A few small detections occurred in water sampling (including at a control site), which reinforced the need for more rigorous follow-up work.
21) What is the overall goal of the planned research program?
The planned research aims to support a long-term hemlock management plan that keeps systemic pesticide residues high enough to protect trees from HWA while reducing the risk of secondary impacts to non-target organisms and ecosystems.
22) What types of management questions could the long-term program address?
The notice describes an envisioned long-term program that could address treatment and retreatment regimes, effectiveness monitoring, and monitoring for secondary effects. It may also include an "exit strategy" to phase down chemical treatments as biological controls become more effective or resistance indicators show promise.
23) What study themes does GRSM list as potential areas for collaborators?
Examples of listed themes include: determining chemical application rates and canopy residual concentrations needed for effective control in GRSM; adjusting application considerations to Park-specific habitats and micro-environments; establishing baseline residual conditions in non-target environments (including adjacent aquatic habitats) given the Park's long history of treatments; evaluating fate and transport of treatment chemicals in Park environments; and determining effect thresholds for key aquatic and terrestrial systems associated with treatment areas, including development of LOAEL and NOAEL values.
24) What does GRSM emphasize regarding quality assurance and laboratory capability?
Because earlier work raised questions about sampling integrity, GRSM emphasizes strong quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), performance evaluation approaches, and laboratory credentials such as EPA accreditation or equivalent (for example, USGS-level capability).
25) What analytical methods experience is GRSM interested in?
The Park highlights interest in teams with demonstrated experience and publications using pesticide analytical methods such as LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry).
26) Are there data management expectations for the planned study?
Yes. The notice calls for a solid data management plan aligned with the Park's data standards and federal metadata requirements.
27) Are a literature review and detailed budget mentioned as part of the eventual study design?
Yes. A literature review and a detailed task-based budget are identified as elements that could be part of an eventual study design.
28) Who is eligible to respond with an LOI?
Eligibility is broadly open. GRSM specifically encourages capable and qualified sources such as universities, university-affiliated research centers, and private or public companies, and the listing indicates unrestricted eligibility in general.
29) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
30) Who should be contacted for access issues related to this opportunity?
The notice provides a contact for access issues: Judith Couch, Financial Agreements Specialist, phone 865-436-1224.
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