Opportunity Information: Apply for J9840100052
Apply for J9840100052
- The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Herbarium Study of Plant Samples from the Arctic Network of Alaskas National Parks" 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 May 22, 2010 and posted on May 22, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 2, 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 $50,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- CESU University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice describes the National Park Service (NPS) intent to make a single cooperative agreement award for a project titled "Herbarium Study of Plant Samples from the Arctic Network of Alaska's National Parks" (Funding Announcement Number J9840100052). It is explicitly a notice of intent to award, not a call for proposals, meaning the NPS is not seeking applications and is instead publicly documenting its plan to fund a specific partner without full and open competition. The anticipated total award amount is $50,000 with no cost share requirement, issued as a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) cooperative agreement. The planned period of performance runs from June 7, 2010 to May 15, 2015 (a five-year agreement term), and the NPS point of contact listed is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist (907-644-3303). The recipient identified is the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Museum of the North, with Dr. Stephanie Ickert-Bond serving as the principal investigator/program manager.
At its core, the project is about properly curating plant specimens collected across the Arctic Network (ARCN) of national parks in Alaska. During vegetation mapping and long-term monitoring work, ARCN staff collect many plant samples, especially specimens that field crews cannot confidently identify on site or that appear scientifically important, such as uncommon species or plants found outside their previously documented ranges. Because ARCN covers a vast and difficult-to-access region with historically limited botanical collecting, these specimens are treated as a high-value scientific resource that can improve understanding of the flora of northern Alaska and the broader Arctic. The NPS wants to ensure these samples are correctly identified, pressed, mounted, labeled, and linked to accurate location and ecological information so they can be reliably used for research, biodiversity assessments, and park management decisions.
The University of Alaska Museum Herbarium (often referenced as ALA) is central to the work because it provides the specialized expertise and infrastructure needed to turn field collections into permanent scientific records. Under the agreement, the NPS supplies the collected plant specimens and provides associated site, location, and ecological data in electronic form. ALA’s role is to press, dry, label, identify, and mount the specimens so they are properly curated and can be matched to the NPS-provided field data. Identification results generated by ALA are then entered by the NPS into relevant NPS databases to support monitoring protocols and resource management. Once curated, the physical specimens remain housed at ALA, where they become available for NPS use, university research, and public access, effectively expanding the herbarium’s holdings with material from remote parklands that are otherwise difficult to sample.
A key theme in the announcement is that this is a cooperative arrangement with substantial involvement by the NPS, rather than a hands-off grant. The agencies plan to coordinate on what gets collected in the future, jointly identifying locations and species of interest based on identification results and analyses of data gaps and research or monitoring needs shared by both NPS and ALA. The agreement is framed as mutually beneficial: the NPS gains authoritative identifications and professionally curated voucher specimens that strengthen monitoring and biodiversity knowledge, while the University gains scientifically valuable specimens from rarely accessed regions, added to a major research collection.
The single-source (non-competitive) rationale is justified under Department of the Interior policy as both a continuation and a unique-qualifications situation. The continuation argument is that nearly all botanical specimens collected by NPS in Alaska have historically been verified, curated, and housed at ALA, and shifting to a new provider would disrupt that established system and continuity. The unique qualifications argument emphasizes that ALA is the only major public research herbarium in Alaska, staffed by recognized experts on Alaskan flora (including current and emeritus specialists), with trained technicians and established workflows specifically suited to curating specimens for long-term storage in that collection. The notice also points out practical uniqueness: ALA staff are the only ones able to enter data directly into ALA’s herbarium database, and ALA’s established network of visiting specialists and researchers can often provide updated identifications at no added cost, effectively sharing and reducing identification costs for the NPS.
The opportunity is categorized under natural resources, with an expected single award. It is tied to CESU authorities and cites statutory authority including 16 USC 1a-2j and 16 USC 5933, with the CFDA listed as 00.000 (not elsewhere classified). Administrative dates in the listing include a posted date of May 22, 2010, and a closing date of June 2, 2010, which in this context functions more as the public notice window than an application deadline, since the announcement is not requesting proposals. Overall, the project is best understood as an investment in high-quality specimen-based documentation of Arctic park flora, ensuring that plants collected during NPS fieldwork become permanent, verifiable records that can support future research, monitoring, and management across Alaska’s Arctic national parks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. This is a Notice of Intent to Award, not a call for proposals. The National Park Service (NPS) is not seeking applications. The notice is published to document NPS plans to fund a specific partner without full and open competition.
2) Can my organization apply for this funding?
No. Based on the notice, NPS is not accepting applications because it intends to make a single, non-competitive cooperative agreement award to a named recipient.
3) Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The recipient identified in the notice is the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Museum of the North, working through the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium (often referenced as ALA).
4) Who is the principal investigator or project lead on the recipient side?
Dr. Stephanie Ickert-Bond is listed as the principal investigator/program manager for the recipient.
5) What is the project title and funding announcement number?
The project title is "Herbarium Study of Plant Samples from the Arctic Network of Alaska's National Parks." The Funding Announcement Number is J9840100052.
6) What type of award is NPS planning to issue?
NPS plans to issue a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) cooperative agreement. The notice emphasizes that this is a cooperative arrangement with substantial NPS involvement, rather than a hands-off grant.
7) How much funding is anticipated?
The anticipated total award amount is $50,000.
8) Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
9) What is the period of performance?
The planned period of performance runs from June 7, 2010 to May 15, 2015, described as a five-year agreement term.
10) What is the project primarily about?
The project focuses on properly curating plant specimens collected across the Arctic Network (ARCN) of national parks in Alaska. This includes ensuring specimens are correctly identified and prepared as permanent scientific records that can support research, monitoring, and park management decisions.
11) Why are these plant specimens considered important?
ARCN covers a vast, difficult-to-access region with historically limited botanical collecting. Samples gathered during vegetation mapping and long-term monitoring are treated as high-value scientific resources, especially when field crews cannot confidently identify plants on site, or when specimens appear scientifically important (for example, uncommon species or plants found outside previously documented ranges).
12) What kinds of specimens are included?
The notice describes specimens collected during vegetation mapping and long-term monitoring, particularly those that require expert identification or may represent uncommon species or out-of-range occurrences. The notice does not list specific species.
13) What role does the National Park Service (NPS) play in the project?
NPS supplies the collected plant specimens and provides associated site, location, and ecological data in electronic form. NPS also enters identification results into relevant NPS databases to support monitoring protocols and resource management. The notice also describes NPS as being substantially involved in coordination and future planning under the cooperative agreement.
14) What role does the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium (ALA) play?
ALA is responsible for pressing, drying, labeling, identifying, and mounting the specimens so they are properly curated and can be matched to the NPS-provided field data. Once curated, specimens are housed at ALA and made available for NPS use, university research, and public access.
15) What happens to the identification results?
Identification results generated by ALA are entered by NPS into relevant NPS databases to support monitoring protocols and park resource management.
16) Where will the physical plant specimens be stored after curation?
The notice states that once curated, the physical specimens remain housed at ALA (the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium).
17) Will the curated specimens be accessible for research or public use?
Yes. The notice indicates the curated specimens will be available for NPS use, university research, and public access, and that the project will expand the herbarium's holdings with material from remote parklands.
18) Why is the award described as non-competitive (single-source)?
The notice provides two main justifications under Department of the Interior policy: (1) continuation and (2) unique qualifications. It states that nearly all botanical specimens collected by NPS in Alaska have historically been verified, curated, and housed at ALA, and changing providers would disrupt continuity. It also states ALA is the only major public research herbarium in Alaska with recognized experts, trained technicians, and established workflows for long-term curation in that collection.
19) What specific "unique qualifications" are cited for ALA?
The notice states ALA is the only major public research herbarium in Alaska, has recognized experts on Alaskan flora (including current and emeritus specialists), and has trained technicians and established workflows suited to long-term specimen storage. It also notes that ALA staff are the only ones able to enter data directly into ALA's herbarium database, and that ALA's network of visiting specialists can provide updated identifications at no added cost, which can reduce identification costs for NPS.
20) What makes this a "cooperative" agreement rather than a standard grant?
The notice emphasizes substantial involvement by NPS. Beyond providing specimens and data, NPS and ALA plan to coordinate on future collecting, jointly identifying locations and species of interest based on identification results, analyses of data gaps, and shared research or monitoring needs.
21) What is the subject area or category of this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized under natural resources.
22) How many awards does NPS expect to make under this notice?
The notice describes an intent to make a single cooperative agreement award (one award).
23) What legal/statutory authorities are cited?
The notice cites statutory authority including 16 USC 1a-2j and 16 USC 5933, and notes the award is tied to CESU authorities.
24) What is the CFDA number listed?
The CFDA is listed as 00.000 (not elsewhere classified).
25) What are the posted and closing dates, and do they function as an application deadline?
The listing includes a posted date of May 22, 2010 and a closing date of June 2, 2010. In this notice, the "closing date" functions as a public notice window rather than an application deadline, because the announcement is not requesting proposals.
26) Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The NPS point of contact listed is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist, at (907) 644-3303.
27) What outcomes or benefits does NPS expect from this project?
Based on the notice, NPS expects authoritative identifications and professionally curated voucher specimens that strengthen monitoring, biodiversity knowledge, and management decisions for Alaska Arctic national parks. The work also helps ensure that field collections become permanent, verifiable scientific records linked to accurate location and ecological information.
28) What outcomes or benefits does the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium expect?
The notice frames the arrangement as mutually beneficial: the University gains scientifically valuable specimens from rarely accessed regions, which expand a major research collection and support university research and broader scientific access.
29) Does the notice describe what data are provided with the specimens?
Yes. NPS provides associated site, location, and ecological data in electronic form so that curated specimens can be accurately matched to the field collection information.
30) Are future collections part of the collaboration?
Yes. The notice indicates NPS and ALA plan to coordinate on what gets collected in the future, using identification results and analyses of data gaps and shared research/monitoring needs to guide locations and species of interest.
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