Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00074
Apply for P16AS00074
- The DOI-NPS in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Knowledge, Experience and Beliefs of the Supernatural Environment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 15, 2016 and posted on Mar 15, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2016. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Knowledge, Experience and Beliefs of the Supernatural Environment" (Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00074) is a public notice from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), stating its intent to fund a specific project without competition. It is not a call for applications. The planned award is a cooperative agreement under statutory authority 54 U.S.C. 101702(a), using appropriated funds tied to CFDA 15.946 (Cultural Resource Management). The anticipated total federal funding is $150,000, with no cost share required, for a three-year period of performance from April 1, 2016 to April 1, 2019. The intended recipient is Kawerak, Inc., a regional Alaska Native nonprofit organization (eligible as a nonprofit without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education). The announcement lists Erica Cordeiro as the point of contact and indicates an expected single award.
At its core, the project focuses on documenting Indigenous knowledge in the Bering Strait region of Alaska related to what participants describe as a "supernatural environment." In this context, "supernatural" is defined broadly by community members and can include beings and phenomena such as little people, unexplained lights, sea monsters, invisible sea birds, animals believed to have transformative powers, other non-human persons, and landscape features understood to have special powers. The work is designed as a collaborative cultural documentation effort with 17 of the 20 tribes in the Bering Strait region. Rather than treating these topics as entertainment or folklore in isolation, the project frames them as part of lived knowledge systems that can shape how people relate to animals, places, and the wider environment.
The main objective is to investigate Bering Strait Inuit residents beliefs, knowledge, and direct experiences involving these phenomena, and to understand how those beliefs influence interactions with animals, the land, and the natural world. The project also sets out several related goals: first, to compile and summarize what is already known from archival and related sources about traditional supernatural beliefs and experiences; second, to document contemporary beliefs and accounts, capturing how knowledge is expressed today; third, to explore how knowledge-sharing happens (for example, through storytelling, community settings, and intergenerational teaching), including why particular forms and contexts matter; and fourth, to return previously recorded or archived knowledge back to communities in formats that are accessible and useful locally, not just stored in outside repositories.
Kawerak, Inc. is responsible for the bulk of fieldwork, documentation, and analysis. The project plan includes extensive archival research at the Kawerak Eskimo Heritage Program, the Bering Straits Native Corporation, and the Alaska Polar Regions Collection at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. That research is intended to produce a detailed, community-accessible summary of existing documentation about supernatural beliefs and how they inform relationships with the environment. In addition, Kawerak commits to conducting at least 80 individual consultations with tribal elders and community members across a wide set of northwest Alaska communities, including Brevig Mission, Council, Diomede, Elim, Gambell, Golovin, King Island, Koyuk, Marys Igloo, Nome, Savoonga, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Solomon, Stebbins, St. Michael, Teller, Unalakleet, Wales, and White Mountain.
Beyond one-on-one consultations, Kawerak plans community meetings and storytelling nights in participating communities, explicitly encouraging participation across age groups. These gatherings are to be documented through digital recordings. The project also includes focused documentation of personal experiences through focus groups held in at least five communities, typically with five to six participants per group, creating another structured way to capture shared discussion and individual accounts. All of this material is intended to be recorded (audio and/or video), transcribed, and archived with the Eskimo Heritage Program files, building a long-term local record. Kawerak is then tasked with analyzing the archival content, interview transcripts, field notes, participant-observation notes, focus-group notes, and other collected texts, and turning the results into tangible products. The planned outputs include an archival summary and a book manuscript detailing findings, along with direct reporting back to communities through conferences and other meetings during the third year of the project.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NPS has an active support role rather than acting only as a funder. The NPS commitments include serving as a liaison to connect Kawerak with other interested individuals or groups in the broader Beringia region, and helping, when possible, with practical logistics such as organizing workshops and trainings, arranging agreements for the use of government housing, and providing other support needed to operate in remote locations. NPS also agrees to provide technical assistance and safety briefings appropriate to the geography and field conditions. For outreach and dissemination, NPS plans to use its Shared Beringian Heritage program network and communications channels, including contacts in Alaska and Russia, the program website, local park units, and the Alaska National Parks Facebook page, to inform communities and the public about the project and to share interim and final products under a project-specific distribution plan that prioritizes Bering Strait communities. A notable dissemination commitment is translation of project products into Russian, reflecting the cross-border Beringia context and the NPS program's international connections.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a cultural resource management and traditional knowledge documentation project with strong community engagement requirements, substantial on-the-ground interviewing and recording, and a clear expectation that results will be returned to the participating communities in accessible forms, not simply published for outside audiences. The federal role is structured to add coordination, logistical help, safety support, and broader dissemination capacity, while the Indigenous partner organization leads the research, community collaboration, and creation of enduring local archives and written outputs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The public notice is titled "Knowledge, Experience and Beliefs of the Supernatural Environment."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P16AS00074.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity or a call for applications?
It is not a call for applications. This announcement is a public notice that the National Park Service (NPS) intends to fund a specific project without competition.
Which federal agency is issuing the notice?
The notice is from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
What type of award is planned?
The planned award is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement in this context?
In this project, a cooperative agreement means NPS is expected to have an active support role rather than acting only as a funder. The notice describes NPS providing coordination, logistical assistance where possible, technical assistance, safety briefings, and support for outreach and dissemination.
What is the statutory authority for the planned award?
The notice cites statutory authority 54 U.S.C. 101702(a).
What CFDA/program area is associated with this funding?
The funding is tied to CFDA 15.946, identified as Cultural Resource Management.
What is the anticipated total federal funding amount?
The anticipated total federal funding is $150,000.
Is a cost share or match required?
No cost share is required according to the notice.
What is the expected period of performance?
The period of performance is three years, from April 1, 2016 to April 1, 2019.
How many awards does NPS expect to make under this notice?
The notice indicates an expected single award.
Who is the intended recipient of the planned award?
The intended recipient is Kawerak, Inc.
What kind of organization is Kawerak, Inc. in the context of eligibility described?
Kawerak, Inc. is described as a regional Alaska Native nonprofit organization, eligible as a nonprofit without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
Who is the point of contact listed in the announcement?
The notice lists Erica Cordeiro as the point of contact.
What is the core focus of the project described in this notice?
The project focuses on documenting Indigenous knowledge in the Bering Strait region of Alaska related to what participants describe as a "supernatural environment," and on understanding how these beliefs and experiences shape relationships with animals, places, and the wider environment.
How is "supernatural" defined for purposes of this project?
The notice explains that "supernatural" is defined broadly by community members. Examples mentioned include little people, unexplained lights, sea monsters, invisible sea birds, animals believed to have transformative powers, other non-human persons, and landscape features understood to have special powers.
Is the project framed as entertainment or folklore?
No. The notice explicitly frames these topics as part of lived knowledge systems rather than treating them as entertainment or folklore in isolation.
What is the main objective of the project?
The main objective is to investigate Bering Strait Inuit residents' beliefs, knowledge, and direct experiences involving these phenomena and to understand how those beliefs influence interactions with animals, the land, and the natural world.
What major goals or components are included in the project plan?
The notice describes multiple goals: (1) compiling and summarizing what is already known from archival and related sources about traditional supernatural beliefs and experiences; (2) documenting contemporary beliefs and accounts and how knowledge is expressed today; (3) exploring how knowledge-sharing happens (including the forms and contexts such as storytelling, community settings, and intergenerational teaching); and (4) returning previously recorded or archived knowledge back to communities in accessible and locally useful formats.
How many tribes are expected to collaborate in the project?
The project is described as a collaborative cultural documentation effort with 17 of the 20 tribes in the Bering Strait region.
Who is responsible for most of the fieldwork and analysis?
Kawerak, Inc. is responsible for the bulk of fieldwork, documentation, and analysis.
What archival research locations are specifically mentioned?
The notice mentions archival research at the Kawerak Eskimo Heritage Program, the Bering Straits Native Corporation, and the Alaska Polar Regions Collection at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
What is the purpose of the archival research in this project?
The archival research is intended to produce a detailed, community-accessible summary of existing documentation about supernatural beliefs and how they inform relationships with the environment.
How many individual consultations are planned?
Kawerak commits to conducting at least 80 individual consultations with tribal elders and community members.
Which communities are listed as locations for consultations and outreach?
The notice lists consultations across communities including Brevig Mission, Council, Diomede, Elim, Gambell, Golovin, King Island, Koyuk, Marys Igloo, Nome, Savoonga, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Solomon, Stebbins, St. Michael, Teller, Unalakleet, Wales, and White Mountain.
What types of community events are planned beyond individual consultations?
The plan includes community meetings and storytelling nights in participating communities, with encouragement for participation across age groups.
Will these community gatherings be recorded?
Yes. The notice states these gatherings are to be documented through digital recordings.
Are focus groups part of the project design?
Yes. The project includes focused documentation of personal experiences through focus groups held in at least five communities.
What is the typical size of the focus groups described?
The notice describes focus groups typically having five to six participants per group.
What forms of recording and documentation are planned for collected knowledge?
The collected material is intended to be recorded (audio and/or video), transcribed, and archived.
Where will the recordings and documentation be archived?
The notice states materials will be archived with the Eskimo Heritage Program files to build a long-term local record.
What kinds of materials will be analyzed as part of the project?
Kawerak is tasked with analyzing archival content, interview transcripts, field notes, participant-observation notes, focus-group notes, and other collected texts.
What are the planned deliverables or outputs?
The planned outputs include an archival summary and a book manuscript detailing findings, along with reporting back to communities through conferences and other meetings during the third year of the project.
How will results be returned to communities?
The project includes a specific goal of returning previously recorded or archived knowledge back to communities in accessible and useful formats, and also includes direct reporting back through conferences and meetings during the third year.
What support role does NPS commit to providing during the project?
NPS commits to serving as a liaison to connect Kawerak with other interested individuals or groups in the broader Beringia region and, when possible, helping with practical logistics such as organizing workshops and trainings, arranging agreements for the use of government housing, and providing other support needed to operate in remote locations. NPS also agrees to provide technical assistance and safety briefings appropriate to the geography and field conditions.
How does NPS plan to support outreach and dissemination?
NPS plans to use its Shared Beringian Heritage program network and communications channels (including contacts in Alaska and Russia), the program website, local park units, and the Alaska National Parks Facebook page to inform communities and the public and to share interim and final products under a project-specific distribution plan that prioritizes Bering Strait communities.
Is translation mentioned as part of dissemination?
Yes. The notice highlights translation of project products into Russian as a dissemination commitment reflecting the cross-border Beringia context.
What makes this opportunity different from a typical open grant competition?
The notice is best understood as a non-competitive intent-to-award announcement for a specific cooperative agreement. It describes a defined partner (Kawerak, Inc.), a defined scope of work centered on cultural resource management and traditional knowledge documentation, and an active federal support role in coordination, logistics, safety, and dissemination.
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