Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS 12 MB 647 001
Apply for FWS 12 MB 647 001
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Conservation in the Upper Midwest" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.647 Migratory Bird Conservation.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 23, 2011 and posted on Sep 23, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 16, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $150,000.00 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 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) 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 Migratory Bird Conservation in the Upper Midwest opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FWS 12 MB 647 001; CFDA 15.647) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary grant/cooperative agreement program that offers small grants in 2012 to support conservation work for migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, specifically targeting species that are not federally listed as Endangered or Threatened. Projects are expected to produce tangible conservation benefits for the Upper Midwest region, defined as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The program will also consider work conducted outside these states when it clearly supports non-breeding season needs of birds that breed in the Upper Midwest, or when the work is broad-scale and delivers clear benefits to birds associated with the region. The overall emphasis is on conservation planning, monitoring, and research rather than routine, long-term operational activities.
Funding is relatively modest and designed to support multiple projects: USFWS anticipated about 30 awards, with an estimated total of $150,000 available. Individual awards were expected to range from $3,000 to $50,000, and there is no cost-share or matching requirement stated. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as public and private institutions of higher education, state governments, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities). The announcement was posted September 23, 2011, with an application deadline of November 16, 2011 (and an archive date of December 16, 2011).
USFWS organized the 2012 competition around four main funding priorities. First, Coordinated Bird Monitoring focuses on improving the region-wide coordination of bird monitoring efforts, aligned with priorities identified by the Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership. The program favors projects that improve data flow among partners and into the Midwest Avian Data Center, strengthen a coordinated understanding of migration ecology across the Midwest (routes, timing, limiting factors, demographic measures, connectivity between breeding and non-breeding areas, and identification of key stopover and wintering sites), and support coordinated evaluation of grassland bird conservation actions at landscape scales (such as Grassland Bird Conservation Areas). A key point is that the grant is not intended to fund ongoing, long-term monitoring operations; instead, it aims to build coordination, develop partnerships, and advance new or improved survey and analytical methods. Proposals that clearly involve collaboration among multiple important regional partners are given greater weight.
Second, Focal Species Conservation targets a small set of high-priority species for which USFWS and partners had recently developed conservation plans and convened workshops. For 2012, the listed focal species are Golden-winged Warbler (with particular interest in non-breeding season population surveys and creation of a non-breeding season conservation plan), American Woodcock, and Great Lakes terns. Proposals are more competitive when they include a monitoring component that can inform conservation planning and decision-making, or that can measure population response and demographic outcomes from conservation actions.
Third, Strategic Conservation supports work that fits the USFWS “business model†approach to adaptive, science-based conservation that links biological planning, landscape design, conservation delivery, and monitoring and evaluation to continually refine decisions and improve outcomes. The announcement highlights interest in projects that (a) make substantial progress toward species-specific full life-cycle demographic or population models that explicitly incorporate major human-caused threats, (b) develop models and accounting methods that can roll up local-to-regional grassland bird management actions to estimate progress toward continental population objectives, and (c) generate research needed to strengthen Midwest shorebird conservation strategies, especially related to spring migration, stopover ecology, and breeding productivity. Specific shorebird-related topics of interest include effects of controlled grazing on breeding shorebirds; comparing the value of agricultural versus grassland habitats for breeding shorebirds (with emphasis on Upland Sandpiper and Marbled Godwit); understanding how natural and managed flooding affects spring migrants; and clarifying stopover ecology for migrant shorebirds such as Stilt Sandpiper, dowitchers, and yellowlegs.
Fourth, Avian Health and Disease addresses growing concerns tied to habitat fragmentation, land use change, expanding human populations, globalization-related disease risk, and climate-driven shifts in bird movement and site fidelity that can alter disease dynamics. Through the USFWS Avian Health and Disease Program, the 2012 competition seeks proposals that establish baseline health conditions for bird populations, identify existing and emerging disease risks (explicitly including trematodiasis, Newcastle disease, avian influenza, and botulism), improve preparedness and prevention, and develop or implement effective disease management actions in wild bird populations.
A practical feature of the announcement is the strong encouragement to discuss project ideas in advance with the program contact, Steve Lewis (USFWS Division of Migratory Birds), who can help connect applicants to relevant resources and partners. This emphasis on pre-proposal coordination matches the program’s broader preference for collaborative, regionally integrated projects that improve how conservation decisions are planned, monitored, evaluated, and adapted over time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Migratory Bird Conservation in the Upper Midwest (USFWS)
What is the Migratory Bird Conservation in the Upper Midwest grant opportunity?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary grant/cooperative agreement program offering small grants in 2012 to support conservation work for migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The program specifically targets species that are not federally listed as Endangered or Threatened.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FWS 12 MB 647 001, and the CFDA number is 15.647.
Which bird species are eligible or targeted by this program?
The program supports migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, with an emphasis on species that are not federally listed as Endangered or Threatened. In addition, the 2012 competition includes a "Focal Species Conservation" priority that highlights specific species (see the focal species question below).
What region does the program focus on?
The Upper Midwest region is defined as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Can projects take place outside the Upper Midwest states?
Yes. The program will consider work conducted outside the Upper Midwest states when it clearly supports non-breeding season needs of birds that breed in the Upper Midwest, or when the work is broad-scale and delivers clear benefits to birds associated with the region.
What types of outcomes are expected from funded projects?
Projects are expected to produce tangible conservation benefits for migratory birds associated with the Upper Midwest. The overall emphasis is on conservation planning, monitoring, and research rather than routine, long-term operational activities.
How much funding is available in total, and how many awards were anticipated?
USFWS anticipated about 30 awards, with an estimated total of $150,000 available for the 2012 competition.
What is the expected range for individual award amounts?
Individual awards were expected to range from $3,000 to $50,000.
Is cost share or matching funding required?
No cost-share or matching requirement is stated in the provided announcement information.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, state governments, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities).
When was the opportunity posted and what were the key dates?
The announcement was posted on September 23, 2011. The application deadline was November 16, 2011, and the archive date was December 16, 2011.
What is the program mainly designed to fund?
The program emphasizes conservation planning, monitoring, and research that improve decision-making and conservation outcomes for migratory birds in the Upper Midwest context.
What types of activities are discouraged or not the main focus?
The program is not intended to fund routine, long-term operational activities. For example, under the monitoring priority it specifically notes it is not meant to support ongoing, long-term monitoring operations; instead, it focuses on improving coordination, partnerships, and methods.
What were the four main funding priorities for the 2012 competition?
The four priorities were: (1) Coordinated Bird Monitoring, (2) Focal Species Conservation, (3) Strategic Conservation, and (4) Avian Health and Disease.
What does "Coordinated Bird Monitoring" mean in this program?
This priority focuses on improving region-wide coordination of bird monitoring efforts aligned with the Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership. The program favors projects that improve data flow among partners and into the Midwest Avian Data Center, strengthen a coordinated understanding of migration ecology, and support coordinated evaluation of grassland bird conservation actions at landscape scales.
What kinds of monitoring proposals are most competitive under Coordinated Bird Monitoring?
More competitive proposals are those that build coordination and partnerships, improve data flow into the Midwest Avian Data Center, and advance new or improved survey and analytical methods. Proposals that clearly involve collaboration among multiple important regional partners are given greater weight.
Does the program fund ongoing, long-term monitoring?
No. A key point under the Coordinated Bird Monitoring priority is that the grant is not intended to fund ongoing, long-term monitoring operations.
What is meant by improving understanding of "migration ecology" in the Midwest?
In this announcement, migration ecology topics include routes, timing, limiting factors, demographic measures, connectivity between breeding and non-breeding areas, and identifying key stopover and wintering sites.
What is "Focal Species Conservation" and which species were named for 2012?
This priority targets a small set of high-priority species for which USFWS and partners had recently developed conservation plans and convened workshops. For 2012, the focal species listed are Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, and Great Lakes terns.
Are there special interests within the Golden-winged Warbler focal species work?
Yes. For Golden-winged Warbler, there was particular interest in non-breeding season population surveys and creation of a non-breeding season conservation plan.
What makes focal species proposals more competitive?
Proposals are more competitive when they include a monitoring component that can inform conservation planning and decision-making, or that can measure population response and demographic outcomes from conservation actions.
What is meant by the "Strategic Conservation" priority?
Strategic Conservation supports work that fits the USFWS "business model" approach to adaptive, science-based conservation. This approach links biological planning, landscape design, conservation delivery, and monitoring and evaluation so decisions can be refined over time to improve outcomes.
What kinds of projects were highlighted under Strategic Conservation?
The announcement highlights interest in projects that: (a) make substantial progress toward species-specific full life-cycle demographic or population models that explicitly incorporate major human-caused threats; (b) develop models and accounting methods that can roll up local-to-regional grassland bird management actions to estimate progress toward continental population objectives; and (c) generate research needed to strengthen Midwest shorebird conservation strategies, especially related to spring migration, stopover ecology, and breeding productivity.
Which shorebird topics were specifically called out as areas of interest?
Topics of interest include: effects of controlled grazing on breeding shorebirds; comparing the value of agricultural versus grassland habitats for breeding shorebirds (with emphasis on Upland Sandpiper and Marbled Godwit); understanding how natural and managed flooding affects spring migrants; and clarifying stopover ecology for migrant shorebirds such as Stilt Sandpiper, dowitchers, and yellowlegs.
What is the "Avian Health and Disease" priority about?
This priority addresses concerns tied to habitat fragmentation, land use change, expanding human populations, globalization-related disease risk, and climate-driven shifts in bird movement and site fidelity that can alter disease dynamics. Through the USFWS Avian Health and Disease Program, proposals are sought to establish baseline health conditions, identify existing and emerging disease risks, improve preparedness and prevention, and develop or implement effective disease management actions in wild bird populations.
Which diseases were explicitly mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement explicitly includes trematodiasis, Newcastle disease, avian influenza, and botulism as diseases of interest within the Avian Health and Disease priority.
Who is the program contact and is pre-proposal communication encouraged?
Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss project ideas in advance with the program contact, Steve Lewis (USFWS Division of Migratory Birds). The announcement notes he can help connect applicants to relevant resources and partners.
Why does the program emphasize collaboration and pre-proposal coordination?
The announcement expresses a preference for collaborative, regionally integrated projects that improve how conservation decisions are planned, monitored, evaluated, and adapted over time. Under Coordinated Bird Monitoring, proposals involving collaboration among multiple important regional partners are given greater weight.
Does the program emphasize any particular types of conservation work over others?
Yes. Across the opportunity description, the emphasis is on conservation planning, monitoring, and research, including coordinated monitoring systems, development of models and strategies that support adaptive management, and work that improves decision-making and measurable conservation outcomes.
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