Opportunity Information: Apply for NWRS R2 22521 02A
Apply for NWRS R2 22521 02A
- The Region 2 in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Modeling habitat correlates of chronic wasting disease and identifying areas of higher risk in the San Andres Mountains of south central New Mexico." and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650 Research Grants (Generic).
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 9, 2010 and posted on Jul 9, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 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 $224,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $224,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 2, and is tied to work at San Andres National Wildlife Refuge (SANWR) in south central New Mexico. It was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic). The project focuses on chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer and, by extension, concerns about implications for other cervids such as elk. The central goal is to model how habitat conditions and deer ecology relate to where CWD occurs, and then use that information to identify parts of the San Andres Mountains where risk is likely higher.
The scientific problem behind the announcement is that CWD is a fatal, progressive disease marked by weight loss, neurological problems, and eventual death. At the time of the notice, there was still discussion about whether the abnormal prion protein associated with CWD (PrP CWD) should be viewed strictly as a transmissible infectious agent (which most evidence supported) or whether spontaneous processes could also play a role. More practically, managers were grappling with uncertainty about how transmission happens. The announcement lays out the two major pathways that matter for management: direct animal-to-animal spread (contagious transmission) and indirect exposure through contaminated environments (noncontagious transmission), with the possibility that both contribute. Because these pathways are strongly shaped by how deer move and use habitat, the opportunity emphasizes connecting disease occurrence to habitat use patterns and environmental features across the landscape.
The local context is specific. CWD was first documented in the San Andres Mountains in June 2002, based on confirmation of a single case on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). After that, 14 additional mule deer tested positive. Importantly, those cases were not scattered evenly; they clustered in three distinct geographic areas: the WSMR Headquarters area, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Dripping Springs Recreation Area and adjacent BLM lands, and a single positive case from the Stallion Range Center area on WSMR. That clustered pattern is part of why habitat-correlation modeling is being emphasized: it suggests that local environmental conditions, deer behavior, or both could be shaping where infection shows up.
The announcement also explains why USFWS is looking for improved modeling. Earlier attempts to model population-level impacts implied that CWD could severely reduce, or even decimate, deer and elk populations. However, those projections depended on speculative input values and questionable assumptions about transmission, especially the assumption of frequency-dependent transmission (where per-capita transmission risk is assumed not to drop as populations decline). The concern raised is that such assumptions can mathematically drive models toward inevitable host extinction, which may not reflect how CWD actually spreads in varied habitats and under real animal movement patterns. In other words, the opportunity is aiming to replace overly generic or poorly supported assumptions with analysis that is grounded in the actual landscape and ecology of the San Andres Mountains.
From an applicant standpoint, the opportunity was narrowly targeted. Eligible applicants were public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and USFWS anticipated making one award. The total estimated funding was listed as $224,000, with the award floor and ceiling both set at $224,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Even so, the notice makes a point of saying there was no guarantee that the estimated funds would be available as stated. The posting date was July 9, 2010, with a closing date of July 21, 2010, and the opportunity was archived on August 20, 2010. The funding instrument type was a cooperative agreement, which generally implies substantial involvement by the federal partner during project performance compared to a more hands-off grant.
The application package required standard federal forms: SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance), SF-424A (Budget Information), SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction), plus an Attachment B covering certifications for federal grants and cooperative agreements. The full announcement was to be uploaded as part of the submission materials, and applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement electronically were directed to contact Mara Weisenberger, a wildlife biologist, at 575-382-5047 or maraweisenberger@fws.gov.
Overall, the project is best understood as applied disease ecology for wildlife management: use spatial and habitat-based analysis to explain where CWD has occurred in the San Andres Mountains, link that to deer movement and habitat use drivers, and produce a practical risk-focused output that can help SANWR and partner land managers (including WSMR and BLM) prioritize surveillance, management attention, and future decision-making in areas most likely to support transmission or persistence of CWD.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What agency is offering this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 2, and it is tied to work associated with San Andres National Wildlife Refuge (SANWR) in south central New Mexico.
2) What is the focus of the project described in the announcement?
The project focuses on chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer and considers implications for other cervids such as elk. The core work is to model how habitat conditions and deer ecology relate to where CWD occurs, then use that information to identify areas in the San Andres Mountains where risk is likely higher.
3) What is the intended outcome or deliverable from the modeling work?
The intended outcome is a practical, risk-focused output that helps SANWR and partner land managers prioritize surveillance and management attention in parts of the San Andres Mountains most likely to support CWD transmission or persistence, based on habitat features and deer movement/habitat use patterns.
4) Where will the work take place?
The work is tied to the San Andres Mountains and San Andres National Wildlife Refuge (SANWR) in south central New Mexico, with relevant local context including lands and areas associated with White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
5) What is CWD, as described in the notice?
The announcement describes chronic wasting disease (CWD) as a fatal, progressive disease characterized by weight loss, neurological problems, and eventual death.
6) Why does the announcement emphasize habitat and deer ecology?
The notice highlights that transmission pathways are strongly shaped by how deer move and use habitat. Because of that, it emphasizes connecting disease occurrence to habitat use patterns and environmental features across the landscape to better explain where CWD is found.
7) What transmission pathways are considered important for management in this opportunity?
The announcement highlights two major pathways relevant to management: (1) direct animal-to-animal spread (contagious transmission) and (2) indirect exposure through contaminated environments (noncontagious transmission). It also notes that both pathways may contribute.
8) What is the local CWD history that motivated this project?
CWD was first documented in the San Andres Mountains in June 2002, confirmed from a single case on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). After that, 14 additional mule deer tested positive. Those cases clustered in three geographic areas rather than being evenly distributed, which supports the need for habitat-correlation modeling.
9) Where were the positive CWD cases clustered?
The notice states that cases clustered in three distinct geographic areas: the WSMR Headquarters area, the BLM Dripping Springs Recreation Area and adjacent BLM lands, and a single positive case from the Stallion Range Center area on WSMR.
10) Why is USFWS seeking improved modeling instead of relying on earlier population impact models?
The announcement explains that earlier attempts to model population-level impacts suggested CWD could severely reduce or even decimate deer and elk populations, but those projections relied on speculative inputs and questionable transmission assumptions. A specific concern raised is the assumption of frequency-dependent transmission, which can mathematically drive models toward inevitable host extinction even if that does not reflect real-world spread under varying habitat conditions and animal movement patterns.
11) What is the goal of updating or refining assumptions in CWD modeling for this landscape?
The opportunity aims to replace overly generic or poorly supported assumptions with analysis grounded in the actual landscape and ecology of the San Andres Mountains, using habitat and movement-related drivers to better understand where CWD occurs and where risk may be higher.
12) What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The notice also indicates that a cooperative agreement generally implies substantial involvement by the federal partner during project performance compared to a more hands-off grant.
13) What program or CFDA is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.650, described as Research Grants - Generic.
14) Is this a discretionary award?
Yes. The notice describes it as a discretionary cooperative agreement.
15) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
16) How many awards did USFWS anticipate making?
USFWS anticipated making one award.
17) What is the total funding amount for this opportunity?
The total estimated funding listed was $224,000.
18) What are the award floor and ceiling?
Both the award floor and the award ceiling were listed as $224,000.
19) Is cost sharing or a match required?
No. The notice states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
20) Is the funding amount guaranteed?
No. The announcement states there was no guarantee that the estimated funds would be available as stated.
21) What were the key dates for the opportunity?
The posting date was July 9, 2010. The closing date was July 21, 2010. The opportunity was archived on August 20, 2010.
22) What forms and application materials were required?
The application package required SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance), SF-424A (Budget Information), SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction), and an Attachment B covering certifications for federal grants and cooperative agreements. The full announcement was also to be uploaded as part of the submission materials.
23) What should applicants do if they cannot access the announcement electronically?
The notice directs applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement electronically to contact Mara Weisenberger, a wildlife biologist, at 575-382-5047 or maraweisenberger@fws.gov.
24) Which partner land managers are mentioned as likely users of the project results?
The announcement frames the results as useful for SANWR and partner land managers, including White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to support surveillance prioritization and management decision-making.
25) What is the main management problem the project is trying to reduce?
The main management problem described is uncertainty about how CWD transmission happens across the landscape and why infections appear in clusters. The modeling work is intended to connect disease occurrence to habitat and deer ecology to better identify higher-risk areas for focused surveillance and management attention.
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