Opportunity Information: Apply for 70181AR066
Apply for 70181AR066
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Multi Species Inventory Monitoring Protocol Development" 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 Sep 2, 2010 and posted on Sep 2, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 17, 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 $150,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- 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: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Multi Species Inventory Monitoring Protocol Development opportunity (Funding Opportunity No. 70181AR066) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Region 7 notice of intent to make a single, non-competitive cooperative agreement award to The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). It is explicitly not a call for proposals: the agency states it does not intend to accept applications from other parties, and that the award would be made roughly 15 days after the notice. The action is justified under the agency's single-source authority (cited as 505 DM 2.14.B) and is tied to cooperative agreement number 70181AJ111.
At a practical level, the grant is about building an inventory and monitoring (IM) program for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (Izembek NWR) on the Alaska Peninsula, with a strong emphasis on understanding and managing ecological change under climate change. Izembek NWR lacks an established, approved IM program, even though national refuge policy and statutory mandates require each refuge to operate under a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) supported by wildlife and habitat plans and/or an IM plan. Because the refuge is about 95 percent designated wilderness, the absence of baseline ecological information creates real management complications, including conflicts tied to state jurisdiction questions and increasing public use pressures. The refuge is also at the center of high-profile issues such as a proposed land exchange and a road corridor through wilderness, alongside uncertainty around the causes of observed population trends and how climate change may be contributing. The stated need is immediate: the agency frames the work as necessary to support science-based decisions and reduce user conflicts by improving the information available to manage trust resources.
The project purpose is to establish a multi-species inventory and monitoring framework that both improves public awareness and strengthens the refuge's ability to manage natural resources during periods of climatic change. The cooperative agreement would also support Penn State research focused on uncertain climate change effects in environments like Izembek NWR, and it is designed in part to support a graduate student working toward a Ph.D., with the dissertation expected to produce new scientific knowledge relevant to Arctic and sub-Arctic monitoring and management.
The objectives are laid out as a staged development effort. First, the project would compile a list of species for which baseline information is needed, especially related to ecology and population status. Next, it would develop field methods that can collect that information in ways that are feasible and timely given the remote, harsh, and logistically difficult conditions on the Alaska Peninsula. Finally, the project would field-test the resulting protocol by implementing it on a subset of focal species. A central design expectation is that the protocol will support qualitative and/or quantitative assessments of the drivers shaping abundance, distribution, and population trends, explicitly separating (or at least accounting for) non-climate drivers and climate-related drivers. The intended management payoff is a tool that can help identify which species are most at risk from human pressures or climate change, so conservation and management attention can be prioritized.
The notice also provides a detailed rationale for why Penn State was selected without competition, focusing on unique qualifications. It emphasizes that multi-species monitoring in Arctic and sub-Arctic systems requires specialized expertise because species responses to environmental change can be complex, non-linear, and interactive across plants and animals. The Service points specifically to Dr. Eric Post at Penn State, describing his long-term experience designing and running Arctic field studies, his expertise in plant phenology and the timing of migration and reproduction, his work on population dynamics across multiple taxa (including ungulates, carnivores, birds, and forage species), and his ability to apply statistical and mathematical modeling to large, long-term, multi-species datasets to forecast biodiversity outcomes. The agency notes his involvement in major national efforts related to observing ecological change (including NSF SEARCH, NEON development activities, and the USA National Phenology Network) and highlights that many of his monitoring approaches were originally developed through multi-year fieldwork at Izembek itself, meaning he is already familiar with the refuge's species, environmental conditions, and field logistics. The notice also points out an implementation readiness factor: Dr. Post had a funded graduate student (via a Fulbright Fellowship) available to begin fieldwork in 2010, which the agency views as enabling rapid startup and efficient production of usable management information. Penn State is further characterized as having technical capacity and other support resources that the agency argues make competition impractical for meeting the refuge's immediate information needs.
In terms of funding details, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary award using a Cooperative Agreement instrument, under an environment/natural resources research and development category. The agency anticipated a single award, with estimated total funding of $150,000, an award ceiling of $150,000, and a floor of $100,000, and it indicates no cost sharing or matching requirement. The CFDA listing is 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic). The posting date is September 2, 2010, with an original and current closing date of September 17, 2010, and an archive date of October 17, 2010. Eligible applicants are described generally as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, although the notice makes clear the intended recipient is Penn State through a single-source process. Contact information is provided for a contract specialist (Richard Primmer) for access issues related to the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Multi Species Inventory Monitoring Protocol Development opportunity?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Region 7 funding notice of intent (Funding Opportunity No. 70181AR066) to develop a multi-species inventory and monitoring (IM) protocol for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (Izembek NWR) on the Alaska Peninsula in Alaska.
Is this a call for proposals or an open competition?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a call for proposals and that FWS does not intend to accept applications from other parties.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) through a single-source, non-competitive process.
How many awards does the agency anticipate making?
The agency anticipated making a single award.
What type of award instrument will be used?
The funding is described as a discretionary award using a Cooperative Agreement instrument.
What is the estimated funding amount for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding is $150,000.
What are the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling is $150,000, and the award floor is $100,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing is 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic).
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project purpose is to establish a multi-species inventory and monitoring framework that improves public awareness and strengthens Izembek NWR's ability to manage natural resources during periods of climatic change.
Where will the work take place?
The work is tied to Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (Izembek NWR) on the Alaska Peninsula.
Why is an inventory and monitoring program needed at Izembek NWR?
Izembek NWR lacks an established, approved inventory and monitoring program, even though national refuge policy and statutory mandates require each refuge to operate under a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) supported by wildlife and habitat plans and/or an IM plan. The notice also states that the lack of baseline ecological information complicates management, especially given wilderness designation, jurisdiction questions, and increasing public use pressures.
How does wilderness designation affect the need for this work?
The notice notes the refuge is about 95 percent designated wilderness and that the absence of baseline ecological information creates management complications in such a setting.
How is climate change addressed in the project scope?
The work emphasizes understanding and managing ecological change under climate change. A central design expectation is that the protocol will support qualitative and/or quantitative assessments of the drivers shaping abundance, distribution, and population trends, including separating (or accounting for) non-climate drivers and climate-related drivers.
What management outcomes is FWS looking for?
The intended management payoff described in the notice is a tool that helps identify which species are most at risk from human pressures or climate change so conservation and management attention can be prioritized. The agency also frames the work as supporting science-based decisions and reducing user conflicts by improving information used to manage trust resources.
What are the project objectives?
The objectives are staged: (1) compile a list of species for which baseline information is needed, especially related to ecology and population status; (2) develop field methods that can feasibly and timely collect that information given remote, harsh, logistically difficult Alaska Peninsula conditions; and (3) field-test the protocol by implementing it on a subset of focal species.
Will the protocol be tested in the field?
Yes. The notice states the final stage includes field-testing the resulting protocol on a subset of focal species.
Does the project involve research and graduate education?
Yes. The cooperative agreement is designed in part to support a graduate student working toward a Ph.D., with a dissertation expected to produce new scientific knowledge relevant to Arctic and sub-Arctic monitoring and management.
Why is the award being made without competition?
The notice states the action is justified under the agency's single-source authority (cited as 505 DM 2.14.B) and provides a rationale that Penn State offers unique qualifications and readiness that make competition impractical given the refuge's immediate information needs.
What unique qualifications does the notice cite for Penn State and its team?
The notice highlights Dr. Eric Post at Penn State, citing long-term experience designing and running Arctic field studies; expertise in plant phenology and timing of migration and reproduction; work on population dynamics across multiple taxa (including ungulates, carnivores, birds, and forage species); and the ability to apply statistical and mathematical modeling to large, long-term, multi-species datasets to forecast biodiversity outcomes.
Does the notice mention prior work at Izembek NWR?
Yes. It states that many of Dr. Post's monitoring approaches were originally developed through multi-year fieldwork at Izembek, and that he is familiar with the refuge's species, environmental conditions, and field logistics.
What does the notice say about implementation readiness?
It notes that Dr. Post had a funded graduate student (via a Fulbright Fellowship) available to begin fieldwork in 2010, which the agency viewed as enabling rapid startup and efficient production of usable management information.
Are eligible applicants listed, even though the award is single-source?
Yes. Eligible applicants are described generally as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, but the notice makes clear the intended recipient is Penn State through a single-source process.
What are the key dates shown in the notice?
The posting date is September 2, 2010. The original and current closing date is September 17, 2010. The archive date is October 17, 2010.
When does FWS expect to make the award?
The notice states the award would be made roughly 15 days after the notice.
Is this opportunity connected to another agreement number?
Yes. The notice ties the action to cooperative agreement number 70181AJ111.
What category is this opportunity listed under?
It is listed under an environment/natural resources research and development category.
Who should be contacted for access issues related to the full announcement?
The notice provides contact information for a contract specialist, Richard Primmer, for access issues related to the full announcement.
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