Opportunity Information: Apply for F15AS00131
Apply for F15AS00131
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources 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 "Native Wind River sauger limiting factor analysis and population conservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 13, 2015 and posted on Mar 13, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 20, 2015 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 intends to award a single source financial assistance agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2 to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.. (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).
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 intends to award a single source financial assistance agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2 to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made approximately 7 days after this notice.
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Opportunity Summary:
The "Native Wind River sauger limiting factor analysis and population conservation" grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F15AS00131) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 6 cooperative agreement aimed at supporting research and management actions that help conserve the native sauger population in Wyoming's Wind River Basin. The work centers on identifying and tracking key biological factors that affect the population, with a strong emphasis on using modern fish science tools to protect the genetic integrity of the stock and to understand how hatchery stocking and fish movement may be influencing the population over time. The overall purpose is practical and management-driven: generate defensible data that can guide co-management decisions and help ensure the long-term viability of this native sauger population.
The funded scope of work is organized around three main types of laboratory and field-linked analyses, plus standard reporting requirements. First, the agreement supports administering and contracting for rapid and population-level genetic testing during sauger spawning operations. In plain terms, this means collecting and analyzing genetic information from fish handled during spawning activities so managers can verify the genetic identity of individuals, detect potential introgression or mixing with non-target stocks, and maintain the distinct genetic characteristics of the Wind River sauger population. Because this work is tied directly to spawning operations, the intent is to integrate genetics into real-time or near-real-time management decisions rather than treating it as a purely academic exercise.
Second, the opportunity funds otolith microchemistry analysis to monitor the potential impacts of sauger stocking within the Wind River Basin. Otoliths are ear stones in fish that grow in layers over time and incorporate chemical signatures from the surrounding water as the fish grows. By analyzing those chemical signatures across growth layers, researchers can reconstruct aspects of a fish's environmental history, such as whether it spent time in different water bodies or reaches with distinct geochemical fingerprints. In the context of stocking, otolith microchemistry can help managers evaluate whether stocked fish are behaving as expected, whether they are mixing with or displacing wild fish, and whether stocking may be altering population structure, survival patterns, or movement dynamics.
Third, the agreement includes stable isotope analysis to help determine the natal origin of sauger captured on spawning grounds. Stable isotopes (for example, of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, or strontium depending on the method) can vary across landscapes and food webs, leaving measurable signatures in fish tissues or hard parts. By comparing isotope signatures from adult fish to baseline signatures from different parts of the basin, managers can infer where fish likely originated or reared, which is critical for understanding spawning-site fidelity, connectivity among subareas, and whether adults on the spawning grounds are locally produced or coming from elsewhere. This kind of origin information supports more targeted conservation actions, such as protecting key rearing habitats or adjusting stocking strategies to avoid unintended effects.
In addition to the scientific and contracting components, the awardee is expected to provide progress and financial reports as required under the agreement. That typically means documenting what was completed, summarizing interim findings, tracking expenditures against the approved budget, and ensuring that the cooperative agreement remains compliant with federal assistance requirements and timelines. The emphasis on administering and contracting indicates the recipient needs to be able to manage subawards or service contracts for specialized lab work, coordinate sample collection and handling, and ensure results are delivered in a form that can be used for management.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, under the USFWS Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance program (CFDA 15.608). The total estimated funding is $50,000, with an award ceiling of $50,000 and a stated award floor of $1,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Only one award is expected.
A key point is that this notice is not an open competition. It is explicitly described as a single-source award intended for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, justified by the need for an entity that already has the infrastructure, capacity, and legal authority to administer the work and act as a co-manager of the Wind River sauger population. Because of that, the government states it does not intend to accept proposals, and the award would be made shortly after the notice period. The opportunity was posted March 13, 2015, with a closing date of March 20, 2015, and an archive date of April 13, 2015. The listed USFWS point of contact for access issues or questions is Michael Mazur (307-332-2159, michaelmazur@fws.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Native Wind River sauger limiting factor analysis and population conservation."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F15AS00131.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 6.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
Is this opportunity competitive?
No. The notice states it is not an open competition and is a single-source award.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The award is intended for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Will USFWS accept proposals from other applicants?
No. The notice states the government does not intend to accept proposals.
What is the program associated with this funding?
The opportunity is under the USFWS Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance program (CFDA 15.608).
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is to support research and management actions that conserve the native sauger population in Wyoming's Wind River Basin by generating defensible, management-driven data for co-management decisions and long-term population viability.
Where will the work take place?
The work focuses on the Wind River Basin in Wyoming, specifically related to the native Wind River sauger population and its spawning operations and associated habitats.
What are the main categories of work funded under this agreement?
The scope is organized around three main types of laboratory and field-linked analyses: (1) rapid and population-level genetic testing during spawning operations, (2) otolith microchemistry analysis related to stocking impacts, and (3) stable isotope analysis to determine natal origin of spawning-ground fish, plus required progress and financial reporting.
What does the genetic testing component support?
It supports administering and contracting for rapid and population-level genetic testing during sauger spawning operations, so managers can verify genetic identity, detect potential introgression or mixing with non-target stocks, and maintain the distinct genetic characteristics of the Wind River sauger population.
How is the genetics work intended to be used by managers?
The notice emphasizes integrating genetics into real-time or near-real-time management decisions during spawning operations, rather than treating it as purely academic research.
What is otolith microchemistry and why is it included?
Otolith microchemistry analyzes chemical signatures stored in fish otoliths (ear stones), which grow in layers and reflect environmental conditions over time. In this project, it is used to monitor potential impacts of sauger stocking in the Wind River Basin and to evaluate behavior, mixing, movement, and possible changes to population structure and survival patterns.
What kinds of stocking-related questions can otolith microchemistry help address in this project?
Based on the notice, it can help assess whether stocked fish are behaving as expected, whether they are mixing with or displacing wild fish, and whether stocking may be influencing population structure, survival patterns, or movement dynamics over time.
What is the stable isotope analysis intended to determine?
Stable isotope analysis is intended to help determine the natal origin of sauger captured on spawning grounds by comparing isotope signatures from fish to baseline signatures from different parts of the basin.
Why is determining natal origin important for this project?
The notice links natal-origin information to understanding spawning-site fidelity, connectivity among subareas, and whether adults on spawning grounds are locally produced or originating elsewhere, which supports more targeted conservation actions and better-informed stocking strategies.
What reporting is required from the awardee?
The awardee is expected to provide progress and financial reports as required under the cooperative agreement, documenting completed work, summarizing interim findings, tracking expenditures against the approved budget, and maintaining compliance with federal assistance requirements and timelines.
Does the project involve managing contracts or specialized lab work?
Yes. The notice emphasizes administering and contracting for specialized lab analyses, coordinating sample collection and handling, and ensuring results are delivered in a form usable for management.
How much total funding is available?
The total estimated funding is $50,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The stated award ceiling is $50,000.
What is the award floor?
The stated award floor is $1,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
How many awards are expected?
Only one award is expected.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on March 13, 2015, and the closing date was March 20, 2015.
What is the archive date listed for this opportunity?
The archive date is April 13, 2015.
When would the award be made?
The notice indicates the award would be made shortly after the notice period.
Who is the USFWS point of contact for questions or access issues?
The listed point of contact is Michael Mazur, reachable at (307) 332-2159 or michaelmazur@fws.gov.
Why is this a single-source award?
The notice justifies single-source selection based on the need for an entity that already has the infrastructure, capacity, and legal authority to administer the work and serve as a co-manager of the Wind River sauger population, and it identifies the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as that entity.
What species and conservation focus does this opportunity address?
The opportunity focuses on conserving the native sauger population in Wyoming's Wind River Basin, with emphasis on identifying and tracking biological limiting factors, protecting genetic integrity, and understanding how stocking and fish movement may influence the population over time.
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