Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00438
Apply for P16AS00438
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Assessment of Resource Status and RNA Marine Reserve Performance for the Dry Tortugas National Park Reef Fish Community" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 03, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 13, 2016 This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Services intention to fund this project as a task agreement under a previously competed cooperative agreement.. (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 $75,000.00 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).
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice describes a National Park Service (NPS) funding action tied to a specific, pre-selected partner rather than an open, competitive grant. The opportunity is titled "Notice of Intent: Assessment of Resource Status and RNA Marine Reserve Performance for the Dry Tortugas National Park Reef Fish Community" (Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00438). It falls under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and is listed as a discretionary award using a Cooperative Agreement funding instrument. The public posting is essentially a transparency step: it announces that NPS intends to fund a particular project under an existing cooperative framework, not to solicit new proposals from the public.
A key point is that applications are not being accepted. Even though it appears in a grants-style format with an "Original Closing Date" of August 13, 2016, the announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications. Instead, it provides public notice that NPS plans to issue a task agreement under a previously competed master cooperative agreement. In practical terms, the competition already occurred when the broader cooperative agreement was established, and this project is being issued as a task-level action within that umbrella agreement.
The recipient identified for this task agreement is the University of Miami, working under the South Florida Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Master Cooperative Agreement P16AC00032. CESUs are partnership networks designed to connect federal land-management agencies with universities and other research organizations to support applied research, technical assistance, and education relevant to resource stewardship. By placing the work under a CESU agreement, NPS can leverage an established partnership structure for science and resource-management support, including agreed-upon administrative terms and collaborative roles that fit the cooperative agreement model.
The project purpose is focused on the Dry Tortugas National Park reef fish community. Specifically, the work is intended to evaluate the long-term ecological status and trends of reef fish community types in the park. That generally means tracking how reef fish populations and assemblages change over time, potentially including measures such as abundance, biomass, size structure, species composition, and indicators of ecosystem condition. The emphasis on "long term" signals that the park is interested in trend detection and resource condition assessment over multiple years, which is particularly important in marine systems where variability can be driven by climate patterns, fishing pressure outside boundaries, habitat change, and episodic events like coral bleaching or storms.
The title also highlights "RNA Marine Reserve Performance." In NPS context, RNA commonly refers to a Research Natural Area, and here it is tied to a marine reserve performance assessment. The intent is to understand how well protected areas within or associated with Dry Tortugas are functioning relative to conservation goals, using the reef fish community as a primary indicator. Marine reserves are often evaluated by comparing conditions inside reserve boundaries to conditions outside, or by examining changes over time following protection. Reef fish are a common focal group because they respond to protection (for example, reduced harvest can increase the abundance and size of certain targeted species) and because they play important roles in reef ecosystem function.
NPS states that the information produced is "essential for effective stewardship" and for achieving park ecosystem stewardship goals. In other words, the work is not purely academic; it is meant to directly inform management decisions. Results from an assessment like this can guide how the park evaluates the effectiveness of its protection strategies, prioritizes monitoring resources, identifies emerging threats, and communicates resource conditions to decision-makers and the public. It can also support adaptive management, where regulations, enforcement priorities, or restoration and outreach efforts are adjusted based on measured outcomes.
From the funding details provided, the expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $75,000. The listing includes CFDA number 15.945, which corresponds to NPS assistance programs. While "Eligible Applicants" is broadly described as "Others" in the template, that field is not practically relevant here because the announcement is not open for competition and is instead tied to the University of Miami under the referenced CESU master agreement. The opportunity was created on August 3, 2016, and includes an original closing date of August 13, 2016, but again, those dates function more as public notice timing than as an application window.
Overall, this posting is best understood as an administrative and public notification of NPS intent to fund a specific, partner-executed scientific assessment. The work aims to strengthen long-term understanding of reef fish community condition and trends in Dry Tortugas National Park and to evaluate marine reserve performance in support of ongoing ecosystem stewardship and management objectives.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This notice is a National Park Service (NPS) announcement titled "Notice of Intent: Assessment of Resource Status and RNA Marine Reserve Performance for the Dry Tortugas National Park Reef Fish Community" (Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00438). It describes NPS intent to fund a specific project through a cooperative agreement action rather than run an open grant competition.
Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?
No. The notice is not an open, competitive solicitation. It is a transparency posting that NPS intends to fund a particular project with a pre-selected partner under an existing cooperative framework.
Are applications being accepted?
No. The announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications, and applications are not being accepted.
Why does it have an "Original Closing Date" if applications are not accepted?
The notice includes an "Original Closing Date" of August 13, 2016 in the standard grants-style template, but the posting functions as public notice timing rather than an application deadline. It does not create an application window.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The identified recipient for this task agreement is the University of Miami.
What agreement vehicle is being used for this project?
NPS plans to issue a task agreement under the South Florida Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Master Cooperative Agreement P16AC00032.
What is a CESU in this context?
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs) are partnership networks that connect federal land-management agencies with universities and other research organizations to support applied research, technical assistance, and education related to resource stewardship. This project is being placed under a CESU structure to use established partnership terms and collaborative roles.
What type of funding instrument is listed?
The notice lists the funding instrument as a Cooperative Agreement and describes the award as discretionary.
How many awards does NPS expect to make under this notice?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the maximum funding amount for this action?
The award ceiling listed is $75,000.
What agency and department are issuing this notice?
The opportunity is under the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The listing includes CFDA number 15.945, which corresponds to National Park Service assistance programs.
What is the project focused on?
The project focuses on the Dry Tortugas National Park reef fish community, aiming to evaluate long-term ecological status and trends of reef fish community types in the park.
What does "long-term ecological status and trends" mean in this notice?
It refers to monitoring and assessing how reef fish populations and assemblages change over multiple years. The notice suggests this could include indicators such as abundance, biomass, size structure, species composition, and broader ecosystem condition signals.
What does "RNA Marine Reserve Performance" refer to?
In the NPS context described, RNA commonly refers to a Research Natural Area. Here, it is tied to assessing the performance of a marine reserve using the reef fish community as a key indicator of how protected areas are functioning relative to conservation goals.
How is marine reserve performance typically evaluated, based on the notice?
The notice indicates performance assessments often involve comparing conditions inside reserve boundaries to conditions outside, and/or examining changes over time after protection is in place, using reef fish response as a primary measure.
Why are reef fish used as a key indicator for reserve performance?
The notice points out that reef fish often respond to protection (for example, reduced harvest can increase abundance and size of targeted species) and are important to reef ecosystem function, making them useful indicators of reserve effectiveness.
Why is this work considered important for NPS?
NPS states the information produced is essential for effective stewardship and for achieving park ecosystem stewardship goals. The intent is to directly support management needs rather than purely academic research.
How might the results be used by the park?
Based on the notice, results can help the park evaluate protection strategies, prioritize monitoring, identify emerging threats, communicate resource conditions to decision-makers and the public, and support adaptive management actions informed by measured outcomes.
What does it mean that this is a "task agreement under a previously competed master cooperative agreement"?
It means the competitive selection occurred earlier when the broader master cooperative agreement framework was established. This specific project is being issued as a task-level action within that existing umbrella agreement rather than competed again as a standalone opportunity.
If "Eligible Applicants" is listed, can other organizations apply?
No. Although the template includes an "Eligible Applicants" field (described as "Others"), the notice clarifies it is not open for proposals and is tied to a pre-selected recipient (University of Miami) under the referenced CESU master agreement.
When was this opportunity created and posted?
The opportunity was created on August 3, 2016, with an original closing date listed as August 13, 2016, serving as part of the public notice record rather than an application period.
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