Notice of Intent: Cooperative GIS Internship | Apply Online

FAQs: Notice of Intent - Cooperative GIS Internship (NPS NOIP16AC00511)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Park Service (NPS) Notice of Intent (NOI) titled "Cooperative GIS Internship" under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP16AC00511. It is a public notice that NPS plans to make a single assistance award rather than a standard open call for proposals.

Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?

No. The notice is explicitly described as a "notice of intent" and a "noncompetitive award" made according to Department of the Interior (DOI) policy (505 Departmental Manual 2.12C). That means it is not structured as a broad competition where the general public submits proposals for review and selection.

Why would NPS post a notice if it is noncompetitive?

Notices like this are commonly posted to meet transparency requirements and to document that the agency is proceeding with a sole-source or otherwise noncompetitive assistance action under an allowed exception. In this case, the award is tied to an established partnership mechanism (a CESU).

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is issued by the National Park Service (NPS), which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).

What type of award will be made?

The funding instrument type is a Cooperative Agreement.

What does "Cooperative Agreement" mean in practice?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates NPS expects substantial involvement in the project beyond simply providing funding. For a GIS internship-focused project, that involvement may include helping define the work plan, providing data, setting technical standards, offering guidance, and closely overseeing deliverables, while the partner organization administers the internship and completes the agreed tasks.

How many awards does NPS expect to make?

The notice lists "Expected Awards: 1," meaning NPS anticipates making a single award.

What partnership framework is this award connected to?

The award is intended to be issued as a task agreement under the National Park Service Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). CESUs are partnership frameworks NPS uses to collaborate with universities and other eligible partners on research, technical assistance, and resource management projects.

What is the focus area for this project?

The focus area indicated is Natural Resources.

What is the project about?

Based on the title and description, the project theme is support for a GIS internship. The funded work is expected to involve geographic information systems activities that assist NPS with mapping, spatial data management, analysis, and related applications that support natural resource work.

Does the opportunity describe the exact scope of work and deliverables?

Not in the summary information provided. The notice indicates readers should refer to an attachment for full details, which suggests the substantive scope of work, deliverables, period of performance, funding amount, and any eligibility limitations are contained in that separate document.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)." This is consistent with CESU task agreements where eligibility may be limited to CESU member institutions or other specifically qualified entities identified in the full announcement materials (often in an attachment).

Is this opportunity limited to Rocky Mountain CESU partners?

The notice states the project will be issued as a task agreement under the NPS Rocky Mountain CESU and describes it as noncompetitive. While the summary does not spell out the full eligibility limitations, the structure described is consistent with an award intended for an existing qualified partner within that CESU network, with details referenced in the attachment.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.945, which corresponds to DOI/NPS assistance programs.

What is the opportunity category?

The opportunity category is listed as Discretionary.

When was this notice posted?

The posting date and creation date are both April 19, 2016.

What is the closing date?

The original closing date and the current closing date are both April 28, 2016.

Why is the open period so short?

A short posting window is typical for notices that are primarily informational and are used to document an intended noncompetitive award rather than to run a full competitive application process.

How much funding is available?

The award ceiling is shown as 0. This commonly appears when the exact funding amount is not specified in the public synopsis or is provided in an attached document rather than in the summary fields.

Does an award ceiling of 0 mean there is no funding?

Not necessarily. In this context, a ceiling of 0 often indicates the amount was not entered in the summary record and may instead be provided in the attachment or other full announcement documentation.

Where can applicants find the full details?

The notice points readers to an attachment for full details. Based on the description, that attachment is expected to contain the detailed scope, deliverables, period of performance, funding amount, and eligibility clarification.

What policy authorizes the noncompetitive approach?

The notice states it is a noncompetitive award made in accordance with DOI policy, specifically 505 Departmental Manual 2.12C.

What is the main takeaway for someone looking for open NPS grants?

This notice should be understood as an announcement of NPS intent to make one cooperative agreement award through the Rocky Mountain CESU for a GIS internship project aligned with natural resource management needs. It is not structured as an open, multi-applicant competition.