Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00339
Apply for P15AS00339
- The National Park Service in the community development education employment, labor and training environment natural resources regional development science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD Support CSUs 2016 Protected Area Management Course and the World Ranger Congress" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 24, 2015 and posted on Aug 24, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 2, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $90,054.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $90,054.00 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 National Park Service (NPS) published this notice as a "Notice of Intent to Award," meaning it was not a competitive grant solicitation and was not asking the public to apply. Instead, it served as a transparency announcement that NPS planned to fund a specific project with a specific partner without competition. The opportunity is listed under Funding Announcement P15AS00339 and supports Colorado State University (CSU) activities tied to the 2016 Protected Area Management Course and the World Ranger Congress (WRC). The award was planned as a cooperative agreement, reflecting that NPS would be substantially involved in carrying out the work rather than simply providing funding and stepping back.
The intended recipient was Colorado State University, with a total anticipated federal award of $90,053.72 and no cost-share requirement. The anticipated period of performance ran from the date of the final signature through August 31, 2016. The agreement was structured as a task agreement (identified as P15AC01589) under an existing cooperative agreement between NPS and CSU (P14AC00728), implemented through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (RM CESU). The assistance was authorized under federal statutory authorities cited as 54 USC 101702(a) and (b) and 54 USC 100703, and it was associated with CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System. An overhead rate of 17.5% applied under the CESU framework.
At a practical level, the project goal was capacity-building for protected area rangers, especially those working in parks and protected areas that have sister-park relationships with U.S. national parks, as well as other international protected areas. The core public purpose was to expand learning and professional exchange in protected area management by combining structured instruction with participation in the World Ranger Congress. The logic of the project was straightforward: participating rangers would gain training and exposure to ideas, tools, and peer experiences, then bring those lessons back to their home agencies to strengthen conservation outcomes, improve environmental protection, and better communicate protected-area values to the public. A parallel benefit was expected for U.S. rangers attending the Congress, who would learn directly from peers from roughly 40 countries operating under varied and often difficult field conditions, improving perspectives and practices relevant to protecting the U.S. national park system.
CSU responsibilities were centered on delivering training and providing participant support around the Congress. CSU, through its Center for Protected Area Management (CPAM), agreed to organize two nine-day protected area ranger courses associated with the WRC in 2016, with one offered in English before the Congress and one offered in Spanish afterward. The notice also built in flexibility: if registrations did not support two full courses, CSU could conduct a single course as long as translation support ensured participation for both English and Spanish speakers. Beyond instruction, CSU would provide scholarships for individuals attending both the WRC and a CPAM course, and it would handle key logistics such as buying tickets, coordinating participant travel details, and arranging transportation between the CPAM course location and the WRC venue in Estes Park, Colorado. In some cases, and in coordination with NPS, CSU would also help connect participants to "shadow assignments" at selected venues, which generally means observational or short-term experiential learning alongside professionals in the field.
A second major CSU role was direct support to Congress participation itself. CSU would provide scholarships that could cover part or all of the costs for participating in or volunteering at the WRC, including registration fees, room and board, and transportation, and would provide some logistics support for those scholarship recipients. CSU would also provide broader on-the-ground logistical support and equipment to the World Ranger Congress Organizing Committee (WRCOC) to help the Congress function smoothly, particularly for field trips and concurrent sessions. Specific examples listed in the notice included audiovisual equipment, translation equipment and supplies for sessions, translation assistance during field trips and in concurrent sessions, and transportation resources such as 12-passenger vans and drivers for field trips. CSU also committed to close coordination with NPS (including the NPS training/representative function referenced as NPS ATR) and the WRC liaison regarding course content, participant selection, scholarship decisions, supplies/equipment, and other services, with an expectation that any significant budget deviations would be discussed in advance. CSU would provide quarterly accounting of line-item expenditures electronically, using a spreadsheet or another mutually agreed format.
NPS responsibilities, on the other hand, reflected the "cooperative" nature of the agreement by emphasizing recruitment, coordination, and programmatic involvement rather than simply writing a check. NPS agreed to publicize the CSU courses and help recruit participants, with particular emphasis on identifying Mexican and other Latin American protected area rangers who could attend with full or partial funding through the task agreement. NPS also planned to communicate with partner agencies in participating countries after the course to gather feedback and to shape potential follow-on cooperative activities. NPS would designate a liaison connecting CSU CPAM, NPS, and the WRCOC to keep planning aligned. NPS additionally committed to recruiting an active or retired NPS ranger or manager to serve as faculty for one or both courses, with salary covered by NPS if the instructor was a current employee. Travel and per diem for that faculty participation were left to mutual agreement in advance, with both parties stating they would try to identify additional funds to cover those costs. Finally, NPS would encourage managers involved in sister-park agreements to promote participation in both the courses and the WRC and to help facilitate shadow assignments and identify non-NPS funding sources that could enable international ranger participation.
The reason this award was made without competition was explicitly tied to the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2). The notice cites the "Continuation" justification: the work was considered necessary to satisfactorily complete or continue activities already being funded under the existing CSU-NPS cooperative agreement, and running a competition was viewed as likely to disrupt continuity or completion. In other words, NPS framed this as an extension or continuation within an established partnership under the CESU network, where CSU already had the relevant structure and role in place to deliver the training and Congress-related support in the needed timeframe.
Administrative details included one expected award, eligibility generally limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education (though the notice itself identified CSU as the intended recipient), and a posting date of August 24, 2015. The original and current closing date shown was September 2, 2015, consistent with a notice period rather than a competitive deadline. The listed point of contact for the announcement was June Zastrow at NPS (phone 303-987-6718, email junezastrow@nps.gov), and the public listing referenced Grants.gov for access and assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this opportunity (Funding Announcement P15AS00339)?
This posting is a National Park Service (NPS) "Notice of Intent to Award" under Funding Announcement P15AS00339. It announces NPS plans to fund a specific project with a specific partner (Colorado State University) and is presented for transparency rather than as an open, competitive grant solicitation.
2) Is this a competitive grant that the public can apply for?
No. The notice was not asking the public to apply and was not a competitive solicitation. It was an announcement that NPS intended to make an award to a named recipient without competition.
3) Who was the intended recipient?
The intended recipient was Colorado State University (CSU), working through its Center for Protected Area Management (CPAM).
4) What type of award was planned?
The award was planned as a cooperative agreement. This structure indicates that NPS expected to be substantially involved in carrying out the work (for example, recruitment, coordination, and programmatic involvement), not simply providing funding and stepping back.
5) How much funding was anticipated?
The total anticipated federal award amount was $90,053.72.
6) Was any cost-share or match required?
No cost-share requirement was identified in the notice.
7) What was the anticipated period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance ran from the date of the final signature through August 31, 2016.
8) How was this award structured within existing agreements?
The notice described the effort as a task agreement (P15AC01589) under an existing cooperative agreement between NPS and CSU (P14AC00728), implemented through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (RM CESU).
9) What program or CFDA number is associated with this award?
The notice associated the work with CFDA 15.945, titled "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
10) What statutory authorities were cited?
The assistance was authorized under federal statutory authorities cited as 54 USC 101702(a) and (b) and 54 USC 100703.
11) What overhead rate applied under this framework?
An overhead rate of 17.5% applied under the CESU framework.
12) What was the project trying to accomplish?
The practical goal was capacity-building for protected area rangers. The project focused on expanding learning and professional exchange in protected area management through structured instruction tied to the 2016 Protected Area Management Course and participation in the World Ranger Congress (WRC).
13) Who were the primary beneficiaries or intended participants?
The notice emphasized protected area rangers, especially those working in parks and protected areas with sister-park relationships with U.S. national parks, as well as other international protected areas. The notice also anticipated benefits for U.S. rangers participating in the Congress.
14) How was the training component organized?
CSU (through CPAM) agreed to organize two nine-day protected area ranger courses associated with the WRC in 2016: one offered in English before the Congress and one offered in Spanish after the Congress.
15) What if there were not enough registrations to run two separate courses?
The notice built in flexibility: if registrations did not support two full courses, CSU could conduct a single course, as long as translation support ensured participation for both English and Spanish speakers.
16) What scholarship support was included for participants?
The notice described scholarships in two related areas: (1) scholarships for individuals attending both the WRC and a CPAM course, and (2) scholarships that could cover part or all of the costs for participating in or volunteering at the WRC, including registration fees, room and board, and transportation.
17) What logistical support was CSU expected to provide to participants?
CSU responsibilities included key logistics such as buying tickets, coordinating participant travel details, and arranging transportation between the CPAM course location and the WRC venue in Estes Park, Colorado. CSU would also provide some logistics support to scholarship recipients attending or volunteering at the WRC.
18) What are "shadow assignments" in this notice?
The notice indicated that, in some cases and in coordination with NPS, CSU would help connect participants to "shadow assignments" at selected venues. These were described generally as observational or short-term experiential learning alongside professionals in the field.
19) What support was CSU expected to provide directly to the World Ranger Congress itself?
CSU would provide on-the-ground logistical support and equipment to the World Ranger Congress Organizing Committee (WRCOC) to help the Congress run smoothly, particularly for field trips and concurrent sessions.
20) What examples of equipment and support were listed?
Examples listed included audiovisual equipment, translation equipment and supplies for sessions, translation assistance during field trips and in concurrent sessions, and transportation resources such as 12-passenger vans and drivers for field trips.
21) How were CSU and NPS expected to coordinate on decisions and changes?
CSU committed to close coordination with NPS (including the NPS training/representative function referenced as NPS ATR) and the WRC liaison regarding course content, participant selection, scholarship decisions, supplies/equipment, and other services. The notice also stated that significant budget deviations would be discussed in advance.
22) What financial reporting was CSU expected to provide?
CSU would provide quarterly accounting of line-item expenditures electronically, using a spreadsheet or another mutually agreed format.
23) What was NPS responsible for under the cooperative agreement?
NPS responsibilities focused on recruitment, coordination, and programmatic involvement. NPS agreed to publicize the CSU courses and help recruit participants, with particular emphasis on identifying Mexican and other Latin American protected area rangers who could attend with full or partial funding through the task agreement.
24) What follow-up did NPS plan after the course?
NPS planned to communicate with partner agencies in participating countries after the course to gather feedback and to shape potential follow-on cooperative activities.
25) Was a liaison role mentioned?
Yes. NPS would designate a liaison connecting CSU CPAM, NPS, and the WRCOC to keep planning aligned.
26) Did NPS plan to provide instructors for the courses?
NPS committed to recruiting an active or retired NPS ranger or manager to serve as faculty for one or both courses. If the instructor was a current NPS employee, salary would be covered by NPS.
27) How were travel and per diem for NPS faculty handled?
The notice stated that travel and per diem for faculty participation would be determined by mutual agreement in advance, and that both parties would try to identify additional funds to cover those costs.
28) How did sister-park agreements relate to participation?
NPS would encourage managers involved in sister-park agreements to promote participation in both the courses and the WRC, help facilitate shadow assignments, and identify non-NPS funding sources that could enable international ranger participation.
29) Why was the award made without competition?
The notice stated the award was made without competition under the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), using a "Continuation" justification. NPS described the work as necessary to satisfactorily complete or continue activities already being funded under the existing CSU-NPS cooperative agreement, and indicated that running a competition could disrupt continuity or completion.
30) How many awards were expected?
The notice indicated one expected award.
31) What eligibility was mentioned in the administrative details?
Eligibility was described generally as limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, although the notice also identified CSU as the intended recipient.
32) What were the posting and closing dates shown?
The posting date was August 24, 2015. The original and current closing date shown was September 2, 2015, consistent with a notice period rather than a competitive application deadline.
33) Who was the point of contact listed for the announcement?
The listed point of contact was June Zastrow at NPS (phone 303-987-6718, email junezastrow@nps.gov).
34) Where did the public listing reference for access and assistance?
The notice referenced Grants.gov for access and assistance.
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