Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00371
Apply for P15AS00371
- The National Park Service in the education employment, labor and training environment information and statistics 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 The Role of Wildlife Health in Management of Wildlife as a Public Trust Resource" 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 Sep 1, 2015 and posted on Sep 1, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 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 $37,661.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $37,661.00 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:
This notice is a public heads-up from the National Park Service (NPS) that it plans to fund a specific project without opening a competition. It is not a solicitation and it is not asking for applications. The funding opportunity is identified as P15AS00371 and covers a cooperative agreement project titled "The Role of Wildlife Health in Management of Wildlife as a Public Trust Resource." The intended recipient is Cornell University, and the total anticipated federal funding is $37,661 with no cost share or matching requirement. The agreement runs from the date of final signature through December 31, 2018, under statutory authorities 54 USC 101702(a) and (b) and 54 USC 100703, and it falls under CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System). The NPS contact listed for questions is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, junezastrow@nps.gov).
At the core of the project is a governance question: how should wildlife health be managed when wildlife is treated as a public trust resource, meaning agencies have a duty to manage wildlife for the benefit of the public over the long term. The project is built around a set of Wildlife Governance Principles (WGPs), which combine public trust thinking with broader ideas of good governance. While these principles exist in a general conservation context, NPS notes that they have not yet been thoroughly applied to the day-to-day governance practices of specific agencies or to focused topics like wildlife health. This task agreement is meant to test and clarify how well the WGPs apply when agencies face wildlife health decisions that often cross ecological boundaries (across landscapes and species) and social boundaries (across jurisdictions, stakeholder groups, and public values).
The planned work relies on a mix of research and structured professional dialogue. The project includes a literature review and a series of sessions or workshops that bring together wildlife health professionals, wildlife managers, and human dimensions specialists (people who study the social side of natural resource management, like public attitudes, risk perception, and stakeholder conflict). The aim is to produce a clear explanation of why wildlife health is not just a technical veterinary issue, but a foundational part of sustaining wildlife populations and fulfilling a public trust responsibility. NPS also frames the project as a way to adopt decision-making processes that recognize multiple perspectives and improve the agency's ability to respond to complex wildlife health challenges.
The notice lays out a phased schedule with concrete deliverables. First is a literature review targeted for September 2015. Next is a workshop planned for August 2016 to evaluate current NPS wildlife health governance practices against the Wildlife Governance Principles. If additional funds become available through a later modification, the project would then hold a second workshop around December 2016 to take a general wildlife health governance model and apply it to specific NPS issues. The notice gives examples of the kinds of issues that could be examined: zoonotic diseases (shared between humans and animals), diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface such as brucellosis, and even wildlife reproductive control as a management tool. After the workshops and analysis, the project plans to produce a written report with findings intended for submission to scientific journals, with a target date of March 2017.
Roles are explicitly shared because the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which implies substantial involvement by the federal agency rather than a hands-off grant. Cornell University is expected to collaborate closely with NPS to carry out the project, including developing workshop agendas, building participant lists, facilitating and implementing the workshop(s), conducting follow-up discussions to pinpoint priority NPS wildlife health topics for deeper investigation, and co-authoring publications based on the results. On the NPS side, the agency commits to identifying appropriate staff to participate, collaborating throughout the scientific investigation (including manuscript preparation), funding the workshop(s), and covering publication costs for reports and manuscripts generated by the project.
The reason the NPS is proceeding without competition is also spelled out. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), noncompetitive awards require written justification tied to specific criteria. NPS cites the "Continuation" criterion, meaning the work is considered necessary to satisfactorily complete or continue an activity already being funded, and competing it would disrupt continuity or completion. The notice explains that this is a Task Agreement (P15AC01712) issued under an existing Cooperative Agreement (P12AC31164), processed through the Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). The CESU structure is used for cooperative research and training partnerships, and the notice mentions a negotiated overhead rate of 17.5 percent and that the project meets CESU requirements such as public purpose, alignment with the CESU network mission, and substantial NPS involvement.
In practical terms, the opportunity is best understood as an administrative transparency notice rather than a funding chance for new applicants. NPS is signaling that it intends to direct a relatively small, time-bounded research and workshop effort to Cornell University to strengthen how the agency thinks about, evaluates, and governs wildlife health decisions using a public-trust-and-governance framework, with outputs designed to inform NPS practices and contribute to the peer-reviewed literature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. The notice is a public transparency announcement from the National Park Service (NPS) stating it plans to fund a specific project without opening a competition. It is not a solicitation and it is not requesting applications.
Can my organization apply for this funding?
No. Based on the notice, NPS is not accepting applications. The intended recipient is Cornell University.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity is identified as P15AS00371.
What is the project title?
The cooperative agreement project is titled "The Role of Wildlife Health in Management of Wildlife as a Public Trust Resource."
Who is the intended recipient?
The intended recipient listed in the notice is Cornell University.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The total anticipated federal funding amount is $37,661.
Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share or matching requirement.
What type of award is this?
This is a cooperative agreement, which means NPS expects substantial involvement in carrying out the project rather than operating in a hands-off role.
What is the project period of performance?
The agreement runs from the date of final signature through December 31, 2018.
What statutory authorities support this agreement?
The notice cites 54 USC 101702(a) and (b), and 54 USC 100703 as the statutory authorities.
What CFDA program does this fall under?
The notice lists CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The core purpose is to examine how wildlife health should be governed when wildlife is treated as a public trust resource, meaning agencies have a long-term duty to manage wildlife for the benefit of the public.
What is meant by wildlife as a "public trust resource" in this notice?
In the context provided, it refers to the idea that agencies have a duty to manage wildlife for the public's benefit over the long term, and that wildlife health decisions are part of fulfilling that responsibility.
What are the Wildlife Governance Principles (WGPs)?
The notice describes WGPs as a set of principles that combine public trust thinking with broader concepts of good governance. The project aims to test and clarify how well these principles apply to day-to-day agency governance, specifically on wildlife health.
Why is NPS focusing on wildlife health governance rather than only technical veterinary issues?
The project is intended to explain and demonstrate that wildlife health is not only a technical veterinary matter, but a foundational part of sustaining wildlife populations and meeting public trust responsibilities.
What kinds of boundaries or challenges does the project address?
The notice emphasizes that wildlife health decisions often cross ecological boundaries (landscapes and species) and social boundaries (jurisdictions, stakeholder groups, and public values).
What activities and methods are included in the planned work?
The planned work includes a literature review and structured professional dialogue through sessions or workshops. These gatherings are expected to include wildlife health professionals, wildlife managers, and human dimensions specialists.
Who are "human dimensions specialists" in the context of this project?
The notice describes them as experts who study the social side of natural resource management, including public attitudes, risk perception, and stakeholder conflict.
What are the key deliverables and target dates mentioned?
The notice lists: (1) a literature review targeted for September 2015; (2) a workshop planned for August 2016 to evaluate NPS wildlife health governance practices against the WGPs; (3) if additional funds become available later through a modification, a second workshop around December 2016 to apply a general wildlife health governance model to specific NPS issues; and (4) a written report with findings intended for submission to scientific journals with a target date of March 2017.
Is a second workshop guaranteed?
No. The notice states that the second workshop would occur if additional funds become available through a later modification.
What examples of specific wildlife health issues could be examined?
The notice provides examples including zoonotic diseases (diseases shared between humans and animals), diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface such as brucellosis, and wildlife reproductive control as a management tool.
What is expected from Cornell University under this cooperative agreement?
Cornell University is expected to collaborate closely with NPS, including developing workshop agendas, building participant lists, facilitating and implementing the workshop(s), conducting follow-up discussions to identify priority NPS wildlife health topics for deeper investigation, and co-authoring publications based on the results.
What is NPS expected to do as part of the cooperative agreement?
NPS commits to identifying appropriate staff to participate, collaborating throughout the scientific investigation (including manuscript preparation), funding the workshop(s), and covering publication costs for reports and manuscripts generated by the project.
Why is NPS making this award without competition?
The notice states the decision is justified under the Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2) using the "Continuation" criterion. NPS indicates the work is necessary to satisfactorily complete or continue an activity already being funded, and competing it would disrupt continuity or completion.
Is this notice the same as a solicitation or request for proposals (RFP)?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a solicitation and it is not asking for applications.
What is the relationship between this project and prior agreements?
The notice explains this is a Task Agreement (P15AC01712) issued under an existing Cooperative Agreement (P12AC31164).
What is the CESU mentioned in the notice?
The notice states the Task Agreement is processed through the Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), a structure used for cooperative research and training partnerships.
Is an overhead rate mentioned?
Yes. The notice mentions a negotiated overhead rate of 17.5 percent.
Who can be contacted with questions about this notice?
The NPS contact listed is June Zastrow. Phone: 303-987-6718. Email: junezastrow@nps.gov.
What is the practical takeaway for potential applicants or the general public?
Based on the notice, this should be viewed as an administrative transparency notice rather than a funding opportunity for new applicants. NPS is signaling its intent to direct a limited, time-bounded research and workshop effort to Cornell University.
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