Opportunity Information: Apply for R12AS20023
Apply for R12AS20023
- The Bureau of Reclamation Mid Pacific Region in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nutrient and Food Resource Dynamics in Delta Aquatic Ecosystems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.512 Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Title XXXIV.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2012 and posted on Jun 21, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 5, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $575,678.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $575,678.00 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 grant opportunity titled "Nutrient and Food Resource Dynamics in Delta Aquatic Ecosystems" is a Bureau of Reclamation (Mid-Pacific Region) discretionary funding action that was planned as a cooperative agreement, with a single expected award. The agency stated its intent to issue this cooperative agreement specifically to the University of California, Davis under CFDA 15.512 (Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Title XXXIV), authorized by Public Law 102-575, including Sections 3406(b)(1) and 3407(e). The estimated total funding and award ceiling were both listed as $575,678, and the opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching funds. Although the eligible applicant category was described broadly as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, the notice made clear that this was a non-competitive intent to award rather than an open call for proposals.
The overall purpose of the agreement is to improve understanding of how delta smelt distribution relates to the availability and characteristics of their food resources, and how broader nutrient and contaminant dynamics in the Delta may shift in response to water management activities. In practical terms, the project is aimed at linking several moving parts in the estuarine ecosystem: nutrient inputs and forms, algal production and community makeup, zooplankton abundance and composition (a key food source), and ultimately the habitat and foraging conditions experienced by delta smelt. The emphasis on nutrient and contaminant dynamics suggests the work is meant to inform management decisions by clarifying whether changes in operations or hydrodynamics could influence food web productivity or exposure pathways.
The announcement laid out four main technical objectives. First, the project would provide nutrient and algae monitoring support for the Fall Adaptive Management Program, indicating the work is intended to plug directly into an ongoing management and monitoring framework rather than stand alone as purely academic research. Second, it would evaluate nutrients, algae, and zooplankton dynamics in the Sacramento Ship Channel, identified as a survey site within the "FallX2" range, which points to targeted monitoring in a specific portion of the estuary used for fall habitat assessment and adaptive management. Third, the study would investigate how nutrient concentration and nutrient composition regulate the abundance and composition of suspended algae and zooplankton across a gradient of environmental conditions, implying comparative work across varying salinity, turbidity, flow, or other habitat factors to understand when and where nutrients most strongly influence lower food-web production. Fourth, the agreement would continue large-scale nutrient enrichment experiments designed to clarify the relationship between nutrient levels and nutrient forms and the resulting suspended algal community, suggesting controlled enrichment work to test cause-and-effect rather than relying only on observational correlations.
Administratively, the posting indicates the Bureau of Reclamation reserved discretion to proceed without competition under applicable Departmental Manual provisions, and it explicitly stated that the notice of intent was not a request for competitive proposals. Key dates show the opportunity was posted on June 21, 2012, with an original and current closing date of July 5, 2012, and an archive date of July 6, 2012. For questions, the notice directed inquiries to Megan Bryant, Grants Management Specialist, with both email (mbryant@usbr.gov) and phone contact (916-978-4627) provided.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Nutrient and Food Resource Dynamics in Delta Aquatic Ecosystems."
Which federal agency is offering (or planning to offer) this funding?
The funding action is from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region.
What type of award is planned?
The posting described this as a discretionary funding action planned as a cooperative agreement.
Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?
No. The notice stated it was a non-competitive intent to award and explicitly said it was not a request for competitive proposals.
How many awards were expected to be made?
A single award was expected.
Who did the agency intend to award this cooperative agreement to?
The Bureau of Reclamation stated its intent to issue the cooperative agreement specifically to the University of California, Davis.
What CFDA program is associated with this award?
The notice identified CFDA 15.512: Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Title XXXIV.
What is the legal authority for this funding action?
The notice cited Public Law 102-575 as the authorization, including Sections 3406(b)(1) and 3407(e).
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding was listed as $575,678.
What was the award ceiling (maximum award amount)?
The award ceiling was listed as $575,678.
Does this opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The posting indicated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
What is the overall purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The overall purpose is to improve understanding of how delta smelt distribution relates to the availability and characteristics of their food resources, and how nutrient and contaminant dynamics in the Delta may shift in response to water management activities.
What ecosystem components does the project aim to connect?
The project is aimed at linking nutrient inputs and forms, algal production and community makeup, zooplankton abundance and composition (as a key food resource), and the habitat and foraging conditions experienced by delta smelt.
Why does the notice emphasize nutrient and contaminant dynamics?
Based on the description, the nutrient and contaminant emphasis suggests the work is intended to inform management decisions by clarifying whether changes in operations or hydrodynamics could influence food web productivity or exposure pathways.
What are the main technical objectives described in the announcement?
The announcement described four main technical objectives: (1) provide nutrient and algae monitoring support for the Fall Adaptive Management Program, (2) evaluate nutrients, algae, and zooplankton dynamics in the Sacramento Ship Channel (a survey site within the FallX2 range), (3) investigate how nutrient concentration and nutrient composition regulate suspended algae and zooplankton abundance and composition across a gradient of environmental conditions, and (4) continue large-scale nutrient enrichment experiments to clarify relationships between nutrient levels/forms and the resulting suspended algal community.
What is the role of the Fall Adaptive Management Program in this project?
The notice indicated the project would provide nutrient and algae monitoring support for the Fall Adaptive Management Program, meaning the work is intended to feed directly into an ongoing management and monitoring framework.
Where will some of the targeted monitoring take place?
One named focus area is the Sacramento Ship Channel, described as a survey site within the "FallX2" range.
What does the objective about a "gradient of environmental conditions" imply?
It implies the study will compare nutrients, algae, and zooplankton across varying environmental conditions (the notice gives examples such as varying salinity, turbidity, flow, or other habitat factors) to understand when and where nutrients most strongly influence lower food-web production.
Will the work include experiments, or is it only observational monitoring?
Both are described. In addition to monitoring and field evaluation, the notice stated the agreement would continue large-scale nutrient enrichment experiments designed to clarify cause-and-effect relationships between nutrient levels/forms and suspended algal community responses.
How did the Bureau of Reclamation justify not competing the award?
The posting indicated the Bureau of Reclamation reserved discretion to proceed without competition under applicable Departmental Manual provisions and reiterated that the notice of intent was not a request for competitive proposals.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on June 21, 2012.
What was the closing date for the notice?
The original and current closing date were both listed as July 5, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was July 6, 2012.
Who was listed as the point of contact for questions?
The notice directed questions to Megan Bryant, Grants Management Specialist.
How can someone contact the listed point of contact?
Email: mbryant@usbr.gov. Phone: 916-978-4627.
If the eligible applicant category mentions public/state-controlled higher education institutions, can other universities apply?
Although the eligible applicant category was described broadly as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, the notice also made clear it was a non-competitive intent to award specifically to the University of California, Davis, and it was not an open call for proposals.
What species is explicitly mentioned as a key focus for linking food resources to distribution?
Delta smelt.
What food-web components are explicitly mentioned as being evaluated?
The notice specifically referenced suspended algae (including production and community makeup) and zooplankton (including abundance and composition) as key components tied to food resources.
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