Opportunity Information: Apply for R12AS20015
Apply for R12AS20015
- The Bureau of Reclamation Mid Pacific Region in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Old Standards vs New Approaches Defining the Fundamental Niche of Delta Smelt" 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 Mar 29, 2012 and posted on Mar 29, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 12, 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 $73,957.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $73,957.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled "Old Standards vs New Approaches Defining the Fundamental Niche of Delta Smelt" is a discretionary grant issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Mid-Pacific Region). It is tied to CFDA 15.512 under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (Public Law 102-575, specifically Sections 3406(b)(1) and 3407(e)). The Bureau of Reclamation announced an intent to award a single grant with an estimated total value of $73,957, with that same amount listed as the award ceiling. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for the award.
This notice is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award rather than a competitive solicitation. In other words, it is not asking outside organizations to submit proposals for consideration. The Bureau indicates it plans to issue the grant to the University of California, Davis, and notes that the decision not to compete the award is at the government’s discretion under Departmental Manual 505 DM 2, paragraph 2.14(B)(2)(4). Eligible applicants are described broadly as private institutions of higher education, but the announcement makes clear that the planned recipient is UC Davis and that the public notice is informational rather than an open call.
The scientific purpose of the grant is to improve understanding of delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) physiology and behavioral ecology. Delta smelt is an estuary fish endemic to the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system and is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The project is framed around improving how researchers measure and interpret the species’ responses to environmental conditions, which is directly relevant to management decisions in a highly altered and tightly regulated estuary.
The work is organized around three main objectives. First, the project aims to optimize and refine existing techniques used to assess stress and feeding in delta smelt. That typically implies improving laboratory or field-compatible methods that can reliably measure how the fish is coping physiologically and whether it is feeding effectively, potentially across different life stages and experimental conditions. Second, the study will experimentally investigate how three key environmental variables turbidity, salinity, and temperature affect feeding behavior and stress recovery time in larval, juvenile, and adult delta smelt. These variables matter because delta smelt habitat quality and availability can shift quickly with seasonal changes, freshwater exports, inflow patterns, and climate-driven warming, and because turbidity in particular is often linked to predator avoidance and foraging success in estuarine fish. Third, the project will use the results from the stress and feeding assessments to define the species’ fundamental niche in relation to turbidity, salinity, and temperature. In practical terms, that means identifying the ranges and combinations of those conditions under which delta smelt can function effectively (eat, recover from stress, and presumably maintain fitness), which can help distinguish suitable from unsuitable habitat conditions.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on March 29, 2012, with an original and current closing date of April 12, 2012, and an archive date of April 13, 2012. The funding activity category is listed as Environment, and the expected number of awards is one. For questions, the listed grants management contact is Megan Bryant, Grants Management Specialist at the Bureau of Reclamation, reachable by email at mbryant@usbr.gov and by phone at 916-978-4627.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Old Standards vs New Approaches Defining the Fundamental Niche of Delta Smelt."
Which federal agency is issuing this grant?
This is a discretionary grant issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Mid-Pacific Region).
What program or assistance listing is this opportunity associated with?
The notice indicates it is tied to CFDA 15.512 under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act.
What legal authority is cited for the award?
The notice references the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (Public Law 102-575), specifically Sections 3406(b)(1) and 3407(e).
Is this a competitive grant solicitation where new proposals can be submitted?
No. The notice is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award and is not asking outside organizations to submit proposals for consideration.
What does "Notice of Intent to Award" mean in this context?
It means the Bureau of Reclamation is announcing its plan to make an award to a specific recipient and is providing public notice for informational purposes rather than opening a competition.
Who is the intended recipient of the grant?
The Bureau of Reclamation indicates it plans to issue the grant to the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).
How many awards does the Bureau expect to make under this notice?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total value is $73,957.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $73,957.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the notice.
Who is considered eligible to apply, based on the notice?
Eligible applicants are described broadly as private institutions of higher education. However, the notice also makes clear that the planned recipient is UC Davis and that this is not an open call for proposals.
Why is the award not being competed?
The notice states that the decision not to compete the award is at the government’s discretion under Departmental Manual 505 DM 2, paragraph 2.14(B)(2)(4).
What is the scientific focus of the project?
The project aims to improve understanding of delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) physiology and behavioral ecology, with an emphasis on measuring and interpreting the species’ responses to environmental conditions.
What species is being studied?
The project focuses on delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), an estuary fish endemic to the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system.
What is the conservation status of delta smelt mentioned in the notice?
The notice states that delta smelt is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
What is the overall management relevance of this research?
The notice frames the work as directly relevant to management decisions in a highly altered and tightly regulated estuary, by improving how researchers assess delta smelt responses to changing environmental conditions.
What are the main objectives of the project?
The work is organized around three main objectives: (1) optimize and refine existing techniques used to assess stress and feeding in delta smelt; (2) experimentally investigate how turbidity, salinity, and temperature affect feeding behavior and stress recovery time across larval, juvenile, and adult life stages; and (3) use results from stress and feeding assessments to define the species’ fundamental niche relative to turbidity, salinity, and temperature.
What kinds of techniques are being optimized and refined?
The notice describes optimizing and refining existing techniques to assess stress and feeding in delta smelt, implying improvements to methods that can measure physiological coping and feeding effectiveness.
Which environmental variables are specifically being tested?
The study will investigate turbidity, salinity, and temperature.
What biological responses will be measured in relation to those variables?
The notice specifies impacts on feeding behavior and stress recovery time, based on stress and feeding assessments.
Which delta smelt life stages are included in the experiments?
The notice states larval, juvenile, and adult delta smelt will be included.
What does "fundamental niche" mean as used in this notice?
In this notice, it refers to identifying the ranges and combinations of turbidity, salinity, and temperature under which delta smelt can function effectively, including eating and recovering from stress.
What is the expected practical outcome of defining the fundamental niche?
The notice indicates it can help distinguish suitable from unsuitable habitat conditions, supporting management decision-making by clarifying which environmental conditions allow effective functioning.
What is the funding activity category listed for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is listed as Environment.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on March 29, 2012.
What is the closing date?
The original and current closing date is April 12, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date is April 13, 2012.
Who is the grants management contact for questions?
The listed contact is Megan Bryant, Grants Management Specialist at the Bureau of Reclamation.
How can the listed contact be reached?
Email: mbryant@usbr.gov. Phone: 916-978-4627.
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