Population monitoring and habitat use for WNS-affected bat species in GRSM | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Population monitoring and habitat use for WNS-affected bat species in GRSM."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is P16AS00138.

Which federal agency offered this funding opportunity?

This was a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (DOI-NPS).

When was the opportunity posted?

It was posted on May 10, 2016 (and created the same day).

What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was May 13, 2016.

What type of award was offered?

The award was offered as a cooperative agreement.

What does "cooperative agreement" mean for this project?

A cooperative agreement typically indicates that the National Park Service expected substantial involvement in the project as it was carried out, rather than providing funds with minimal oversight.

What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?

The funding activity area is natural resources.

What CFDA number is associated with this listing?

This opportunity is tied to CFDA number 15.945.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants were limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. This means the competition was geared toward state universities and similar public academic institutions capable of conducting field-based wildlife research.

Where would the work take place?

The work focused on Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM).

What problem or conservation issue is the project focused on?

The project aimed to improve understanding of how White-nose syndrome (WNS) is affecting bats in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. WNS is associated with severe population declines in multiple North American bat species.

Which bat species were the main focus of the study?

The two focal species were the northern long-eared bat and the Indiana bat.

Why were the northern long-eared bat and Indiana bat emphasized?

Both species have been heavily affected by WNS in many parts of their range. The Indiana bat was also highlighted as a species of high conservation concern that often requires targeted management planning.

What were the core scientific goals of the project?

The core goals were to study (1) distribution (where bats occur across the landscape), (2) population status (relative presence, persistence, and indicators of abundance or occupancy), and (3) roosting ecology (how and where bats choose day roosts and the habitat characteristics of those roost sites) for the two focal species.

What is meant by "distribution" in the context of this project?

Distribution refers to where bats occur across the landscape within GRSM.

What is meant by "population status" in the context of this project?

Population status refers to relative presence and persistence, along with indicators of abundance or occupancy.

What is meant by "roosting ecology" in the context of this project?

Roosting ecology refers to how and where bats choose day roosts and the habitat characteristics of those roost sites.

Did the opportunity include work beyond the two focal bat species?

Yes. The opportunity also called for acoustic surveys designed to document the distribution of all bat species across GRSM.

What are acoustic surveys, as described in this announcement?

Acoustic monitoring is commonly used in bat research to record echolocation calls, allowing researchers to detect bat activity across many sites and times, including areas that are difficult to sample using capture methods alone.

What was the purpose of the park-wide acoustic surveys?

The acoustic surveys were intended to provide a park-wide picture of bat community distribution. This would help managers understand which species are still present, where activity remains concentrated, and how patterns may be shifting in response to WNS.

How were the species-focused studies and acoustic surveys expected to fit together?

Combined with species-focused work on roosting and population status, the acoustic data were intended to support a more complete assessment of WNS impacts at both the individual-species level and across the broader bat assemblage in the park.

Was there a specific management-related outcome mentioned?

Yes. A specific applied outcome was to strengthen management planning for the Indiana bat.

How would the project support Indiana bat management planning?

The announcement stated that results would enhance development of an Indiana bat species action plan, implying the project should generate information usable for conservation decisions (for example, identifying important habitat areas, roosting requirements, seasonal use patterns, and potential vulnerabilities).

What was the maximum amount of funding available (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $7,800.

What does the relatively small award ceiling suggest about the project scope?

It suggests a small, targeted award likely intended to support a defined set of monitoring tasks, field effort, or a component of a larger research program rather than a multi-year, large-scale study.

How many awards were expected?

The source data listed expected awards as 0.

Does "expected awards: 0" mean no award would be made?

Not necessarily. The listing noted that this can indicate uncertainty at the time of posting or an administrative placeholder rather than a definitive statement that no award would be made.

What is the overall focus of this funding call?

Overall, it was a short-turnaround cooperative agreement focused on field monitoring and applied conservation science in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, emphasizing actionable data collection on WNS-affected bat species (especially northern long-eared and Indiana bats) and park-wide acoustic documentation of bat distribution.