PSFMC Hatchery Evaluation | Apply Online

PSFMC Hatchery Evaluation (F16AS00019) - Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the PSFMC Hatchery Evaluation funding opportunity?

The PSFMC Hatchery Evaluation opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00019) is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS). It supports a focused natural resources research and evaluation effort to develop and implement a program that measures survival and harvest outcomes of fish releases in the lower Snake River.

2) What is the main purpose of this project?

The project is intended to produce credible, decision-ready information about hatchery-released fish after release, including how many survive over time and how many are ultimately harvested. The goal is to help fishery managers better understand the effectiveness and impacts of hatchery programs in the lower Snake River system.

3) What types of outcomes is the evaluation expected to measure?

Based on the opportunity description, the evaluation is expected to measure two core outcomes: (1) survival of hatchery-released fish over time, and (2) harvest outcomes, meaning how many of those released fish are ultimately harvested.

4) Where is the work expected to occur?

The work is focused on fish releases in the lower Snake River. The evaluation program is designed around that river system and the fate of hatchery-origin fish released there.

5) Which federal agency is offering this funding?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS).

6) Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement. This typically involves more federal involvement during the project than a standard grant, often including collaboration on planning, methods, data sharing, and progress oversight rather than only receiving a final report at the end.

7) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

As described in the announcement summary, a cooperative agreement generally indicates a higher level of federal collaboration during implementation. That can include coordination on project planning, methodology decisions, data sharing practices, and ongoing oversight of progress.

8) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.661, which historically relates to fish and wildlife restoration and management activities administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

9) What funding categories or program areas does this opportunity align with?

The funding activity aligns with Natural Resources as well as Science and Technology and other Research and Development. This reflects a project that is management-oriented while also grounded in fisheries science, monitoring, and evaluation methods.

10) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to state governments. This suggests the opportunity is intended for state-level fish and wildlife agencies or similar state entities with authority, expertise, and field capacity to conduct fisheries monitoring and evaluation.

11) Does the opportunity expect multiple awards or a single award?

The opportunity anticipates a single award (Expected Awards: 1). This indicates DOI-FWS intended to fund one lead implementing partner to carry out the evaluation program.

12) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The listed award ceiling is $314,140.

13) What does the award ceiling suggest about the project scope?

The ceiling amount suggests a targeted, project-specific scope. At this funding level, projects commonly support items such as field sampling, tagging or marking, monitoring equipment and supplies, data management, statistical analysis, and reporting tied to survival and harvest evaluation.

14) Is the project period provided?

An explicit project period is not provided in the excerpted information. Only the funding ceiling and dates for posting and closing are included.

15) When was the opportunity posted and when was it due?

The opportunity was created and posted on October 27, 2015. The original and current closing date was November 3, 2015.

16) What does the short application window imply?

The short window (about one week) suggests it may have been aimed at a specific recipient community already working in this domain, or connected to planned or ongoing management and evaluation activities where stakeholders and overall scope were already well established.

17) What kinds of evaluation methods are implied by the opportunity description?

While the announcement summary does not prescribe a single method, it indicates the applicant would generally be expected to design a monitoring framework capable of distinguishing different release groups, tracking fish through time and space, and estimating key metrics like survival and harvest. Approaches mentioned as examples include marking strategies (such as coded-wire tags, PIT tags, or other established identification methods), recovery and reporting systems tied to fisheries, and survival estimation techniques based on recapture, detection arrays, or fishery sampling.

18) What is meant by "decision-ready" information in this context?

In the context provided, "decision-ready" information means results that are credible and usable by fishery managers to evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of hatchery releases. The intent is to support management choices about hatchery programs based on reliable estimates of survival and harvest outcomes.

19) What is the core deliverable expected from the funded project?

The core deliverable described is an implemented evaluation program that produces reliable estimates of survival and harvest for hatchery fish releases in the lower Snake River.

20) How will the results be used?

The results are intended to help managers assess whether release strategies are meeting objectives, understand how hatchery-origin fish contribute to fisheries, and identify where adjustments may be needed to improve biological results and fishery benefits while supporting broader conservation and management goals.