Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00016
Apply for P14AS00016
- The National Park Service in the education environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Quantifying habitat selection predicting habitat use by Whooping Cranes" 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 Jan 6, 2014 and posted on Jan 6, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 20, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $85,709.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $85,709.00 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 grant notice is a public announcement that the National Park Service (NPS) intends to make a non-competitive, single-source continuation award for a project focused on whooping crane habitat use. It is explicitly not an open call for proposals and not a request for applications. The project is titled "Quantifying habitat selection and predicting habitat use by Whooping Crane" and is tied to Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00016. The anticipated award total is $85,709 with no cost-share requirement, issued as a cooperative agreement. The recipient named in the notice is New Mexico State University (NMSU), with James Cain III listed as the principal investigator/program manager. The anticipated performance period runs from the date of award through December 1, 2016, and it is structured as a task agreement (P14AC00059) under an existing cooperative agreement (H2370114000). The NPS point of contact is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, JuneZastrow@nps.gov). The opportunity is categorized under education/environment/natural resources, with CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System), and it was posted January 6, 2014 with a closing date of January 20, 2014 for notice purposes.
The central purpose of the work is to improve understanding of habitat selection by the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of whooping cranes (Grus americana), particularly during two high-stakes phases of their annual cycle: migration and overwintering. While this population is often described as a major endangered species recovery success, the notice emphasizes that its situation remains fragile because the wild population is still relatively small and largely concentrated in a single viable population. The document frames growing pressures such as urban expansion and energy development as added risks, especially when paired with gaps in knowledge about exactly what habitat features cranes depend on when migrating and when spending the winter. Historically, habitat models and management guidance have been constrained by the species rarity, the fact that many crane occurrences go undetected, and the low spatial accuracy of many public sighting reports.
A key reason this project is timely is the expanded availability of high-resolution movement data from GPS satellite tracking. The notice cites the Whooping Crane Tracking Program (WCTP), which has tracked 57 whooping cranes (noted as more than 20 percent of the estimated wild population at the time) and collected up to four locations per bird per day. That level of detail is presented as a major step forward compared with opportunistic sightings, because it provides repeated, precise locations that can be linked to on-the-ground habitat conditions. The project is designed to leverage those existing GPS-derived use locations to (1) identify where cranes actually spend time during migration and winter and (2) quantify the habitat characteristics at those sites, ultimately supporting better predictions of habitat use and stronger, science-based management decisions. The notice also mentions that, as part of carrying out the work, data on other species in the same ecosystem may be collected and potentially analyzed alongside the crane data, suggesting an interest in broader ecological context or shared habitat drivers.
NMSU's responsibilities are laid out as field-oriented coordination tasks. First, NMSU is to refine understanding of habitat use by cranes, including roosting sites both on and off refuge lands. This includes identifying crane-use locations (informed by tracking data), visiting those sites, and documenting vegetation parameters as well as water quality measurements associated with crane use areas. Second, NMSU is to establish and collect ground control points used to validate a vegetation map and LiDAR data products, indicating that remote sensing and mapping are important components of the overall effort and that the project includes a data validation element to ensure spatial products accurately represent conditions on the ground.
Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the notice highlights "substantial involvement" by the federal partners as part of the award structure. NPS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) staff are expected to work closely with NMSU technicians, graduate students, faculty, and other partners, providing guidance on study design and supporting data collection and analysis. The notice points out specific complementary expertise: FWS brings species-level knowledge of whooping crane ecology and habitat assessment, while NPS contributes in-house capability in data processing and management that is directly relevant to the project and described as difficult to obtain through a typical contractor or external partner.
Finally, the document explains why the award is being made without full and open competition. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy (505 DM 2), NPS provides a written justification and cites the criterion "Continuation," meaning the funded activity is necessary to complete or continue work already underway and that competing it would risk disrupting continuity or successful completion. The statutory authority cited for entering into this cooperative research arrangement includes 16 USC 1a-2(j) and 16 USC 5933, which authorize NPS to partner with educational institutions and establish cooperative study units to produce research and integrated information products relevant to National Park System resources and the broader regions connected to park units. In practical terms, the notice signals that this funding is meant to keep an existing research-and-management collaboration moving forward, using GPS tracking data and field validation to sharpen habitat selection models and improve conservation planning for an endangered species that still faces significant long-term risk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this an open grant competition?
No. The notice states this is not an open call for proposals and not a request for applications. It is a public announcement of NPS intent to make a non-competitive, single-source continuation award.
What is the project title referenced in the notice?
The project is titled "Quantifying habitat selection and predicting habitat use by Whooping Crane."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) listed for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P14AS00016.
Who is the intended recipient of this award?
The intended recipient named in the notice is New Mexico State University (NMSU).
Who is listed as the principal investigator/program manager?
James Cain III is listed as the principal investigator/program manager.
Which agency is issuing the award?
The award is being issued by the National Park Service (NPS).
What type of award instrument is anticipated?
The notice anticipates a cooperative agreement.
What is the anticipated total funding amount?
The anticipated award total is $85,709.
Is there a cost-share or match requirement?
No. The notice specifies there is no cost-share requirement.
What is the anticipated performance period?
The anticipated performance period runs from the date of award through December 1, 2016.
How is this award structured within existing agreements?
The notice states the work is structured as a task agreement (P14AC00059) under an existing cooperative agreement (H2370114000).
When was this notice posted and what is the closing date shown?
The notice was posted January 6, 2014, with a closing date of January 20, 2014 for notice purposes.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The central purpose is to improve understanding of habitat selection by the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of whooping cranes (Grus americana), especially during migration and overwintering, to support better prediction of habitat use and stronger, science-based management decisions.
Which whooping crane population is the focus?
The project focuses on the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of whooping cranes.
Why does the notice describe this population as still fragile?
The notice explains that despite being considered a recovery success, the situation remains fragile because the wild population is still relatively small and largely concentrated in a single viable population.
What threats or pressures does the notice highlight?
The notice points to growing pressures such as urban expansion and energy development, and emphasizes that these risks are compounded by gaps in knowledge about habitat features cranes depend on during migration and winter.
Why have earlier habitat models and management guidance been limited?
The notice cites constraints including species rarity, many crane occurrences going undetected, and low spatial accuracy in many public sighting reports.
What new data source makes this project timely?
The notice emphasizes expanded availability of high-resolution movement data from GPS satellite tracking.
What is the Whooping Crane Tracking Program (WCTP) and how is it used here?
The notice describes the WCTP as having tracked 57 whooping cranes (more than 20 percent of the estimated wild population at the time), collecting up to four locations per bird per day. The project leverages these GPS-derived use locations to identify where cranes spend time during migration and winter and to quantify habitat characteristics at those locations.
What are the key project goals described in the notice?
Based on the notice, the project is designed to (1) identify where cranes actually spend time during migration and overwintering using GPS-derived locations, (2) quantify habitat characteristics at those sites through field documentation and measurements, and (3) support improved predictions of habitat use to inform management and conservation planning.
What field and data-collection responsibilities are assigned to NMSU?
The notice describes NMSU responsibilities as field-oriented coordination tasks, including refining understanding of crane habitat use (including roosting sites on and off refuge lands), identifying crane-use locations informed by tracking data, visiting those sites, documenting vegetation parameters, and collecting water quality measurements associated with crane use areas.
Does the project include work related to mapping or remote sensing validation?
Yes. NMSU is to establish and collect ground control points to validate a vegetation map and LiDAR data products, indicating a remote-sensing and mapping component with on-the-ground validation.
Will data on species other than whooping cranes be collected?
The notice mentions that data on other species in the same ecosystem may be collected and potentially analyzed alongside the crane data.
What does "substantial involvement" mean in the context of this notice?
The notice explains that because this is a cooperative agreement, federal partners are expected to have substantial involvement, working closely with NMSU technicians, graduate students, faculty, and other partners by providing guidance on study design and supporting data collection and analysis.
Which federal partners are expected to be involved?
The notice states that NPS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) staff are expected to work closely with NMSU and other partners.
What expertise do FWS and NPS each contribute, according to the notice?
The notice indicates FWS brings species-level knowledge of whooping crane ecology and habitat assessment, while NPS contributes in-house capability in data processing and management relevant to the project.
Why is the award being made without full and open competition?
The notice states NPS is making a single-source award under Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2) using the criterion "Continuation," meaning the funded activity is necessary to complete or continue work already underway and competing it could disrupt continuity or successful completion.
What statutory authorities are cited for this cooperative research arrangement?
The notice cites 16 USC 1a-2(j) and 16 USC 5933 as authority to partner with educational institutions and establish cooperative study units to produce research and integrated information products relevant to National Park System resources and connected regions.
What category and CFDA number are associated with this opportunity?
The notice categorizes the opportunity under education/environment/natural resources and lists CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System).
Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The NPS point of contact is June Zastrow, reachable at 303-987-6718 and JuneZastrow@nps.gov.
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