Scientific Investigation of Wildlife Disease Outbreaks | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The opportunity titled Scientific Investigation of Wildlife Disease Outbreaks (Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00104) is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to award, not an open solicitation. In other words, it is published to notify the public that NPS plans to fund a specific project without full and open competition. The planned funding is a continuation award made through a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning NPS expects to be substantially involved in the work rather than simply providing funds and receiving a final report.

The anticipated recipient is Colorado State University (CSU), specifically the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (CSUVDL), with Dr. Terry Spraker listed as the principal investigator/program manager. The total anticipated federal funding amount is $148,500, with no cost share or matching requirement. The award is structured as a task agreement (P14AC00636) under an existing cooperative agreement (H2370094000), with performance running from the date of award through 12/31/2015. It is administered under CFDA 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System (CESU), and routed through the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) with a noted negotiated indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent.

Programmatically, the work sits within the NPS Biological Resource Management Division (BRMD), whose mission is to help parks and partners preserve and manage biological resources and ecosystem processes. A central rationale for the project is that wildlife disease outbreaks can emerge or spread quickly, and rapid, scientifically sound investigation is needed to capture time-sensitive data about disease ecology, distribution, and population-level impacts. The notice highlights particular concern for diseases with potentially population-limiting effects, including bighorn sheep pneumonia complex and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affecting deer and elk. The expected benefit of the project is to strengthen the scientific foundation NPS and partners use to monitor active outbreaks and improve the ability to predict, manage, or potentially prevent future events.

The project scope focuses on scientific investigation and response support for two active outbreak situations: bighorn sheep mortality centered around Mojave National Preserve in California, and CWD centered around Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. CSUVDL is described as providing specialized diagnostic and field-investigation capacity, including access to expert staff in microbiology, immunology, and pathology, along with facilities, research resources, and trained technicians and students. The co-location of NPS wildlife health program staff and CSUVDL in Fort Collins, Colorado is emphasized as a practical advantage that supports close coordination on planning, deployment, and reporting regardless of where outbreaks occur.

The recipient responsibilities described include assisting with study design and field investigation planning; helping capture and monitor animals to collect information on movement, habitat, disease occurrence, distribution, and trends over time (including the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals delivered by hand injection or remote delivery systems when needed); conducting postmortem examinations and handling carcass sampling; managing data and mapping disease distribution; providing technical consultation on pathology, epidemiology, and disease ecology; and collaborating on data analysis and preparing manuscripts for publication. Training is also a built-in element, with CSUVDL positioned to train NPS and partner staff in outbreak investigation techniques and to involve students in applied wildlife disease work.

NPS’s role is presented as substantial, which is consistent with using a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. NPS responsibilities include jointly selecting and placing CSU staff for outbreak investigations; co-developing study plans, sampling protocols, and data collection methods; participating collaboratively in investigation activities through analysis and publication; and supporting educational opportunities that broaden student exposure to real-world wildlife health issues. The partnership is framed as mutually beneficial: NPS gains diagnostic and investigative capacity during urgent outbreaks, while CSU gains field experience and applied research opportunities for staff and students.

Finally, the notice explains why the award is non-competitive. Under Department of the Interior single-source policy, NPS cites the justification criterion of continuation, meaning the work is necessary to complete or continue an ongoing activity and competing it would significantly harm continuity or completion. The authority for entering into this cooperative agreement is tied to multiple statutory provisions (including 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933) that allow NPS to partner with educational institutions through cooperative research and training programs, including the CESU network. The listed NPS point of contact for the notice is June Zastrow (303-987-6718; junezastrow@nps.gov), and the posting date shown is May 16, 2014, with a closing date of May 30, 2014, reflecting the public notice window rather than an application deadline.

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