Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AS00178
Apply for P14AS00178
- The National Park Service in the education environment information and statistics natural resources science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SENSORY ECOLOGY AND THE EFFECTS OF NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION ON WILDLIFE" 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 Jul 15, 2014 and posted on Jul 15, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 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 $502,252.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $502,252.00 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:
The National Park Service (NPS) announcement titled "Sensory Ecology and the Effects of Noise and Light Pollution on Wildlife" is a notice of intent to award, not a competitive call for applications. In practical terms, it is public documentation that NPS planned to continue funding an existing, ongoing cooperative research effort with Colorado State University (CSU) rather than opening the work up for full and open competition. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number P14AS00178, with an anticipated total award of $502,251.80, no cost-share requirement, and a period of performance running from the award date through 08/30/2016. The award instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, meaning NPS expected substantial, hands-on involvement in shaping and conducting the work, rather than simply issuing funds and receiving a final deliverable.
The project is led on the university side by Dr. George Wittemyer at CSU and is administered through the Cooperative Research and Training Programs framework associated with the NPS Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network (CFDA 15.945). The statutory authorities cited (including 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933) generally support NPS entering cooperative agreements with universities and other entities to conduct coordinated research and training relevant to national park resources. The announcement also explains that the agreement runs through the Rocky Mountains CESU and uses a negotiated indirect cost (overhead) rate of 17.5 percent, reflecting the CESU structure and requirements.
Substantively, the work focuses on sensory ecology, with a strong emphasis on understanding how human-caused noise, and potentially artificial light at night, affect wildlife behavior, ecology, and broader ecosystem processes in and around protected natural areas. The rationale is that noise is widespread even in parks and wilderness settings. The announcement cites prior monitoring in 22 park units indicating that noise is audible roughly one quarter of the time on an hourly median basis, with some wilderness locations experiencing noise audibility exceeding 50 percent in some hours. It frames noise as a chronic pollutant with documented links to changes in wildlife behavior, fitness, distribution, and community structure, and even indirect effects on plant communities via altered animal interactions. Light pollution is treated as another important but comparatively less-understood stressor, with existing literature documenting ecological impacts that merit further study in park contexts.
The stated goal of the task agreement is to stimulate and carry out both observational and experimental research that clarifies key uncertainties and produces information NPS can use to set management priorities and design effective mitigation. The announcement outlines a menu of likely research directions rather than a single narrow study design, reflecting that the exact projects may evolve based on staffing, field opportunities, and instrumentation. Examples of anticipated activities include measuring how noise exposure changes time and energy budgets for free-ranging animals; developing or using laboratory systems where responses to noise and light can be tested under controlled conditions; characterizing how quickly animals respond to disturbance and how long recovery takes after exposure ends; and using noise-broadcast systems to isolate the effects of sound from other human cues (which may require new equipment design). Another major theme is advancing monitoring methods, such as assessing the spatial coverage and information content of acoustic recordings for tracking both noise sources and wildlife activity, and comparing acoustics-based monitoring with other wildlife survey tools like camera traps, video monitoring, and point count or transect surveys.
The agreement also emphasizes technology development and analytical methods, including devices that can record sound on free-ranging animals (and systems for retrieving and interpreting those data), approaches for modeling noise exposure at regional to continental scales to evaluate current and future conditions around parks, and new techniques for collecting and processing environmental acoustics and "lightscape" data. It includes applied management-oriented components, such as monitoring noise sources, predicting benefits from reducing noise output, and designing controlled observational studies that test whether making habitats quieter or darker produces measurable ecological benefits. A specific applied monitoring example mentioned is acoustic monitoring at two sites in Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway to document changes related to the operation of the Zavoral Gravel Mine just outside the park boundary, supported by separate NPS regional funding.
Beyond the science, the announcement explains the public-purpose outcomes NPS expects: building the scientific basis for evaluating noise impacts on wildlife, strengthening collaboration between academic scientists and natural resource managers, supporting training and career development for students and early-career researchers, and producing peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. It also highlights interdisciplinary benefits within CSU by encouraging collaboration between the Warner College (natural resources) and the College of Engineering, with the possibility of workshops or conferences later even though none were scheduled at the time of the notice.
Roles are clearly split but intentionally intertwined, consistent with a cooperative agreement. CSU is responsible for staffing and execution on the university side: appointing the principal investigator, recruiting and enabling postdoctoral researchers and other associates, supervising research staff and students, maintaining office space for key personnel, organizing regular coordination meetings with NPS, producing annual reports and a final report, and ensuring NPS is acknowledged in publications and presentations derived from the project. NPS, for its part, commits to more than oversight: it provides funding, assigns an Agreement Technical Representative (ATR) and a Subject Matter Expert (SME), participates in defining research priorities and schedules, offers regular technical consultation, shares acoustic data and specialized equipment, joins meetings, contributes to analyses and manuscript development when appropriate, and reviews draft papers. NPS also notes that some CSU personnel may be co-located with NPS staff (desk space within the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division), reinforcing the collaborative nature of the work. The ATR is tasked with ensuring CSU performance aligns with the agreement and approving significant scope or budget changes, and both parties plan a 30-day wrap-up period after the final report to close out the project.
Finally, the notice explains why the award is single-source and noncompetitive: it is justified under the Department of the Interior single-source policy as a "continuation" action. The reasoning is that the activity is a direct continuation of work already being funded, and competing it would risk disrupting continuity or completion. This is why the announcement functions mainly as transparency documentation about an intended continuation award to CSU, rather than an invitation for new applicants to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Sensory Ecology and the Effects of Noise and Light Pollution on Wildlife (NPS)
Is this a competitive grant that new applicants can apply for?
No. The announcement is a notice of intent to award, not a competitive call for applications. It documents that the National Park Service (NPS) planned to continue funding an existing cooperative research effort with Colorado State University (CSU) rather than opening the work to full and open competition.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is P14AS00178.
Who is the intended recipient of this award?
The intended recipient is Colorado State University (CSU), continuing an ongoing cooperative research effort administered through the CESU-related Cooperative Research and Training Programs framework.
Why is the award being made as a single-source (noncompetitive) action?
The notice states the award is justified under the Department of the Interior single-source policy as a "continuation" action. The rationale is that the work directly continues activities already being funded, and competing it could disrupt continuity or completion.
What is the anticipated total award amount?
The anticipated total award amount is $502,251.80.
Is a cost share or match required?
No. The notice specifies that there is no cost-share requirement.
What is the project period of performance?
The period of performance runs from the award date through 08/30/2016.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The award instrument is a Cooperative Agreement. This indicates NPS expected substantial involvement in shaping and conducting the work, rather than simply providing funds and receiving final deliverables.
What program framework or network is this agreement associated with?
The agreement is associated with the NPS Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network and is administered through the Cooperative Research and Training Programs framework (CFDA 15.945).
What indirect cost (overhead) rate is mentioned?
The notice states the agreement uses a negotiated indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent, reflecting CESU structure and requirements.
What is the project about in plain terms?
The work focuses on sensory ecology, emphasizing how human-caused noise and potentially artificial light at night affect wildlife behavior, ecology, and broader ecosystem processes in and around protected natural areas.
Why is noise a focus for NPS in parks and wilderness settings?
The notice frames noise as widespread even in parks and wilderness settings. It cites monitoring in 22 park units indicating noise is audible roughly one quarter of the time on an hourly median basis, with some wilderness locations exceeding 50 percent noise audibility in some hours.
How does the notice describe noise as an environmental stressor?
Noise is described as a chronic pollutant linked to changes in wildlife behavior, fitness, distribution, and community structure, with potential indirect effects on plant communities through altered animal interactions.
How is light pollution treated in this opportunity?
Light pollution is identified as another important but comparatively less-understood stressor. The notice notes that existing literature documents ecological impacts and that further study is warranted in park contexts.
What is the stated goal of the task agreement?
The stated goal is to stimulate and carry out observational and experimental research that clarifies key uncertainties and produces information NPS can use to set management priorities and design effective mitigation.
Is the work limited to one fixed study design?
No. The notice outlines a menu of likely research directions rather than a single narrow study design, noting that exact projects may evolve based on staffing, field opportunities, and instrumentation.
What are examples of the types of research activities anticipated?
Examples described include measuring how noise exposure changes time and energy budgets for free-ranging animals; using laboratory systems to test responses to noise and light under controlled conditions; assessing response and recovery times after exposure; and using noise-broadcast systems to isolate sound effects from other human cues (including possible new equipment design).
What monitoring and survey method improvements are included in the scope?
The agreement emphasizes advancing monitoring methods such as evaluating spatial coverage and information content of acoustic recordings for tracking noise sources and wildlife activity, and comparing acoustic monitoring with tools like camera traps, video monitoring, and point count or transect surveys.
What technology development is mentioned?
The notice includes technology and analytical development such as devices that can record sound on free-ranging animals (and systems to retrieve and interpret those data), techniques to collect and process environmental acoustics and "lightscape" data, and modeling approaches to estimate noise exposure from regional to continental scales.
Does the project include applied, management-oriented components?
Yes. The notice describes applied components such as monitoring noise sources, predicting benefits from reducing noise output, and designing controlled observational studies to test whether making habitats quieter or darker yields measurable ecological benefits.
Is any specific applied example site mentioned?
Yes. The notice mentions acoustic monitoring at two sites in Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway to document changes related to the operation of the Zavoral Gravel Mine outside the park boundary, supported by separate NPS regional funding.
Who leads the project on the university side?
The project is led at CSU by Dr. George Wittemyer.
What does CSU commit to doing under the cooperative agreement?
CSU responsibilities described include appointing the principal investigator; recruiting and supporting postdoctoral researchers and other associates; supervising staff and students; maintaining office space for key personnel; organizing regular coordination meetings with NPS; producing annual and final reports; and acknowledging NPS in publications and presentations resulting from the work.
What does NPS commit to doing under the cooperative agreement?
NPS commitments described include providing funding; assigning an Agreement Technical Representative (ATR) and a Subject Matter Expert (SME); helping define research priorities and schedules; offering regular technical consultation; sharing acoustic data and specialized equipment; participating in meetings; contributing to analyses and manuscript development when appropriate; and reviewing draft papers.
What is the role of the Agreement Technical Representative (ATR)?
The ATR is responsible for ensuring CSU performance aligns with the agreement and for approving significant scope or budget changes.
Will CSU personnel work closely with NPS staff during the project?
Yes. The notice indicates some CSU personnel may be co-located with NPS staff (desk space within the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division), reflecting hands-on collaboration.
What kinds of public-purpose outcomes does NPS expect?
NPS expects outcomes such as building the scientific basis for evaluating noise impacts on wildlife, strengthening collaboration between academic scientists and natural resource managers, supporting training and career development for students and early-career researchers, and producing peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Are workshops or conferences included as part of the planned work?
The notice mentions the possibility of workshops or conferences later, but none were scheduled at the time of the notice.
Which statutory authorities are cited for NPS entering into this cooperative agreement?
The notice cites statutory authorities including 16 USC 1(g), 16 USC 1a-2(j), and 16 USC 5933, described as supporting NPS entering cooperative agreements with universities and other entities for coordinated research and training relevant to national park resources.
Is there a closeout period mentioned after the final report?
Yes. The notice describes a 30-day wrap-up period after the final report to close out the project.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Environment Information and Statistics Natural Resources Science and Technology and other Research and Development
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Previous opportunity: New Jersey Pinelands Long term Environmental and Economic Monitoring Program under Cooperative Agreement P13AC00554 between the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and the NPS.
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