Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00328
Apply for F14AS00328
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Survey protocol for the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle (VELB)." and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.660 Endangered Species Candidate Conservation Action Funds.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 22, 2014 and posted on Jul 22, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 19, 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 $200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00328) is a 2014 discretionary grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offered as a cooperative agreement, focused on improving how scientists and field practitioners survey for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle (VELB). The agency set aside a total of $200,000 for a single award, with both the floor and ceiling fixed at $200,000, and no cost-sharing or matching requirement. It was posted on July 22, 2014, and closed on August 19, 2014 (archived August 20, 2014). The program is tied to CFDA 15.660, which relates to endangered species and candidate conservation action funds, and it sits within an environmental funding activity category.
The core purpose of the grant is the development of a refined, defensible survey protocol for VELB that goes beyond simply describing field techniques. The Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for proposals that meaningfully increase the likelihood of detecting the beetle when it is present, which implies an emphasis on improving sampling design, timing, effort allocation, and detection tools. Just as important, the resulting protocol needs to explicitly determine the probability of detection, meaning it should allow a statistical interpretation of survey results so that practitioners can estimate whether VELB is present or absent at a given site with measurable confidence rather than relying on a simple observed/not observed outcome. In practice, that typically means a method designed around repeatable sampling, calibrated detection rates, and analytical approaches that account for imperfect detection.
A key technical requirement is that the protocol must be able to distinguish VELB from the closely related California elderberry longhorn beetle. This signals that the agency wants a method that reduces misidentification risk in the field or lab, whether through clearer diagnostic guidance, improved specimen handling and verification steps, or the use of new detection technologies that can separate the two taxa reliably. The protocol also needs to be suitable for future, broader applications, specifically supporting studies of VELB status and distribution across its range. In other words, the agency is not only funding a one-off survey approach for a single project area; it wants something scalable and standardized enough to support consistent monitoring and comparison across locations and over time.
The announcement also addresses potential impacts of survey techniques on the species itself. If an applicant proposes survey methods that could cause mortality to VELB, the proposal is expected to quantify both the amount of mortality and its geographic extent. That requirement pushes applicants to think carefully about minimizing harm, documenting tradeoffs, and being transparent about any lethal sampling or inadvertent impacts that could occur during survey and identification work.
While eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity can apply (subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement), the agency strongly encourages applicants with expertise in innovative technologies. Synthetic pheromones are explicitly mentioned, indicating interest in advanced detection approaches that might improve capture rates or enable more targeted monitoring compared to traditional visual searches or indirect sign-based methods. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at producing a scientifically rigorous, practical, and widely usable protocol that improves detection, supports statistically defensible presence/absence conclusions, avoids confusion with similar species, and can serve as a foundation for range-wide conservation and management decisions.
For questions or trouble accessing the full announcement materials, the posted contact was John Ridilla at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (916-930-5624, JohnRidilla@fws.gov), and the additional information link pointed to Grants.gov.
Funding Opportunity F14AS00328 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) - FAQs
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a 2014 discretionary grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) offered as a cooperative agreement. It supports work to improve how scientists and field practitioners survey for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle (VELB).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F14AS00328.
What type of award is being offered?
The award is offered as a cooperative agreement.
How much funding is available?
The agency set aside a total of $200,000 for this opportunity.
Is there a minimum or maximum award amount?
Yes. The award floor is $200,000 and the award ceiling is also $200,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity indicates funding for a single award.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on July 22, 2014, and it closed on August 19, 2014. It was archived on August 20, 2014.
What CFDA program is this tied to?
This opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.660, relating to Endangered Species and Candidate Conservation Action Funds.
What is the funding activity category?
It sits within an environmental funding activity category.
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The core purpose is to develop a refined, defensible survey protocol for VELB that goes beyond describing field techniques, with a focus on meaningfully improving the likelihood of detecting the beetle when it is present.
What kinds of improvements is USFWS looking for in the survey protocol?
The description emphasizes improvements that affect detectability, such as sampling design, timing, effort allocation, and detection tools, rather than only documenting how to conduct field surveys.
Does the protocol need to address detection probability?
Yes. A central requirement is that the resulting protocol explicitly determine the probability of detection so survey results can be interpreted statistically, allowing practitioners to estimate presence or absence with measurable confidence rather than relying only on observed/not observed outcomes.
Why is “imperfect detection” important in this opportunity?
The opportunity highlights that surveys should support analytical approaches that account for imperfect detection, meaning the protocol should recognize that a species can be present but not detected and should be structured so results remain statistically defensible.
Does the protocol need to be repeatable and standardized?
Yes. The protocol is expected to support repeatable sampling and calibrated detection rates, and it should be scalable and standardized enough to support consistent monitoring and comparisons across locations and over time.
Is differentiating VELB from other similar species required?
Yes. A key technical requirement is that the protocol must be able to distinguish VELB from the closely related California elderberry longhorn beetle.
How does the opportunity suggest reducing misidentification risk?
It signals the need for methods that reduce misidentification risk in the field or lab, potentially through clearer diagnostic guidance, improved specimen handling and verification steps, or new detection technologies that can reliably separate the two taxa.
Is the protocol expected to support broader, future applications?
Yes. The protocol needs to be suitable for future, broader applications, specifically supporting studies of VELB status and distribution across its range.
Is this intended to be a one-off approach for a single project area?
No. The opportunity indicates the agency is seeking something usable beyond a single project area, with an emphasis on a protocol that can support range-wide monitoring and comparable results over time.
What does the opportunity say about survey methods that could harm the species?
If an applicant proposes survey methods that could cause mortality to VELB, the proposal is expected to quantify both the amount of mortality and its geographic extent.
Does the opportunity encourage any particular kinds of expertise?
Yes. While eligibility is described as unrestricted, the agency strongly encourages applicants with expertise in innovative technologies.
Are synthetic pheromones relevant to this funding opportunity?
Yes. Synthetic pheromones are explicitly mentioned, indicating interest in advanced detection approaches that may improve capture rates or enable more targeted monitoring compared to traditional methods.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity can apply (subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement).
Where could applicants find the full announcement materials?
The additional information link pointed to Grants.gov.
Who was the contact person for questions or access issues?
The posted contact was John Ridilla at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What contact details were provided?
Phone: 916-930-5624. Email: JohnRidilla@fws.gov.
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