Opportunity Information: Apply for P14AC00505
Apply for P14AC00505
- The National Park Service in the environment information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Synthesis of Vegetation Data for Nine National Parks" 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 May 9, 2014 and posted on May 9, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 23, 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 $34,740.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $34,740.00 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) grant opportunity titled "Synthesis of Vegetation Data for Nine National Parks" (Funding Opportunity Number P14AC00505) was a discretionary cooperative agreement focused on analyzing and summarizing the first major cycle of vegetation monitoring data collected across nine parks in the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Network. The broader purpose was to turn a decade of on-the-ground monitoring into publishable science products that park managers and other NPS networks could actually use, with a clear emphasis on questions tied to climate change. Timing was also a major driver: the NPS wanted the resulting papers published by 2016 to align with two milestones, the tenth anniversary of the network's monitoring program and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
At the core of the project was the development of two peer-reviewed scientific papers. These papers were expected to synthesize long-term vegetation monitoring results to explain how plant species currently found in Great Lakes Network parks appear to be responding to climate-related pressures. Beyond describing current patterns, the work was also meant to anticipate future changes by identifying likely species range shifts, flagging which shifts might be most concerning from a conservation or management perspective, and describing how those distribution changes could reshape plant communities inside the parks. In practical terms, the papers were intended to translate monitoring data into insights about vulnerability, ecological change, and possible future trajectories for park vegetation, rather than simply reporting raw trends.
The project structure reflected a cooperative arrangement where both the recipient and NPS had defined roles. The recipient (an eligible public or state-controlled institution of higher education) was expected to bring subject-matter expertise in data synthesis and interpretation, contribute plant functional trait data for the species included in the analyses, perform the synthesis work, and prepare the initial drafts of the manuscripts. The NPS role was to supply the long-term monitoring datasets necessary to meet the objectives, provide information on fire history across the network parks (a key ecological driver that can interact with climate effects), assist with project specifics, and collaborate directly with the Principal Investigator (PI) and graduate students involved. This setup indicates the NPS was not only funding an external analysis, but also actively participating through data provision and technical collaboration to ensure the products were aligned with management needs and monitoring realities.
A notable element of the announcement is that the NPS did not pursue full and open competition for the award. The justification given was based on the qualifications and prior performance of a specific Principal Investigator described as a leading authority on long-term changes in the forest herbaceous layer in the upper Midwest, with extensive publication experience. The NPS also emphasized that this PI had an established working relationship with the Great Lakes I&M Network, including previous contributions to developing a long-term forest monitoring protocol and evaluating methods related to deer browsing impacts, and that earlier deliverables were both timely and high quality. In effect, the agency framed this as a targeted collaboration where specialized expertise and proven performance were central reasons for limiting competition.
Administratively, this opportunity was posted on May 9, 2014, and closed on May 23, 2014, with an archive date of June 22, 2014. It anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $34,740 (which also served as the award ceiling, with no stated award floor). There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, which typically signals ongoing federal involvement in the work rather than a hands-off grant. The activity category was listed under Environment, Information and Statistics, and it was associated with CFDA number 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System. For access issues or administrative questions, the contact listed was Julie Hendricks, Lead Grants Management Specialist (phone 402-661-1662).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Synthesis of Vegetation Data for Nine National Parks (NPS)
What is the title of this NPS grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Synthesis of Vegetation Data for Nine National Parks".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P14AC00505.
Which agency offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the National Park Service (NPS).
What type of funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument was a discretionary cooperative agreement, indicating active federal involvement in the project (for example, data provision and collaboration during the work).
What was the main purpose of the project?
The main purpose was to analyze and summarize the first major cycle of long-term vegetation monitoring data collected across nine parks in the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Network, and to turn roughly a decade of monitoring into publishable science products that park managers and other NPS networks could use.
How did climate change factor into the project goals?
A clear emphasis was placed on questions tied to climate change. The synthesis was expected to explain how plant species in Great Lakes Network parks appear to be responding to climate-related pressures and to anticipate potential future changes.
What were the required deliverables?
The core deliverables were two peer-reviewed scientific papers synthesizing long-term vegetation monitoring results.
What topics were the two papers expected to cover?
Based on the monitoring data, the papers were expected to:
- Describe how current plant species and vegetation patterns appear to be responding to climate-related pressures.
- Identify likely species range shifts.
- Flag which shifts might be most concerning from a conservation or management perspective.
- Describe how distribution changes could reshape plant communities within the parks.
- Translate monitoring data into insights about vulnerability, ecological change, and possible future trajectories (not just report raw trends).
Why was timing important for this opportunity?
The NPS wanted the resulting papers published by 2016 to align with two milestones: the 10th anniversary of the network's monitoring program and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
Which parks or region did the project focus on?
The work focused on vegetation monitoring data from nine national parks in the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Network.
Who was eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant type identified was an eligible public or state-controlled institution of higher education.
Was this opportunity competed as full and open competition?
No. The announcement stated that the NPS did not pursue full and open competition.
Why did NPS limit competition for this award?
The justification was based on the qualifications and prior performance of a specific Principal Investigator (PI) described as a leading authority on long-term changes in the forest herbaceous layer in the upper Midwest, with extensive publication experience and an established working relationship with the Great Lakes I&M Network. The NPS cited timely, high-quality prior deliverables and prior contributions to protocol development and evaluation of methods related to deer browsing impacts.
What were the recipient's responsibilities under the cooperative agreement?
The recipient was expected to:
- Provide subject-matter expertise in data synthesis and interpretation.
- Contribute plant functional trait data for the species included in the analyses.
- Perform the synthesis work.
- Prepare the initial drafts of the manuscripts.
What were the NPS responsibilities in the project?
The NPS role was to:
- Supply the long-term vegetation monitoring datasets needed to meet the objectives.
- Provide information on fire history across the network parks (noted as a key ecological driver that can interact with climate effects).
- Assist with project specifics.
- Collaborate directly with the Principal Investigator (PI) and involved graduate students.
How was fire history relevant to the project?
Fire history was identified as a key ecological driver that can interact with climate effects, and NPS planned to provide fire history information across the network parks to support the analyses.
How much funding was available?
The estimated total funding amount was $34,740.
What was the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling was $34,740. There was no stated award floor.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated a single award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on May 9, 2014 and closed on May 23, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was June 22, 2014.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was associated with CFDA 15.945, titled Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System.
What activity categories were listed for this opportunity?
The activity category was listed under Environment, Information and Statistics.
Who was the listed contact for access issues or administrative questions?
The contact listed was Julie Hendricks, Lead Grants Management Specialist, phone 402-661-1662.
What kind of outputs was NPS trying to create from the monitoring data?
The intent was to convert long-term, on-the-ground monitoring into publishable science products that were also directly useful to park managers and potentially transferable to other NPS networks, with a management-relevant framing around climate-linked vegetation change.
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