Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP15AC01144
Apply for NPS NOIP15AC01144
- The National Park Service in the environment natural resources science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Influence of Marititme Environment at Five National Park Units THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" 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 Aug 21, 2015 and posted on Aug 21, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $203,477.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $203,477.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Members of the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU
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Opportunity Summary:
This notice describes a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement, not an open, competitive grant solicitation. Even though it appears in the grants system with dates and a funding amount, it is explicitly labeled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS," meaning the NPS was not asking the public to apply. Instead, it documents an already-planned partnership under Cooperative Agreement P15ACI1144 between the U.S. Department of the Interior (NPS) and Dr. Sarah Johnson at Northland College, working in collaboration with the NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN). The overall purpose is research and publication focused on how Great Lakes vegetation responds to climate change, especially where conditions are shaped by proximity to large lakes (a maritime or lake-influenced environment) and where rare plant populations may be especially sensitive.
The project has two main scientific tracks. The first is a tree-core (dendrochronology) effort designed to detect climate-related growth patterns and relate them to how close forests are to large lake environments. Northland College student employees are expected to do much of the field sampling, collecting tree cores and also gathering data from GLKN's long-term vegetation monitoring plots while under GLKN staff supervision. After fieldwork, Dr. Jonathan Martin will oversee the lab side with students, including sanding and treating the cores, then reading and interpreting ring patterns to reconstruct growth responses over time. The second track focuses on rare plant demographics at Isle Royale National Park (ISRO), resampling 38 established plots to understand population trends, structure, and likely future trajectories under changing environmental conditions. This rare plant work includes a major data stewardship component: GLKN staff, including Suzanne Sanders and Jessica Kirschbaum, will develop databases to store and manage the monitoring data, and they will digitize prior sampling rounds that currently exist only on paper. Those legacy datasets are being transferred from Dr. Emmet Judziewicz (University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point), who was retiring in 2015 and intended to hand the project off to the NPS.
Responsibilities are split clearly between the recipient (Northland College/Dr. Johnson and colleagues) and the NPS. On the recipient side, Northland College will provide seasonal student employees for multiple field seasons (identified as 2016 to 2020) to collect tree cores and sample long-term monitoring plots, and Dr. Johnson will work alongside GLKN staff to relocate and resample the 38 rare plant plots at Isle Royale. The college team will also train and direct students through tree-core preparation and analysis, and Dr. Johnson will co-author peer-reviewed outputs with GLKN staff, including a manuscript focused on rare plant population demographics and projections for Isle Royale species. On the NPS side, GLKN and park staff will actively collaborate on the research, provide a technical representative, advertise and interview for the seasonal positions, and supply tools, training, and field supervision. NPS will also provide needed in-park transportation and logistical support, and it will co-resample the rare plant plots and co-author the associated manuscript. For the Isle Royale work specifically, GLKN commits to providing transportation to and lodging on ISRO for Dr. Johnson so the resampling can be conducted efficiently during the narrow seasonal window when these plants can be reliably detected and identified.
A key point in the notice is why the award was not competed. NPS states it did not solicit full and open competition because Dr. Sarah Johnson had unique qualifications that were essential to the work. The agency emphasizes that both Apostle Islands and Isle Royale contain distinctive and specialized plant communities, and the project requires a researcher who can accurately identify those rare species and understands their ecological niches. The timing and detectability of rare plants depend on emergence, flowering, and visibility, and the sampling locations are remote with difficult logistics, so the project could not afford a training ramp-up period. NPS also notes a practical preference that the awardee be close to GLKN offices, partly because GLKN staff wanted to learn the tree-core preparation process hands-on, making geographic proximity valuable for effective collaboration.
In terms of the administrative details, the opportunity appears under Funding Opportunity Number NPS-NOIP15AC01144 and is categorized as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System). It anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $203,477 (the award ceiling matches that figure), and it did not require cost sharing or matching funds. The posting date was August 21, 2015, with an original and current closing date of August 31, 2015, and an archive date of September 30, 2015. Eligibility is described in a limited way as "Others," with clarification indicating members of the Great Lakes Northern Forests Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), which aligns with the fact that this was a partner-specific cooperative agreement rather than an open call. A grants management contact is provided (Noel Miller, NPS), mainly for access or administrative questions rather than applicant support, since applications were not being accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this a grant that the public can apply for?
No. The notice is explicitly labeled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS." Even though it appears in a grants system with dates and a funding amount, it documents a specific cooperative agreement that was already planned rather than a competitive opportunity open to new applicants.
What type of funding instrument is described in the notice?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement (a discretionary cooperative agreement), not an open, competitive grant solicitation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number listed for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is NPS-NOIP15AC01144.
What program/CFDA number is associated with this cooperative agreement?
The notice lists CFDA 15.945, described as "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
Who are the partners named in the cooperative agreement?
The partnership is between the U.S. Department of the Interior (National Park Service) and Dr. Sarah Johnson at Northland College, working in collaboration with the NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN).
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is research and publication focused on how Great Lakes vegetation responds to climate change, especially in lake-influenced (maritime) environments and in settings where rare plant populations may be particularly sensitive.
What are the two main scientific tracks in the project?
The project includes (1) a tree-core (dendrochronology) effort to detect climate-related growth patterns and relate them to proximity to large lakes, and (2) a rare plant demographics effort at Isle Royale National Park (ISRO) to resample established plots and assess population trends and likely future trajectories under changing conditions.
What does the tree-core (dendrochronology) work involve?
Northland College student employees are expected to do much of the field sampling, including collecting tree cores and gathering data from GLKN's long-term vegetation monitoring plots under GLKN staff supervision. After fieldwork, the project includes lab processing and analysis of the cores (including sanding/treating and reading ring patterns) to reconstruct growth responses over time and relate those responses to climate and lake proximity.
Who oversees the lab preparation and interpretation of the tree cores?
Dr. Jonathan Martin is identified as overseeing the lab side with students, including preparing the cores and reading/interpreting ring patterns.
What does the rare plant work at Isle Royale National Park focus on?
The rare plant track focuses on resampling 38 established plots at Isle Royale National Park (ISRO) to understand population trends, population structure, and likely future trajectories under changing environmental conditions.
How many rare plant plots are being resampled at Isle Royale?
The notice specifies 38 established plots to be relocated and resampled.
Is there a data management or data stewardship component?
Yes. GLKN staff (including Suzanne Sanders and Jessica Kirschbaum) are described as developing databases to store and manage the monitoring data, and digitizing prior sampling rounds that existed only on paper.
Where do the legacy rare plant datasets come from?
The notice states that legacy datasets are being transferred from Dr. Emmet Judziewicz (University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point), who was retiring in 2015 and intended to hand the project off to NPS.
What responsibilities are assigned to Northland College and Dr. Sarah Johnson?
The recipient responsibilities include providing seasonal student employees for multiple field seasons (identified as 2016 to 2020) to collect tree cores and sample long-term monitoring plots; working with GLKN staff to relocate and resample the 38 rare plant plots at Isle Royale; training and directing students through tree-core preparation and analysis; and co-authoring peer-reviewed outputs with GLKN staff, including a manuscript on rare plant population demographics and projections for Isle Royale species.
What responsibilities are assigned to NPS/GLKN and park staff?
NPS responsibilities include active collaboration on the research; providing a technical representative; advertising and interviewing for the seasonal positions; supplying tools, training, and field supervision; providing in-park transportation and logistical support; co-resampling the rare plant plots; and co-authoring the associated manuscript.
Does the notice mention transportation and lodging support for Isle Royale fieldwork?
Yes. For the Isle Royale work, GLKN commits to providing transportation to and lodging on ISRO for Dr. Sarah Johnson so resampling can occur efficiently during the narrow seasonal window when rare plants can be reliably detected and identified.
Why was the award not competed through a full and open solicitation?
NPS states it did not solicit full and open competition because Dr. Sarah Johnson had unique qualifications essential to the work, including the ability to accurately identify specialized and rare plant communities and understand their ecological niches. The notice also highlights logistical constraints (remote sampling locations and difficult access) and the importance of timing (emergence/flowering/visibility) that made a training ramp-up period impractical.
Does geographic proximity to GLKN matter for this project?
Yes. The notice mentions a practical preference that the awardee be close to GLKN offices, in part because GLKN staff wanted hands-on learning in the tree-core preparation process, making proximity valuable for effective collaboration.
What is the estimated total funding amount listed?
The notice lists an estimated total funding amount of $203,477, and the award ceiling matches that figure.
Is cost sharing or matching funds required?
No. The notice states that cost sharing/matching was not required.
How many awards were anticipated?
The notice anticipated a single award.
What are the key posting and closing dates shown in the grants system?
The posting date is August 21, 2015. The original and current closing date is August 31, 2015. The archive date is September 30, 2015.
If this is not open for applications, what do the "closing date" and other dates mean?
Based on the notice language, the dates appear as part of how the item was entered into the grants system, but the notice itself clarifies it is not requesting applications and is documenting a specific cooperative agreement rather than running a competition.
Who is eligible according to the notice?
Eligibility is described as "Others," with clarification indicating members of the Great Lakes Northern Forests Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), consistent with a partner-specific cooperative agreement rather than an open call.
What is the cooperative agreement identifier referenced in the description?
The notice references Cooperative Agreement P15ACI1144.
Which NPS network is specifically named as a collaborator?
The NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN) is named as the collaborating network.
What parks or locations are mentioned as relevant to the work?
The notice discusses rare plant monitoring at Isle Royale National Park (ISRO) and references Apostle Islands as another location with distinctive and specialized plant communities relevant to the overall expertise needed for the project.
What kinds of deliverables are implied by the notice?
The notice emphasizes research and publication, including co-authored peer-reviewed outputs. It specifically mentions a manuscript focused on rare plant population demographics and projections for Isle Royale species, along with databases and digitized records to support long-term stewardship of monitoring data.
Who is listed as the grants management contact?
Noel Miller (NPS) is listed as the grants management contact, mainly for access or administrative questions rather than applicant support, since applications were not being accepted.
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