Opportunity Information: Apply for F15AS00310
Apply for F15AS00310
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tracking, Foraging and Migration Behavior of Northern Long Eared Bats on and around Marthas Vineyard, MA" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650 Research Grants (Generic).
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 7, 2015 and posted on Jul 7, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by No applications are being accepted for this award. This is a single source financial award. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $89,399.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $89,399.00 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:
The grant opportunity titled "Tracking, Foraging and Migration Behavior of Northern Long Eared Bats on and around Marthas Vineyard, MA" is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Region 5 announcement describing a planned, single-source cooperative agreement award to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It is strictly a notice of intent to fund a specific partner for a project period not to exceed two years, meaning it is not a competitive solicitation. No new or additional proposals are being accepted, and the posting functions mainly as public documentation of the award.
The project itself focuses on understanding how the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis, often abbreviated MYSE), a species proposed as endangered, moves and behaves on and around Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, including both onshore and offshore activity. A key driver behind the work is White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that has severely affected many bat populations across the region. In 2014, FWS funded a pilot mist-netting survey on Martha's Vineyard to confirm whether MYSE were still present after WNS impacts. That pilot effort found MYSE still occurring on the island and suggested they may be present at higher numbers than on nearby mainland areas that have been heavily impacted by WNS. The agency also notes that early capture-rate data from the island looked comparable to capture rates in New York before WNS, which raises important conservation and management questions about why Martha's Vineyard may be serving as a relatively resilient area or refuge.
Building on the pilot work, the proposed follow-up effort involves additional summer mist-netting in partnership with BiodiversityWorks, a local nonprofit environmental organization. The practical goal of capturing bats is to enable radio-tracking, which can reveal where bats are roosting and what characteristics those roost sites have, such as tree species, roost structure, or habitat conditions. This kind of roost identification is central to conservation planning because it helps land managers understand what habitat features need protection, and it can also clarify whether bats are using particular forest stands, edges, or other landscape elements during sensitive periods like maternity season.
A notable feature of this project is the planned use of "nanotag" series coded radio transmitters. These transmitters allow researchers to track tagged bats using both handheld receivers (for close-range, on-the-ground locating of individual animals and roosts) and stationary tower-based receivers (for broader, continuous detection of movements, including potential offshore travel). The tower network is designed to integrate with other concurrent bat movement research, so that any receiving station capable of detecting nanotag signals can collect data from all tagged bats, not just those tagged by one team. The announcement specifically points to coordination with receiving stations proposed to be funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other partners, and it anticipates data-sharing and collaborative field support among researchers, including help locating bats on the ground.
In terms of field infrastructure, the plan includes installing radio telemetry receiving towers on Martha's Vineyard and an additional tower on Naushon Island, which is part of the Elizabeth Islands chain. Combining stationary tower detections with handheld tracking is intended to provide a more complete picture of both local activity (such as nightly foraging movements and roost switching) and broader-scale movements (including potential offshore crossings or migratory behavior). The project also aligns with other bat movement studies proposed by the University of Massachusetts and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on offshore bat movement in Maine and Massachusetts. The idea is to leverage shared equipment, compatible tracking technology, and coordinated staff efforts so multiple research questions can be addressed efficiently without duplicating costs.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary environmental and natural resources assistance award using a cooperative agreement instrument. The funding opportunity number is F15AS00310, with a Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) listing of 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic). The total expected funding is $89,399, and because it is single-source, the award floor and ceiling are both $89,399. Only one award is expected. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated. The posting date is July 7, 2015, and the opportunity was archived on August 28, 2015. Although the eligibility field indicates "unrestricted" in a general sense, the text makes clear that the Service intends to make the award directly to UMass Amherst as a partner in the Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, and the notice explicitly states that applications are not being accepted.
For reference and access, the announcement points to Grants.gov for additional information, and provides a contact at the Fish and Wildlife Service: Christine Guimond (413-253-8607, ChristineGuimond@fws.gov) for assistance with accessing the full announcement electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Tracking, Foraging and Migration Behavior of Northern Long Eared Bats on and around Marthas Vineyard, MA."
Which agency is announcing this opportunity?
This announcement is from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Region 5.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. It is a notice of intent to make a planned, single-source cooperative agreement award. The posting is not a competitive solicitation.
Are new proposals or applications being accepted?
No. The notice explicitly states that no new or additional proposals are being accepted.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to make the award to the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst).
Why does the eligibility section say "unrestricted" if it is single-source?
Although the eligibility field is listed as "unrestricted" in a general sense, the narrative makes clear the Service is proceeding as a single-source award to UMass Amherst as a partner in the Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, and the notice states applications are not being accepted.
What is the purpose of posting this notice if applications are not accepted?
The posting functions mainly as public documentation of the planned award (a notice of intent to fund a specific partner), rather than a call for competing proposals.
What species is the project focused on?
The project focuses on the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), often abbreviated as MYSE.
Where will the research take place?
The work focuses on bat movement and behavior on and around Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, including onshore and offshore activity. The plan also includes an additional receiving tower on Naushon Island (part of the Elizabeth Islands chain).
What conservation issue is driving the research?
A key driver is White-nose Syndrome (WNS), which has severely affected many bat populations across the region.
What earlier work does this project build on?
In 2014, FWS funded a pilot mist-netting survey on Martha's Vineyard to confirm whether northern long-eared bats were still present after WNS impacts. The pilot found MYSE still occurring on the island and suggested they may be present at higher numbers than on nearby mainland areas heavily impacted by WNS.
Why is Martha's Vineyard considered important in the announcement?
The notice indicates capture-rate data from the island appeared comparable to capture rates in New York before WNS. This raises conservation and management questions about whether Martha's Vineyard may be serving as a relatively resilient area or refuge.
What field methods are planned for the follow-up work?
The follow-up effort includes additional summer mist-netting to capture bats so they can be radio-tracked.
Who is the local partner mentioned for mist-netting work?
The announcement describes partnering with BiodiversityWorks, a local nonprofit environmental organization.
Why capture bats (mist-netting) as part of the study?
The practical purpose of capturing bats is to enable radio-tracking, which can reveal where bats roost and how they move through the landscape during activities like foraging and roost switching.
What kind of information does radio-tracking help collect?
Radio-tracking can help identify roost locations and document roost characteristics (for example, tree species, roost structure, or habitat conditions), as well as patterns of movement that may include nightly foraging behavior and broader movements.
How does roost identification support conservation planning?
Finding roosts and understanding their characteristics can help land managers identify habitat features that may need protection, and it can clarify habitat use during sensitive periods such as maternity season.
What tracking technology is specifically planned for this project?
The project plans to use "nanotag" series coded radio transmitters.
How will tagged bats be tracked in the field?
Tracking is planned through a combination of handheld receivers (used for close-range, on-the-ground locating of bats and roosts) and stationary tower-based receivers (used for broader, continuous detection of movements, including potential offshore travel).
What is the role of stationary receiving towers in this study?
The tower network is intended to provide continuous detections and capture broader-scale movement patterns that can be difficult to observe using handheld tracking alone, including possible offshore crossings or migratory behavior.
Where will receiving towers be installed?
The plan includes installing radio telemetry receiving towers on Martha's Vineyard and an additional tower on Naushon Island.
How does this project connect to other bat research efforts?
The announcement anticipates integration with other concurrent bat movement research by using compatible tracking technology and coordinating receiving stations. It notes coordination with stations proposed to be funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other partners, and alignment with other studies proposed by the University of Massachusetts and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on offshore bat movement in Maine and Massachusetts.
Will data be shared among projects or partners?
Yes. The notice describes the tower network as designed for integrated detection, where receiving stations capable of detecting nanotag signals can collect data from all tagged bats, not only those tagged by one team, and it anticipates data-sharing and collaborative field support among researchers.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is F15AS00310.
What is the CFDA program number listed?
The CFDA listing is 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic).
What type of award is this?
This is described as a discretionary environmental and natural resources assistance award using a cooperative agreement instrument.
How much funding is expected?
The total expected funding amount is $89,399.
What are the award floor and ceiling amounts?
Because this is a single-source announcement, the award floor is $89,399 and the award ceiling is also $89,399.
How many awards are expected?
Only one award is expected.
Is cost sharing or a match required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the information provided.
How long is the project period?
The project period is not to exceed two years.
When was the opportunity posted and when was it archived?
The posting date is July 7, 2015, and the opportunity was archived on August 28, 2015.
Where can someone find additional information about the announcement?
The notice points to Grants.gov for additional information.
Who is the listed contact for help accessing the full announcement?
The contact listed is Christine Guimond at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Phone: 413-253-8607. Email: ChristineGuimond@fws.gov.
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