Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS01001
Apply for P15AS01001
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using GIS and SAR imagery to assess fish and yellow billed loon habitat in the Arctic Network of Alaska Parklands" 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 Jun 15, 2015 and posted on Jun 15, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 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 $40,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 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 a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. There will not be any other cooperator whom are selected for this project.
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Opportunity Summary:
This opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning it is not open for applications and is being posted strictly as public notice. The project, titled "Using GIS and SAR imagery to assess fish and yellow billed loon habitat in the Arctic Network of Alaska Parklands (Bering Land Bridge National Preserve)," is planned as a new cooperative agreement with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The anticipated award amount is up to $100,000 with no cost share required, and the proposed performance period runs from July 1, 2015 through December 31, 2016. It falls under CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System) and is authorized under 54 USC 101702 and 54 USC 100703.
The main purpose of the project is to fill a major information gap about freshwater fish distributions across remote Arctic parklands, where traditional field sampling across thousands of lakes is difficult and expensive. Fish presence and abundance matter because they strongly influence where yellow-billed loons choose to nest, as well as habitat use by other fish-eating waterbirds. The yellow-billed loon is described as a rare species of international concern that depends on reliable fish resources and was recently considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ultimately not listed). Lakes within the NPS Arctic Network (ARCN), including Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA), and nearby areas like the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) are recognized as globally important regions for this species, which makes better fish and lake habitat information especially valuable for management and conservation planning.
Rather than relying on extensive netting or other fisheries techniques, the project will use a remote-sensing and GIS-based approach to infer where fish are likely to occur and overwinter. The work combines multiple datasets and tools, including high-resolution satellite imagery, recently acquired high-resolution digital terrain models, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, ice growth models, and weather station data. These inputs will be used to build a geospatial database describing lake characteristics such as lake type, connectivity (how lakes connect to streams and other waters), depth-related indicators, and flood regimes. A core emphasis is identifying potential overwintering fish habitats, particularly lakes or lake areas that remain partially unfrozen through winter and can support fish survival. The resulting products are intended to help prioritize where additional targeted sampling should occur in the future, including environmental DNA (eDNA) work and more intensive fish and contaminants sampling.
The project is also framed as an expansion of ongoing UAF research already underway nearby. Dr. Christopher Arp and collaborators at UAF have been developing and applying similar remote-sensing methods through the Fish Cafe Project at Fish Creek in the NPR-A in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management. By extending comparable analyses into adjacent NPS parklands, the NPS expects the work to broaden the geographic scope of that effort and allow comparisons of potential overwintering fish habitats across Arctic Alaska, improving regional-scale understanding rather than producing isolated site studies.
Responsibilities are split in a way typical of a cooperative agreement, with substantial NPS involvement built into the work plan. UAF will lead the compilation of climate station data and develop ice growth models that help determine which SAR images to select and how to process them, contribute to a fish-focused, lake-based classification scheme, and participate in analysis of remotely sensed imagery. UAF will also assist NPS with synthesizing results, writing reports and a manuscript, delivering public presentations, and helping develop outreach curriculum materials and public-facing products related to freshwater fish. On the NPS side, the agency will provide the funding (referenced internally as PMIS 186815), set up the CESU agreement to initiate work, contribute existing yellow-billed loon and fish occurrence data from BELA, and support education and outreach components through staff involvement (including an education specialist). NPS will also assist with annual and final accomplishment reporting, support manuscript development, and coordinate data management and long-term archiving of imagery and GIS layers with the park data manager.
The justification for not using full and open competition is explicitly listed as "Unique Qualifications." NPS states that UAF's Fish Cafe Team is uniquely positioned to do this work because of its ongoing, multi-year remote-sensing research on Arctic fisheries resources and lake habitats in the adjacent NPR-A, its specialized technical expertise with these methods, and prior winter field and analysis experience in Arctic Alaska. In short, the award is designed to plug NPS parklands into an existing, proven research framework rather than starting from scratch with a new, competitively selected partner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this grant opportunity open for applications?
No. This is a National Park Service (NPS) notice of intent to make a single-source award. It is posted as public notice only and is not open for competitive applications or proposals.
What does "single-source award" mean in this notice?
It means NPS intends to fund one specific recipient without full and open competition. In this case, the planned recipient is the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).
Who is the intended award recipient?
The planned cooperative agreement is with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), including Dr. Christopher Arp and collaborators associated with UAF's ongoing related research.
What is the project title?
"Using GIS and SAR imagery to assess fish and yellow billed loon habitat in the Arctic Network of Alaska Parklands (Bering Land Bridge National Preserve)."
What agency is issuing this notice?
The National Park Service (NPS).
What type of award is planned?
A new cooperative agreement, with substantial NPS involvement described in the work plan.
How much funding is anticipated?
Up to $100,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states that no cost share is required.
What is the expected performance period?
July 1, 2015 through December 31, 2016.
What CFDA program does this fall under?
CFDA 15.945, "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
What is the legal authority for the award?
54 USC 101702 and 54 USC 100703.
Where will the work take place?
The work focuses on Arctic Network (ARCN) parklands in Alaska, including Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA), with regional context that includes nearby areas such as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
What problem is this project trying to solve?
The project is intended to fill a major information gap about freshwater fish distributions across remote Arctic parklands, where traditional field sampling across thousands of lakes is difficult and expensive.
Why are freshwater fish distributions important for this project?
Fish presence and abundance strongly influence where yellow-billed loons choose to nest and also affect habitat use by other fish-eating waterbirds. Better fish distribution information supports management and conservation planning.
Why is the yellow-billed loon specifically mentioned?
The yellow-billed loon is described as a rare species of international concern that depends on reliable fish resources. It was recently considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act (but ultimately not listed). The project area is recognized as globally important for the species.
Will this project rely on extensive field netting or traditional fisheries sampling?
No. The project emphasizes a remote-sensing and GIS-based approach rather than extensive netting or other fisheries techniques across many lakes.
What approach will be used to assess fish habitat and overwintering potential?
The project will combine remote sensing and GIS analyses to infer where fish are likely to occur and overwinter, with a core emphasis on identifying potential overwintering habitats (such as lakes or lake areas that remain partially unfrozen through winter).
What datasets and tools will be used?
The notice describes use of high-resolution satellite imagery, recently acquired high-resolution digital terrain models, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, ice growth models, and weather station data.
What is SAR imagery and why is it included?
The notice specifies the use of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery as one of the key remote-sensing inputs. It will be integrated with ice growth models and other data to help assess lake ice conditions relevant to overwintering fish habitat.
What is the geospatial database expected to include?
A geospatial database describing lake characteristics such as lake type, connectivity (how lakes connect to streams and other waters), depth-related indicators, and flood regimes.
What is meant by "connectivity" in this context?
Connectivity refers to how lakes connect to streams and other waters, which can influence where fish can occur or move and how habitats function across a landscape.
What does "overwintering fish habitat" mean in this project?
It refers to lakes or portions of lakes that can support fish survival through winter, particularly places that remain at least partially unfrozen rather than freezing solid.
What are the expected outputs or deliverables?
Based on the notice, expected outputs include geospatial products (imagery- and GIS-derived layers and a lake database), synthesis of results, written reports and a manuscript, public presentations, and outreach curriculum materials and public-facing freshwater fish products.
Will the project results guide future fieldwork?
Yes. The products are intended to help prioritize where additional targeted sampling should occur in the future, including environmental DNA (eDNA) work and more intensive fish and contaminants sampling.
Is environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling part of this project?
The notice presents eDNA as a potential future targeted sampling approach that the project outputs will help prioritize, rather than describing eDNA as the primary method for this effort.
How does this project relate to existing research?
It is framed as an expansion of ongoing UAF research already underway nearby. The notice cites UAF's Fish Cafe Project at Fish Creek in the NPR-A (in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management) as the related effort being extended into adjacent NPS parklands.
What is the Fish Cafe Project connection?
The notice states that Dr. Christopher Arp and collaborators at UAF have developed and applied similar remote-sensing methods through the Fish Cafe Project at Fish Creek in the NPR-A. This NPS effort extends comparable analyses into adjacent parklands to broaden geographic scope and enable regional comparisons.
Why did NPS choose not to use full and open competition?
The stated justification is "Unique Qualifications." NPS indicates UAF's Fish Cafe Team is uniquely positioned due to ongoing multi-year remote-sensing research in the adjacent NPR-A, specialized technical expertise, and prior winter field and analysis experience in Arctic Alaska.
What roles will UAF play under the cooperative agreement?
UAF will lead compilation of climate station data and develop ice growth models to inform SAR image selection and processing, contribute to a fish-focused lake classification scheme, participate in remote-sensing analysis, assist with synthesis and reporting (including a manuscript), deliver public presentations, and help develop outreach curriculum materials and public-facing products.
What roles will NPS play under the cooperative agreement?
NPS will provide funding (referenced internally as PMIS 186815), set up the CESU agreement to initiate work, contribute existing yellow-billed loon and fish occurrence data from BELA, support education and outreach through staff involvement (including an education specialist), assist with annual and final accomplishment reporting, support manuscript development, and coordinate data management and long-term archiving with the park data manager.
Does the notice mention data management or archiving?
Yes. NPS will coordinate data management and long-term archiving of imagery and GIS layers with the park data manager.
Does the notice reference any internal project identifier?
Yes. The funding is referenced internally as PMIS 186815.
What is the intended management value of the project?
The notice emphasizes that improved fish and lake habitat information is especially valuable for management and conservation planning in globally important yellow-billed loon regions within and near NPS Arctic parklands.
Is the goal to create a regional understanding rather than isolated site studies?
Yes. The notice explains that extending the work into adjacent NPS parklands will allow comparisons of potential overwintering fish habitats across Arctic Alaska and improve regional-scale understanding.
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