Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00208
Apply for F16AS00208
- The DOI-FWS in the environment, information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Quail an dGrassland Birds as Indicators of Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Ecosystem Health" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655,.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 05, 2016 and posted on May 05, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $21,432.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, titled "Using Quail and Grassland Birds as Indicators of Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Ecosystem Health" (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00208), is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) notice describing an intended single-source cooperative agreement. It is not a request for proposals (not an RFP), meaning the agency is signaling its plan to make one specific award rather than run a competitive solicitation. The posted and creation date for the notice is May 5, 2016, with an original and current closing date of May 25, 2016.
The core purpose of the project is to measure and quantify the health of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands by using a set of bird species as biological indicators. The study is built around the idea that changes in bird presence, abundance, distribution, and habitat use can reflect broader ecological conditions and stressors, especially those tied to land use practices. In particular, the notice highlights overgrazing as a driver of broad-scale ecosystem change that can alter vegetation structure, plant composition, and the quality of habitat across a landscape. By tracking species that depend on different habitat features, the project aims to provide a practical way to detect and interpret shifts in grassland condition over time.
The indicator framework centers on 12 bird species that collectively represent multiple niches within the Chihuahuan Desert environment, including open grasslands and areas associated with riparian corridors. The notice groups the indicator species into quail and songbirds with seasonal residency patterns. For quail, the project focuses on three species: Mearns quail, scaled quail, and Gambel's quail. It then identifies winter-resident grassland songbirds, listing Baird's sparrow, chestnut-collared longspur, McCown's sparrow, and Sprague's pipit. Finally, it identifies summer-resident songbirds, listing Cassin's sparrow, black-throated sparrow, lark sparrow, eastern meadowlark, and western meadowlark. While the notice describes these birds as inhabiting distinct niches across the desert grassland landscape, the practical implication is that this mix of species is intended to function like a multi-sensor system: if grazing pressure, habitat fragmentation, shrub encroachment, or riparian degradation increases, the combined response across these indicator species can provide a clearer signal of ecosystem change than relying on a single species alone.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically indicates that the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project (such as coordination on study design, data standards, monitoring priorities, or interpretation of results) compared with a standard grant. The funding activity category is listed as Environment, Information and Statistics, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 15.655. The notice anticipates one award (ExpectedAwards: 1) with an award ceiling of $21,432, indicating a relatively small, targeted project budget consistent with a defined monitoring or assessment task.
Even though the award is single-source, the eligibility list included in the notice is broad and spans many applicant types: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding universities where applicable); individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In competitive contexts this would signal an open field, but in this case it mainly reflects standard eligibility language used in federal opportunity postings, even when the agency plans to proceed with a single-source recipient.
Overall, the notice describes a focused conservation science effort: using carefully selected quail and grassland bird species to translate on-the-ground wildlife observations into a measurable picture of Chihuahuan Desert grassland ecosystem health, with an emphasis on detecting landscape-level impacts associated with overgrazing. The agency notes that additional specifics are contained in the full text of the NOFO, which would typically provide more detail on study methods, expected deliverables, reporting requirements, and the nature of DOI-FWS involvement under the cooperative agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Using Quail and Grassland Birds as Indicators of Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Ecosystem Health."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00208.
Which federal agency is issuing this notice?
This notice is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS).
Is this a competitive grant or an open Request for Proposals (RFP)?
No. The notice describes an intended single-source cooperative agreement and explicitly states it is not a request for proposals (not an RFP). This means the agency is signaling its plan to make one specific award rather than run a competitive solicitation.
What is the funding instrument being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
Based on the notice language, a cooperative agreement generally indicates the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project compared with a standard grant. In practical terms, that can include coordination on items like study design, monitoring priorities, data standards, and/or interpretation of results.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project aims to measure and quantify the health of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands using a set of bird species as biological indicators. The core idea is that changes in bird presence, abundance, distribution, and habitat use can reflect broader ecological conditions and stressors across the grassland ecosystem.
Why are birds being used as indicators of ecosystem health in this project?
The notice frames birds as useful biological indicators because their presence and habitat use can change in response to shifts in vegetation structure, plant composition, and habitat quality. By tracking multiple species that rely on different habitat features, the project intends to detect and interpret changes in grassland condition over time.
What ecosystem stressor is specifically highlighted in the notice?
The notice highlights overgrazing as a driver of broad-scale ecosystem change, noting that it can alter vegetation structure, plant composition, and habitat quality across the landscape.
How many indicator species are included in the framework?
The indicator framework centers on 12 bird species.
Which quail species are included as indicators?
The notice identifies three quail species as indicators: Mearns quail, scaled quail, and Gambel's quail.
Which winter-resident grassland songbirds are included as indicators?
The notice lists these winter-resident grassland songbirds: Baird's sparrow, chestnut-collared longspur, McCown's sparrow, and Sprague's pipit.
Which summer-resident songbirds are included as indicators?
The notice lists these summer-resident songbirds: Cassin's sparrow, black-throated sparrow, lark sparrow, eastern meadowlark, and western meadowlark.
What habitats or niches do the indicator species represent?
The notice describes the species as representing multiple niches across the Chihuahuan Desert environment, including open grasslands and areas associated with riparian corridors. The mix is intended to capture different habitat dependencies so that changes across the landscape show up as a combined signal across species.
What kinds of changes is the project trying to detect by using multiple indicator species?
Based on the notice description, the combined response across the indicator species is intended to help detect ecosystem change tied to pressures such as grazing pressure and related habitat shifts. The notice also notes that using a mix of species can provide a clearer signal than relying on a single species alone.
What is the funding activity category listed for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is listed as Environment, Information and Statistics.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 15.655.
How many awards does the notice anticipate making?
The notice anticipates one award (ExpectedAwards: 1).
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is $21,432.
What type of funding is this categorized as?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
When was this notice posted?
The posted and creation date for the notice is May 5, 2016.
What is the closing date listed in the notice?
The original and current closing date listed is May 25, 2016.
Who is eligible to apply, according to the eligibility list in the notice?
The eligibility list in the notice includes a wide range of applicant types: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding universities where applicable); individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
If the eligibility list is broad, why is this described as single-source?
The notice indicates the award is intended to be single-source and not competitive, even though it contains broad eligibility language. The notice context suggests the broad eligibility list reflects standard federal posting language, while the agency is signaling its intent to proceed with one specific recipient rather than solicit competing proposals.
Where can someone find more details about methods, deliverables, and reporting?
The notice states that additional specifics are contained in the full text of the NOFO, which would typically include details such as study methods, expected deliverables, reporting requirements, and the nature of DOI-FWS involvement under the cooperative agreement.
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