Opportunity Information: Apply for F14AS00076
Apply for F14AS00076
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the education environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wildlife Without Borders Latin America and the Caribbean FY14" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.640 Wildlife Without Borders Latin America and the Caribbean.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 16, 2014 and posted on Feb 3, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 30, 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 $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 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:
Wildlife Without Borders: Latin America and the Caribbean (WWB LAC) FY14 is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary grant and cooperative agreement opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00076) focused on conserving the exceptional biodiversity of Central America, the Tropical Andes/western Amazon, and regional Caribbean projects that span two or more countries or islands. The program is built around a straightforward idea: the region is experiencing some of the worlds highest rates of land degradation and deforestation, largely driven by expanding agriculture and ranching, infrastructure, and extractive industries, but lasting conservation depends on people. Instead of treating communities and local institutions as peripheral, the program prioritizes projects that tackle the human drivers of biodiversity loss and help stakeholders work together on shared, locally relevant conservation goals. Projects must be located in the specified Latin America and Caribbean geographies; Mexico is explicitly handled under a separate Wildlife Without Borders Mexico Program.
The overall goal is capacity building, strengthening the ability of Latin American and Caribbean individuals and institutions to manage and conserve species, habitats, and ecological processes over the long term. For FY14, applicants are asked to align their proposals with one or more of three focal areas: threatened landscapes, threatened species, and regional training programs. Across all three, USFWS signals a preference for practical, results-oriented work that links threats to specific stakeholder behaviors and decisions, uses participatory and inclusive processes, and produces measurable conservation gains rather than only research or planning.
Under the threatened landscapes focal area, USFWS is looking for integrated, landscape-level projects that benefit areas of high conservation value that are also under immediate and direct threat. The emphasis is on connecting ecosystem or landscape interventions to the people influencing those landscapes, and on creating or strengthening community-level entities that can jointly identify problems, diagnose root causes, and implement agreed-upon management actions. Strong proposals are expected to show how they will reduce unsustainable land uses such as agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, or damaging road and infrastructure development, ideally while supporting alternative livelihoods, climate resilience, or more sustainable food production. They may also focus on mitigating harms from extractive activities like logging, fishing, hunting, mining, or oil and gas development, or on reducing pressures on highly endangered wildlife and plants from harvesting, habitat conversion, wildfire, and related threats. Another valued outcome is translating both human and biological realities into better local, national, or regional conservation policies and programs.
Under threatened species, the FY14 call narrows to two priority themes: human-jaguar conflict and wildlife trafficking/illegal pet trade. For human-jaguar conflict, USFWS seeks efforts that reduce conflict stemming from livestock predation, impacts on domestic animals and game species, disease concerns, and broader damage to livelihoods in agricultural or multi-use areas near protected areas. Competitive proposals are those that use preventive techniques (for example, proactive husbandry and deterrence approaches), reduce retaliatory killing, and build support among influential constituencies such as ranchers, community leaders, and decision makers through outreach, education, and social marketing. USFWS also highlights the importance of sustainable incentives or policy mechanisms that make coexistence feasible for livestock owners, and notes that projects with spillover benefits for other species or habitats are especially attractive.
For wildlife trafficking and illegal pet trade, the program supports local, national, and transnational activities designed to reduce illegal and unsustainable harvest and to shrink market demand for illegally sourced wild animals and plant resources. Desired outcomes include lower levels of illegal harvest, reduced availability and commercial consumption or use of illegally traded wildlife, stronger application of wildlife protection laws by national authorities and law enforcement, and improved cooperation across borders to address trafficking networks. USFWS also calls out the value of effective public and development-sector messaging that clearly connects wildlife declines to illegal trade. Strong applications typically demonstrate that targeted species face real risk of local extirpation due to trade, identify specific human behaviors that must change, propose credible indicators to measure impact, and generate wider ecological benefits in the project area.
The regional training programs focal area is aimed at building the next generation of conservation leaders by supporting training for early career conservation professionals, generally those with about one to five years of experience. USFWS is open to several formats, including short specialized trainings (two to eight weeks), longer certificate programs (two months or more), and accredited degree programs lasting one to two years. The training approach is meant to be highly interdisciplinary and experiential, with team-based, participatory instruction delivered by practitioners who have demonstrated success working with local people on real conservation challenges. Preferred curricula include a blend of social, economic, legal, scientific, and governance foundations; substantial field practice tied to real-world problems; facilitation skills for participatory processes, conflict resolution, and intercultural dialogue; project design, implementation, and evaluation; organizational behavior; and knowledge management, all aimed at improving the ability of graduates to lead locally grounded biodiversity projects that explicitly address the human dimensions of conservation.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted February 3, 2014, with a current closing date of May 30, 2014, and an archive date of June 29, 2014. USFWS anticipated around 20 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $500,000, and typical award sizes ranging from a $15,000 floor to a $50,000 ceiling. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement listed. The funding activity categories are education, environment, and natural resources, and eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement. The program is authorized under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543). For support accessing the full announcement, the listed program contact is Ani Cuevas, International Affairs Specialist at USFWS (anicuevas@fws.gov, 703-358-1950).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Wildlife Without Borders: Latin America and the Caribbean (WWB LAC) FY14 opportunity?
WWB LAC FY14 is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary grant and cooperative agreement opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F14AS00076) focused on conserving biodiversity in selected parts of Latin America and the Caribbean by strengthening local capacity and supporting practical, results-oriented conservation work.
2. Who is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under its Wildlife Without Borders program.
3. What is the main purpose or goal of this program?
The overall goal is capacity building: strengthening the long-term ability of Latin American and Caribbean individuals and institutions to manage and conserve species, habitats, and ecological processes.
4. What geographic areas are eligible for projects?
Projects must be located in the specified Latin America and Caribbean geographies highlighted in the opportunity: Central America, the Tropical Andes/western Amazon, and regional Caribbean projects that span two or more countries or islands.
5. Is Mexico eligible under this opportunity?
No. Mexico is explicitly handled under a separate Wildlife Without Borders Mexico Program, not under WWB LAC FY14.
6. What are the focal areas applicants should align with for FY14?
Applicants are asked to align proposals with one or more of these three focal areas:
- Threatened landscapes
- Threatened species
- Regional training programs
7. What kind of projects does USFWS prefer across all focal areas?
USFWS signals a preference for practical, results-oriented work that links threats to specific stakeholder behaviors and decisions, uses participatory and inclusive processes, and produces measurable conservation gains (rather than only research or planning).
8. What does the program mean by focusing on the "human drivers" of biodiversity loss?
The program emphasizes that lasting conservation depends on people. It prioritizes projects that address the human behaviors, incentives, and decisions driving biodiversity loss and that help stakeholders work together on shared, locally relevant conservation goals.
9. What types of projects fit under the "Threatened landscapes" focal area?
Threatened landscapes projects are expected to be integrated, landscape-level efforts that benefit areas of high conservation value that are under immediate and direct threat, and that connect ecosystem or landscape interventions to the people influencing those landscapes.
10. What threats are specifically mentioned under the threatened landscapes focal area?
The opportunity highlights threats such as unsustainable land use and development pressures, including agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and damaging road and infrastructure development. It also mentions extractive activities (logging, fishing, hunting, mining, and oil and gas development) and pressures such as harvesting, habitat conversion, wildfire, and related threats affecting endangered wildlife and plants.
11. Are alternative livelihoods or sustainability approaches encouraged in landscape projects?
Yes. Strong proposals are expected to show how they will reduce unsustainable land uses, ideally while supporting alternative livelihoods, climate resilience, or more sustainable food production.
12. Are policy or program improvements an allowable or valued outcome?
Yes. Another valued outcome is translating both human and biological realities into better local, national, or regional conservation policies and programs.
13. What priority themes are included under the "Threatened species" focal area for FY14?
For FY14, the threatened species focal area is narrowed to two priority themes:
- Human-jaguar conflict
- Wildlife trafficking and illegal pet trade
14. What kinds of activities are encouraged to address human-jaguar conflict?
USFWS seeks efforts that reduce conflict related to livestock predation, impacts on domestic animals and game species, disease concerns, and broader livelihood damage in agricultural or multi-use areas near protected areas. Competitive proposals use preventive techniques (such as proactive husbandry and deterrence), reduce retaliatory killing, and build support among influential constituencies through outreach, education, and social marketing.
15. Does USFWS highlight incentives or policy mechanisms for jaguar coexistence?
Yes. The opportunity notes the importance of sustainable incentives or policy mechanisms that make coexistence feasible for livestock owners.
16. Are projects with benefits beyond jaguars viewed favorably?
Yes. USFWS notes that projects with spillover benefits for other species or habitats are especially attractive.
17. What kinds of activities are supported to address wildlife trafficking and the illegal pet trade?
The program supports local, national, and transnational activities designed to reduce illegal and unsustainable harvest and to shrink market demand for illegally sourced wild animals and plant resources.
18. What outcomes does USFWS want to see for wildlife trafficking/illegal pet trade projects?
Desired outcomes include reduced illegal harvest, reduced availability and commercial consumption or use of illegally traded wildlife, stronger application of wildlife protection laws by national authorities and law enforcement, and improved cross-border cooperation to address trafficking networks.
19. What does USFWS say about messaging and demand reduction related to illegal trade?
USFWS calls out the value of effective public and development-sector messaging that clearly connects wildlife declines to illegal trade.
20. What makes an application strong under the wildlife trafficking/illegal pet trade theme?
Strong applications typically demonstrate that targeted species face a real risk of local extirpation due to trade, identify specific human behaviors that must change, propose credible indicators to measure impact, and generate wider ecological benefits in the project area.
21. What is the focus of the "Regional training programs" focal area?
This focal area is aimed at building the next generation of conservation leaders by supporting training for early career conservation professionals, generally those with about one to five years of experience.
22. What training formats are acceptable under the regional training programs focal area?
USFWS is open to several formats, including short specialized trainings (two to eight weeks), longer certificate programs (two months or more), and accredited degree programs lasting one to two years.
23. What kind of training approach does USFWS prefer?
The preferred approach is highly interdisciplinary and experiential, with team-based, participatory instruction delivered by practitioners who have demonstrated success working with local people on real conservation challenges.
24. What topics and skills are preferred in the training curriculum?
Preferred curricula include a blend of social, economic, legal, scientific, and governance foundations; substantial field practice tied to real-world problems; facilitation skills for participatory processes, conflict resolution, and intercultural dialogue; project design, implementation, and evaluation; organizational behavior; and knowledge management, all aimed at improving the ability of graduates to lead locally grounded biodiversity projects that address human dimensions of conservation.
25. What is the funding opportunity number for WWB LAC FY14?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F14AS00076.
26. What type of funding instrument is used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant and cooperative agreement opportunity.
27. When was this opportunity posted, and what are the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on February 3, 2014. The closing date is May 30, 2014, and the archive date is June 29, 2014.
28. How many awards were anticipated, and what is the total estimated funding?
USFWS anticipated around 20 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $500,000.
29. What is the typical award size?
Typical award sizes range from a $15,000 floor to a $50,000 ceiling.
30. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed for this opportunity.
31. What are the funding activity categories for this opportunity?
The funding activity categories are education, environment, and natural resources.
32. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement.
33. What legal authority authorizes this program?
The program is authorized under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543).
34. Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement?
The listed program contact is Ani Cuevas, International Affairs Specialist at USFWS (anicuevas@fws.gov, 703-358-1950).
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