Assessing Impacts of Hurricane Irma on the Silver Rice Rat | F18AS00293

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) notice of intent to make a single-source award for work focused on the endangered silver rice rat (SRR) in the Florida Keys following Hurricane Irma. It functions primarily as a public notice of the agency's intent to fund one specific cooperative agreement, rather than a typical open grant competition.

2) Is this an open, competitive grant that multiple organizations can apply for?

No. Based on the notice language provided, this is not a standard open competition and does not have a full public announcement attached. The Service indicates it plans to fund a single cooperative agreement and identifies the University of Florida as the intended recipient.

3) Who is the intended recipient of the award?

The University of Florida is identified as the intended recipient for this single-source cooperative agreement.

4) What is the main purpose of the project?

The core purpose is to measure how Hurricane Irma affected the endangered silver rice rat across its range in the Florida Keys and to determine whether the population is rebounding over time. The project is designed to document storm-related changes, track recovery dynamics, and produce information useful for conservation and recovery planning.

5) What species and location does the work focus on?

The work focuses on the endangered silver rice rat (SRR) and is conducted across the species' range in the Florida Keys. The project is explicitly framed around impacts following Hurricane Irma.

6) What are the major components or phases of the work?

The project includes three main deliverable areas:

• A range-wide survey using field methods designed for the SRR and its habitat to assess post-Irma conditions.
• A second phase of fieldwork about 12 months later (the following winter) to resample occupied sites and adjacent areas and evaluate recovery dynamics.
• Habitat modeling and vulnerability assessment work using the survey data to support future planning (including sea-level rise and storm scenarios).

7) What field methods are planned for the range-wide survey?

The notice specifies techniques including floating live-trap platforms deployed according to the USFWS Rice Rat Trapping protocol, along with camera traps. These methods are intended to detect SRR occupancy and support comparisons to historical benchmarks.

8) What is the USFWS Rice Rat Trapping protocol mentioned in the notice?

The notice states that floating live-trap platforms will be deployed according to the USFWS Rice Rat Trapping protocol. The details of the protocol itself are not included in the information provided, but the intent is that trapping follows a USFWS-established methodology for this species and habitat type.

9) What is meant by "range-wide survey" in this project?

The range-wide survey refers to field sampling conducted across the silver rice rat's range in the Florida Keys. The aim is to assess where the species occurs post-hurricane and to gather data that can be compared with past information on occurrence and population size.

10) How will the project measure Hurricane Irma impacts?

The project is expected to compare survey results against historic benchmarks, including past information on SRR occurrence locations and prior estimates of population size. This comparison is intended to quantify changes attributable to Hurricane Irma and subsequent conditions.

11) Why is there a second round of sampling about 12 months later?

The second phase is included to capture recovery dynamics rather than a single snapshot. By resampling occupied sites and adjacent areas the following winter (about 12 months later), the work is intended to detect signs of localized recruitment (new individuals entering the population) and colonization (use of nearby areas).

12) What do "recruitment" and "colonization" mean in the context of this project?

As described in the notice:

• Recruitment refers to evidence of new individuals entering the population at a site.
• Colonization refers to use or occupation of nearby or adjacent areas.

Together, these indicators help evaluate whether SRR populations are resilient following major hurricanes or remain depressed or fragmented.

13) What happens after the field surveys are completed?

The final deliverable area shifts from detection to predictive planning. Data from the range-wide surveys will be used to model potential SRR habitat throughout the Florida Keys. Those habitat models will then be used to support vulnerability assessments under future scenarios, particularly sea-level rise and storm impacts.

14) What are the expected uses of the habitat models and vulnerability assessments?

The expected outcome is information that can guide conservation and recovery planning by identifying:

• Which habitats are likely to remain suitable
• Which habitats are most at risk
• Where management actions could be prioritized as coastal conditions change

15) What type of funding instrument will be used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The notice also notes that cooperative agreements typically imply substantial federal involvement during the project, such as coordination on methods, data needs, or application of results.

16) What does "substantial federal involvement" mean here?

Based on the description provided, it means USFWS is expected to be involved during the project in ways such as coordinating on survey methods, clarifying data needs, and helping ensure results can be applied to conservation and recovery planning. The notice does not provide additional administrative detail beyond these examples.

17) How is this opportunity categorized?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and spans research and development themes. The topic areas listed include education, environment, information/statistics, and science and technology.

18) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.678.

19) What are the key dates shown on the posting?

The posting shows a creation date of August 8, 2018, and an original closing date of August 15, 2018.

20) How many awards are expected?

The notice indicates an expected single award, consistent with the single-source nature of the action.

21) What does the "award ceiling listed as 1" mean in this context?

The award ceiling is listed as 1, and the notice suggests this reflects the single-source nature of the action rather than an open, competitively awarded pool of funds.

22) If eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," can my organization still apply?

Although eligibility is listed broadly as unrestricted, the notice language provided indicates this specific action is intended as a single-source award to one institution (the University of Florida) and is not presented as a call for multiple applicants.

23) Why is there no full public announcement attached?

The information provided states that this is not a typical open grant competition and does not have a full public announcement attached. Instead, the posting functions mainly as a public notice of intent to make a single-source award.

24) What kind of outputs or deliverables should result from this project?

Based on the description, deliverables are expected to include: (1) survey results documenting SRR status post-Irma across its range; (2) a follow-up resurvey dataset and findings related to recruitment and colonization about 12 months later; and (3) modeled potential SRR habitat across the Keys plus vulnerability assessments under sea-level rise and storm-impact scenarios.