Cooperative Ecosystem Unit Studies | F19AS00387

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00387

The Cooperative Ecosystem Unit Studies opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00387) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning the agency has already identified the intended recipient and is not issuing a full competitive announcement. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that the Fish and Wildlife Service expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out, rather than simply providing funds with minimal oversight. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.678) and was posted on September 11, 2019, with an original closing date of September 18, 2019, reflecting the short response window that is common for single-source intent notices rather than open competitions.

The intended awardee is East Carolina University, and the purpose of the project is to develop a hydrologic process model for the Lake Mattamuskeet watershed. In practical terms, the work is focused on building a scientific model that can better explain and predict how water moves into, through, and out of the watershed, and how the volume of water in the system rises and falls over time. Those volumetric fluctuations are directly tied to real-world problems the surrounding communities experience, particularly flooding, as well as ongoing water quality concerns. By improving the technical understanding of these dynamics, the project aims to support more informed planning and management decisions.

A major outcome expected from this effort is stronger decision support for the Lake Mattamuskeet restoration plan. The hydrologic process model is meant to improve how alternatives are evaluated, how risks and tradeoffs are understood, and how proposed actions are analyzed before implementation. Ultimately, the grant is positioned as a way to strengthen the analytical foundation behind restoration decisions so that the plan can deliver better, more reliable outcomes for all stakeholders, including local residents affected by flooding, resource managers responsible for habitat and water quality, and other partners with interests in the watershed.

The award parameters are modest and targeted: the funding ceiling is $50,000, and the agency anticipates making one award. Although the eligibility field is listed as “unrestricted,” the text of the notice makes clear that it is not an open solicitation and is instead a single-source cooperative agreement intended specifically for East Carolina University.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Unit Studies" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 11, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 18, 2019. (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 $50,000.00 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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