Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units | F18AS00288

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00288

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00288) is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that would be awarded as a cooperative agreement. It sits within the Natural Resources funding activity area and is listed under CFDA 15.678. The purpose of this type of opportunity, as indicated by the title and the authorities cited, is to support collaborative work that advances fish and wildlife conservation and related ecological science, typically by leveraging partnerships between FWS and academic institutions to carry out applied research, technical assistance, and other conservation-support activities.

This specific notice is not a general open competition. It is a Notice of Intent to make a single-source award to the University of New Mexico, meaning FWS had already identified UNM as the intended recipient and was signaling its plan to proceed without full competitive bidding. Even in single-source situations, the notice indicates that an application still must be submitted and must address all activities and stipulations described in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity, including the Section I description and the application checklist requirements. In practice, that usually means the recipient must provide a project narrative, scope of work, budget and justification, and any required compliance or administrative documents that demonstrate the project aligns with the stated objectives and legal authorities.

The maximum anticipated federal funding for the award is $35,000 (award ceiling), and the agency expected to make one award. The opportunity was created on August 1, 2018, with an original closing date of August 7, 2018, reflecting a short submission window that is common for single-source intent notices where the applicant has typically been engaged in prior coordination with the agency.

The legal authorities listed in the announcement outline the broad conservation and management framework under which the project would be supported. These include the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661-666), which guides coordination and consideration of fish and wildlife resources in federal water-resource development projects; the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which authorizes actions to conserve threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems they depend on; the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) and Fish and Wildlife Act (16 U.S.C. 742 et seq.), which provide general authority for conservation, restoration, and management of fish and wildlife resources; the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), which underpins protection and management of migratory birds; the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), which discourages development in designated coastal barrier areas and supports conservation of those natural systems; and the Public Lands Corps Act (16 U.S.C. 1721-1726), which supports conservation and resource management work and can be tied to youth or early-career engagement and service opportunities on public lands. Taken together, these authorities suggest the funded work would relate to applied conservation science or on-the-ground support activities that help FWS meet statutory responsibilities involving species conservation, habitat protection, ecological assessments, and potentially workforce development components when appropriate.

Eligibility for this opportunity was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units model, which is commonly used to connect federal land and wildlife agencies with universities for mission-relevant research and technical support. In short, this announcement describes a small, targeted cooperative agreement to support FWS conservation objectives through a university partner, structured as a single expected award to the University of New Mexico, and grounded in several cornerstone federal fish and wildlife conservation laws.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units" 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 Aug 01, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 07, 2018 This is a Notice of Intent to Single Source to the University of New Mexico. Applications must address all activities amp stipulations in Section I, Description of Funding Opportunity amp the Application Checklist (via Notice of Funding Opportunity).. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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