Identifying Alaska Refuge Resources of Concern | F17AS00314

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00314

The grant opportunity titled "Identifying Alaska Refuge Resources of Concern" is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Region 7 funding action focused on strengthening how Alaska National Wildlife Refuges identify and prioritize the species, habitats, and other natural resources most in need of attention. The work is meant to support the National Wildlife Refuge System Inventory and Monitoring Branch, which provides refuge staff with practical information to determine "resources of concern" so that limited inventory and monitoring capacity can be directed toward the most vulnerable or highest-priority conservation targets. In plain terms, the goal is to improve decision-making about what should be tracked on refuges (and why) by developing or refining the information that helps staff identify sensitive species, key species groups, and important habitats that may be at risk.

This opportunity is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), meaning the federal agency expects to be substantially involved in the project as it is carried out. It is also being issued through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Network, specifically under the North and West Alaska CESU agreement (F13AC00619). CESUs are partnerships designed to connect federal agencies with universities and other partners to deliver research, technical assistance, and education that supports land and resource management. The CESU framework emphasizes interdisciplinary work across biological, physical, social, cultural, and engineering fields, and it is intended to address management issues at multiple scales using an ecosystem perspective. In this case, that cooperative structure is used to support refuge inventory and monitoring needs in Alaska.

A key detail of this notice is that it is a single-source intended award, not a competitive solicitation. USFWS explicitly states it plans to award the agreement to the University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Center for Conservation Science, under the authority referenced as 505 DM 2.14(B). Because it is not a request for proposals, the government does not plan to accept applications or competing submissions from other organizations. The eligible applicant category listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the chosen recipient being a public university entity.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00314 and CFDA number 15.678, which is associated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service activities related to conservation and refuge management. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, with an anticipated single award. The award ceiling is $100,000, indicating the project budget is expected to be at or below that amount. The notice was created on July 13, 2017, with an original closing date of July 28, 2017, reflecting a short posting window typical of notices that document an intended sole-source action rather than an open competition. The activity categories emphasize the nature of the work: information and statistics, natural resources, regional development, and science and technology research and development, which fits a project centered on compiling, analyzing, and translating conservation-relevant data into actionable refuge priorities.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted partnership action to help Alaska refuges more clearly define and prioritize their conservation targets, ensuring that inventory and monitoring efforts concentrate on the resources most likely to be vulnerable or most critical to refuge purposes. By improving the identification of "resources of concern," the project supports more strategic planning, better use of limited monitoring resources, and stronger, defensible management decisions across the Alaska refuge system.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the information and statistics, natural resources, regional development, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Identifying Alaska Refuge Resources of Concern" 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 Jul 13, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 28, 2017. (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 $100,000.00 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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