Seabird data | F17AS00349

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00349

The opportunity titled "Seabird data" (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00349) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service notice of intent to make a single-source award through a Cooperative Agreement. There is no full competitive funding announcement associated with this notice, which means it is not being offered as an open solicitation with a standard application process and review cycle. Although the eligibility field is listed as "Unrestricted" in the source data, the text of the notice makes clear that the agency intends to award to one specific recipient, Michigan State University, rather than accept proposals broadly.

The purpose of the cooperative agreement is to support analysis and quantitative modeling of seabird data that were collected using fixed-wing aircraft surveys in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The work is aimed at answering scientific and management questions about seabird abundance and distribution in that region. In practical terms, this implies statistical and spatial modeling of aerial survey observations, likely including methods to estimate population density and account for detectability and survey effort, as well as producing distribution maps or related decision-support outputs that can inform wildlife management and conservation planning.

The funding instrument is explicitly a Cooperative Agreement, which signals substantial federal involvement rather than a more hands-off grant. The Fish and Wildlife Service expects to participate actively in shaping and overseeing the work, including helping develop the study questions, reviewing the study plan, coordinating on data analysis approaches, and collaborating on reporting. This structure typically reflects a need for close coordination between the recipient's technical expertise and the agency's program priorities, data stewardship responsibilities, and reporting requirements.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding under the Natural Resources activity category, with CFDA number 15.678. The notice was created on July 27, 2017. The listed award ceiling is $280,803. The posting also lists "ExpectedAwards: 0," which is consistent with a notice-of-intent format rather than a competitive announcement where the agency would estimate the number of awards to be made. The closing date is effectively not applicable because the notice states there is no full announcement and it is a single-source intent to award.

Overall, this posting functions as a transparency and documentation step for a planned direct cooperative agreement with Michigan State University to perform specialized quantitative analysis of aerial survey seabird data for the northern Gulf of Mexico, with the Fish and Wildlife Service playing an active role in project direction, review, and final reporting.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Seabird data" 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 27, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD TO A SINGLE SOURCE, AND THERE IS NO FULL ANNOUNCEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE.. (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 $280,803.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for F17AS00349

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