Author: Brian Mitchell

The purpose of this solicitation is twofold. First, the Navy would like to apply enhanced passive acoustic monitoring capabilities to detect and characterize vocalizations of marine mammals that may occur in the Piscataqua River surrounding Seavey Island. High frequency cetaceans and pinnipeds will be specifically targeted to determine species presence/absence and identify any patterns of occurrence as well as to provide an estimate of frequency, abundance, and density. Those species that may be more cryptic, such as harbor porpoise [Phocoena phocoena], are of particular interest. Secondly, the Navy would like to gain a better understanding of pinniped usage, abundance, and frequency of the nearby haul-out area known as Hick’s Rocks. Hick’s Rocks is a rocky feature consisting of a series of rock outcroppings interspersed with sandy areas and is located approximately 1,300 feet east of PNS and approximately 230 feet offshore of Kittery Point, Maine. Depending on tidal state the feature has an area up to approximately 17,000 square yards (SY).

Funding Source: Department of the Navy

Funding Amount: $269,000 (base year); $959,000 total (all 5 years)

Deadline: May 7, 2025

For more information see the Request for Statements of Interest, Statement of Work, Budget Template, and Q&A document

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the assistance of principal investigator(s) for a project to complete a Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) of the Colony Mill Road in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), California. The Colony Mill Road represents the first access road to the Giant Forest. The road was originally constructed by the Kaweah Co-operative Colony from 1886 to 1889 in an effort to create an equal, utopian society of men and women as a logging community within the Giant Forest. When Sequoia National Park was established in 1890, its boundary included the terminus of this road that accessed the Giant Forest. Then the Kaweah Colony’s claims to the land were canceled and the road became property of the U.S. Government. Substantial road improvements were made in 1903 by the Buffalo Soldiers, under the command of Col. Charles Young, allowing many more tourists to access the park. Work on a new park road and entrance from Three Rivers, CA was opened to the public in 1926, and Colony Mill Road no longer represented the primary access point to the park. This historic 15-mile road represents a unique period of pre-park and early park development that is lacking documentation and is not yet listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes in the National Park Service system that have historical significance and are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or otherwise managed as cultural resources through a public planning process and in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any legal interest. The CLI identifies and documents each landscape’s location, size, physical development, landscape characteristics, character-defining features, condition, impacts, as well as other valuable information useful to park management.

Funding Source: National Park Service

Funding Amount: $80,125

Deadline: April 18, 2025, 8:00 PM ET

For more information see the Request for Interest

The Joshua A. Nickerson Conservation Fellowship, offered in partnership by Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, Atlantic Research & Learning Center, and Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore, has provided support to qualified individuals since 1992. At least one fellowship is awarded each year to individuals whose work will contribute to our knowledge of natural and cultural resources within Cape Cod National Seashore, and of the relationships of these resources to the local communities in which they are found.

Proposals may be submitted for research in the broad areas of the natural and social sciences. Topics of interest include terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem processes, biotic and abiotic ecosystem components, cultural and natural resource management, and the political and social implications of resource protection and management.

Funding Source: National Park Service

Funding Amount: Varies, may include park housing during field work, and limited lab and field equipment may be available

Deadline: March 28, 2025

For more information see the announcement

NPS wishes to conduct a Population Viability Analysis (PVA) that considers horse herd genetics, management scenarios, population objectives, and biological factors, to ensure that management actions minimize the ecological effects of the herd on the natural ecology of the park while satisfying concerns regarding genetic diversity of the horse herd. We anticipate that this PVA will evaluate demographic and genetic change over time (informed by current herd genetics and potential source herd genetics) using up to ten distinct management scenarios and up to six putative source herds for gene flow to augment the herd.

Funding Source: National Park Service

Funding Amount: $70,000 – $80,000

Deadline: February 20, 2025, 6:00 PM ET

For more information see the Request for Statement of Interest and Budget Template

This research will conduct the first comprehensive synthesis of how flood impacts vary globally across different demographics and as a function of flood risk exposure and protection levels. Data will be gathered to assemble an aggregated global flood impact database, which will be used to develop a sector-specific definitional framework of floods and synthesize how impacts and risks vary across different sectors (e.g., urban, transportation, agriculture, power systems) and demographics (e.g., poverty, race, and human development) and investment in flood protection.

Funding Source: United States Geological Survey

Funding Amount: $100,000

Deadline: February 17, 2025

For more information see the grants.gov grant opportunity

Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Conservancy are currently accepting applications for the 2025 Bailey Research Fellowship. The Bailey Research Fellowship provides opportunities for highly qualified graduate students to conduct research in the park and communicate their work to the public.

The fellowship provides park housing, a living stipend, and support for research supplies and conference attendance. The goal of the fellowship is to support graduate student research that aids in park management and decision making.

Funding Source: National Park Service

Funding Amount: Up to $15,000 plus housing for each fellow

Deadline: February 16, 2025

For more information see Bailey Research Fellowship

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the assistance of principal investigator(s) for a project to nominate a property (site, building, structure, object or district) as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) related to African American civil rights history. Until recently, much of the history about the Western United States focused primarily on Westward Expansion, prioritizing European American settler colonialism, and tended to marginalize or exclude minority communities, including those of African Americans. There is a growing body of scholarship on the role and importance of African Americans in the West. Concurrently, there have been efforts to address the underrepresentation of historic properties associated with African American history that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or Designated as National Historic Landmarks. People of African descent formed vibrant and active communities with life experiences that included, perseverance, self‐determination, racial discrimination and the overall fight for civil rights. There are important places that represent this history. This Request for Letters of Interest is intended to seek assistance of CESU members to prepare a NHL nomination for a property that will synthesize, analyze and summarize multiple sources of information associated with a historic property located in California that is associated with nationally significant historic events and people, within the context of African American civil rights.

Funding Source: National Park Service

Funding Amount: Up to $43,770

Deadline: February 28, 2025, by 5 PM Pacific

For more information see the Request for Letters of Interest

The application period for Scientists in Parks internships beginning summer 2025 is now open. Many internships are suitable for current and recently graduated MS and PhD students.

Description: The Scientists in Parks Program is now accepting applications for the Summer 2025 Season. There are over 200 exciting internship opportunities in national parks across the country. These paid internships contribute to natural resource management needs at parks with projects related to biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and science communications/education. Please help us spread the word and share these SIP positions with interested candidates. A list of positions and how to apply can be found at: go.nps.gov/scientistsinparks. If you have any questions, please email Scientists_in_Parks@nps.gov.

Application Deadline: January 19, 2025

This project will assess the botanical/native seed and plant materials needs and provide technical support for Tribes who are relocating, retreating, expanding, or utilizing protect-in-place measures to address climate-induced erosion and similar impacts. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is identifying ways to support Tribes in addressing ecological restoration issues on Tribal Trust and Treaty lands, including the implementation of the National Seed Strategy (NSS) for Rehabilitation and Restoration, that seeks to increase the amount of native and locally adapted seed and plants available for building resilient landscapes. The incumbent will partner with the BIA, during their efforts to evaluate and rehabilitate coastal ecosystems following relocation and related infrastructure demolition, extreme coastal erosion, and similar activities. The role of the incumbent will focus primarily on assisting Tribes that have been awarded: 1) White House Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation (CDR) project funding, 2) The Tribal Climate Resilience’s Relocation, Managed Retreat, and Protect-in-Place (RMP) project funding, or 3) have not been awarded but that are encountering climate change impacts to the extent that the Tribe is considering site relocation (i.e. site expansion, climigration, and/or managed retreat) or protect-in-place options. The position will target erosion mitigation using native grass seed and plant materials and other similar protective measures for affected areas, including those where the community is living and/or that are moving away from, to maintain for subsistence purposes or other use as decided by each tribe. The incumbent will provide this technical assistance during and/or after families/infrastructure has been moved from the affected areas. The position may require coordination with relevant federal and state agencies, Tribal communities, and the Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA), as well as other relevant networks and working groups.

Funding Source: Bureau of Indian Affairs

Funding Amount: $200,000

Deadline: October 10, 2024

For more information see the Request for Statements of Interest, Scope of Work, and Position Description.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing this funding opportunity for a cooperative agreement to support the coordination, implementation, and management of model intercomparison studies in agricultural systems. The model intercomparison study supports the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Quantification efforts. The IRA GHG Quantification work for agriculture is a collaboration among several USDA agencies. This study will be supported through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The purpose of the cooperative model intercomparison study is to assess and advance the state of science for carbon (C) sequestration and GHG emission modeling for agriculture. Soil C sequestration and GHG emissions in cropland and grassland systems and their interactions with different climate-smart mitigation practices will be the focus of the study. This award will support the coordination unit (awardee) and provide the funding for subawards to model groups. Participating models for the study will be identified by the coordination unit through communications or meetings with different model groups in conjunction with USDA and NRCS priorities and the scope of intercomparison work and subject to the funding allocation. The model intercomparison study will build on existing efforts or initiate a new effort and be designed and implemented through coordination involving all participating model groups. Data sets including field measurements and model input-output will be compiled, stored, and managed for easy access to facilitate model intercomparison activities.    

Funding Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Funding Amount: $1,900,000

Deadline: October 4, 2024

For more information see the grant opportunity on Grants.Gov.