See the Proposal Procedures page for information about the Federal Agency Proposal Procedures.
See each RFP/RSOI for the person to contact with questions about that RFP/RSOI.
- Postdoctoral Research Associate Position with the University of Montana Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
Description
A one-year postdoctoral research associate position is available in the Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana (UM) – Avian Science Center & Wildlife Biology Program, focused on advancing conservation and management approaches for at-risk, data-limited species using the Florida intertidal firefly (Micronaspis floridana) as a model system.
This project represents a collaborative effort among the University of Montana, the National Park Service (NPS), and The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. It serves as a pilot initiative to help NPS develop a framework for how to make conservation and management decisions for rare and at-risk species with limited data availability, a challenge increasingly common under rapid environmental change.
The Florida intertidal firefly (Micronaspis floridana) is a rare, bioluminescent beetle native to mangrove and salt marsh habitats along Florida’s coast. It is threatened by habitat loss and alteration, hydrologic modification, and light pollution, factors shared by many other vulnerable species. By using M. floridana as a case study, this project will integrate theoretical, spatial, and population modeling to identify strategies for advancing conservation decisions despite ecological uncertainty and data limitations.
Project Overview
This postdoctoral researcher will lead the development and application of quantitative modeling frameworks to inform conservation for M. floridana and to generalize those approaches for other data-limited, at-risk taxa. The project will synthesize existing datasets—species occurrence records, environmental and habitat layers, etc.—to identify key ecological and conservation insights.
Working closely with partners at NPS and the Xerces Society, the postdoctoral researcher will co-design analyses that address pressing management questions, such as:
- How can conservation planning proceed for data-limited species under changing environmental conditions, including changing ocean and coastal dynamics?
- What modeling frameworks best support decision-making under uncertainty?
- How can limited data be leveraged to assess vulnerability, prioritize habitats, and evaluate extinction risk?
- What transferable lessons can guide conservation for other rare, understudied taxa in dynamic coastal ecosystems?
Outcomes will directly inform NPS conservation planning and may contribute to forthcoming U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service status assessment efforts for M. floridana, and other regional coastal management strategies.
Position Details
This position is full-time (1.0 FTE), Letter of Appointment, and includes a comprehensive benefits package with health insurance, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.
Salary: $68,000 to $75,000 depending on experience and availability of funding
Preferred Start Date: March 2026
Location: University of Montana, Missoula, MTQualifications
Required Qualifications
- PhD (by start date) in wildlife biology, ecology, conservation biology, landscape or spatial ecology, quantitative biology, or related field.
- Demonstrated experience in applied and/or theoretical ecological modeling, including spatial or simulation modeling frameworks.
- Strong coding proficiency in one or more of the following: R, Jags, Nimble, Python, etc.
- Experience in the use of GIS and spatial data processing.
- Proven record of peer-reviewed publications and effective scientific communication.
- Strong collaboration, coordination, and communication skills across academic, agency, and NGO partners.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with species distribution modeling, connectivity or population viability analyses, and/or climate adaptation modeling.
- Experience with coastal, wetland, or firefly/invertebrate systems.
- Demonstrated ability to bridge quantitative theory and applied management contexts.
Application Instructions
Screening of applications will begin after the closing date, February 22, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
To apply, please upload the following materials:
- Letter of Interest – addressing the stated required skills for the position
- Detailed resume listing education and describing work experience
- Three (3) professional references – Names and contact information
The University of Montana is interested in receiving applications from people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always”; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.
Applications should be submitted through the University of Montana’s online hiring system. This position will be required to obtain a US Government Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card in order to collaborate with the National Parks Service. In order to be issued a PIV Card, a candidate must have been a US National for the past 3 years.
- Oyster Pads and Wave Trip at Long Bird Island, Houston Ship Channel
Agency Name:
United States Army Corps of Engineers
RSOI: W9126G262SOI7308
Note: A full study proposal and proposed budget are NOT requested at this time.
Project Title: Oyster Pads and Wave Trip at Long Bird Island, Houston Ship Channel
This RSOI seeks merit-based competitive procedures to encourage participation in USACE (DoD) programs by a broad base of the most highly qualified performers and will be evaluated on Technical Merits of the proposed research and development (R&D) and the potential relationship of the proposed R&D to USACE (DoD) missions. Approximately $100,000.00 is expected to be available to support this project for the base period. Additional funding may be available to the successful recipient for optional tasks and/or follow on work in subsequent years.
Brief Description of Anticipated Work: See attached RSOI
Period of Performance: The base period of the agreement will extend 12 months from date of award. There may be up to four 12-month follow-on periods based on availability of funding. If an optional task is executed the period will extend 12 months from date of award.
NOTE: To be considered for award, the intended Recipient AND intended Subrecipients and Recipient- Contracted vendors must have an active NIST SP 800-171 Assessment. See NIST Attachment to RSOI for details.
Closing date: Feb 23, 2026 2:00 p.m. CT
Please send responses or direct questions to:
Maria Lopez
Grants Specialist
USACE, Fort Worth District
Email: maria.e.lopez@usace.army.mil
Office: 817-886-1881 - EXTENDED: Invasive Plant Management with Great Lakes Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center solicits research on development of environmentally friendly bioherbicides and strategies to control invasive Phragmites australis and other invasive plants. This project will be a collaborative effort to explore the role of microbial endophytes in enhancing the growth and stress tolerance of invasive Phragmites australis and use that information to develop a new, low-toxicity bioherbicide that offers resource managers more treatment options for this noxious plant and, ultimately, results in a highly efficient and effective approach that reduces costs, improves efficiency, and lays the foundation for development of similar products targeting other invasive plant species that degrade valuable agricultural, range, and natural lands. Past and ongoing investments in this line of research are producing promising new technologies that are supported by several patent applications and patents, some of which have already been licensed by commercial entities. However, additional work is needed in field testing and development as commercial partners are engaged. The proposed collaborative work will fill the research gap and work to generate a new model for combating invasive species by reducing their competitive abilities through targeting their symbiotic association using low-toxicity compounds or antagonistic microbes.
Funding Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Funding Amount: $498,392
NEW DEADLINE: Feb 22, 2026. Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed application due date.
Past Funding and Other Opportunities
- Data Analyst Opening with Schoodic Institute
The Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park is hiring a 2-year Data Analyst position that will work closely with the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Division to compile, analyze, and publish long-term monitoring data collected in national parks in the Midwest Region.
Job Title and Description: Data Analyst
FLSA Status: Full-Time, Year-Round, Non-Exempt (Benefits Eligible)
Supervisor(s) (external): Kate Miller, PhD, Quantitative Ecologist with the National Park Service-Northeast Temperate Network Inventory and Monitoring Division, additionally, Schoodic Institute staff may provide guidance and oversight on a project-by-project basis for collaborative ad-hoc assignments
Work Location: This role is based in Winter Harbor, ME. While on-site presence is preferred, we are open to discussing hybrid or remote work schedules. This position is not eligible for relocation reimbursement.
Vacancies: 1 position Duration: 2-year position starting in February 2026.
Job Announcement Opening Dates: December 17, 2025 to January 9, 2026.
Primary Role: This position will work closely with the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Division (IMD), which conducts baseline inventories and long-term monitoring to help inform park management decisions. While decades of data have been collected by IMD throughout the NPS, the full value of these data can only be realized when they are easily accessible and actionable for field managers, planners, and decision makers. The objectives of this position are to improve access to IMD data, primarily for Midwest Region parks, through developing user-friendly, accessible platforms and tailored analyses. Deliverables include trend analyses, automated reports, and data visualization dashboards that improve accessibility, data quality, interpretation, integration, and application of IMD datasets, and that are in support of conservation science, resource management, and public communication. Deliverables will be accessible to NPS managers, along with park stakeholders and the public, where feasible. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative professional with strong communication skills and the ability to work independently. Please note that employment is contingent upon a federal background check and favorable adjudication. We aim to have this role filled by February 2026.
See position description for more detailed information. Application deadline is January 9, 2026. To apply, please visit the online application portal.
- Apply for Acadia Science Fellowship By 10/30
The 2026 Acadia Science Fellowship applications are open. Learn more or register for the informational webinar on September 11th.For more than a century, scientists have contributed to the understanding of Acadia’s unique geography, geology, ecology, biodiversity and climate, an understanding and appreciation that inspired creation of the national park. For 25 of those years, as a National Park Service Research Learning Center and Acadia National Park’s primary partner in science and education, Schoodic Institute has supported research to address the most urgent resource management needs in and beyond the park.
We are honored to continue this important work, and invite early-career researchers to join us by submitting proposals for 2026 Acadia Science Fellowships. We invite researchers from a wide variety of disciplines to apply for these $30,000 awards, but proposals must address priority resource management issues in Acadia. The deadline for proposals is October 30, 2025.A webinar overview of the fellowship, the application process, and park research priorities will be held on Thursday, September 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Interested applicants should register for the webinar.
The Acadia Science Fellowship is supported in part by the David Evans Shaw Family Foundation, building on the success of the Second Century Stewardship fellowship program founded by David Shaw in 2016. Additional funding is provided by the Sibley-Saltonstall Family Foundation, and individual donors.Visit schoodicinstitute.org/acadiasciencefellowship/ for more information, webinar registration, and the application portal.
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Nearshore Habitat and Species Survey
This project will be a continuation of monitoring and surveying conditions of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s near shore environment. Studies will entail various assessments/surveys to include: threatened
and endangered species acoustic monitoring, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) assessment, benthic surveys, Sub-Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) mapping, marine mammal usage, etc. The information collected will be used to fill in important informational gaps in understanding the roles of the various species and habitats at the installations near shore environments. Program funds are to conduct natural resource surveys in support of NEPA documentation necessary to support the mission-critical project P-1294: Berth 13 Extension and Capacity Increase at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.Funding Source: Department of the Navy
Funding Amount: $145,959.23 (Base year: $28,041.78 plus four option years)
Deadline: September 1, 2025
For more information see the Request for Statements of Interest and the Statement of Work
- Collection and synthesis of nationwide salt marsh lateral flux data
U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) solicits research on lateral, aquatic flux of materials between tidal wetlands and coastal waters. Scientists at WHCMSC have substantial history and ongoing investigation of this type of flux, and implications for decision-making on coastal landscapes. They have built a collaborative network of scientists across the country, collecting flux data using consistent approaches across sites. Multi-year, high frequency flux data, water budgets, and ancillary data are to be delivered from USGS and academic institutions on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Research activities are sought to standardize the data, analyze spatial and temporal variability in rates, and examine predictive controls. This research will advance understanding through a first synthesis of existing flux data collected across multiple sites, collected by USGS and by academic colleagues, using methods co-developed by USGS. The project will execute innovations in data analytical techniques, and dissemination of associated computer code. Project results will be disseminated as a public dataset and associated metadata, and as a peer reviewed journal article.
Funding Source: United States Geological Survey
Funding Amount: $221,929
Deadline: September 8, 2025
For more information see the grant opportunity on GRANTS.GOV
- Statements of Interest: NASO/DNA/NALFF, NWA, and NLON T&E, SAR Species and Habitat Surveys
The purpose of this scope of work is to implement cost-effective and standardized surveys for various species and habitats within the project areas. The principal investigator will carry out plans, deploy necessary hardware, provide data analysis, and provide reports and recommendations for inclusion into installation’s Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans, respectively and other decision documents. Projects identified in this SOW consist of sampling for flora and fauna (priority on State and Federally listed and at-risk species), habitat monitoring and management and wildlife management. Physical surveys will provide quality assurance checks for previously collected data and document new species occurrences and new habitats. Habitat management activities will allow the installations to respond quickly to pest, disease, invasive species, and environmental change threats. Projects related to wildlife management will inform and assist with human/wildlife conflict, protect sensitive habitats, and evaluate potential for management and recreational opportunities. See attachments for additional information.
Funding Source: Department of the Navy
Funding Amount: Cost estimate requested (see RSOI).
Deadline: July 25, 2025For more information, see Statement of Work, Request for Statements of Interest, and Point Paper.