Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00215
The grant opportunity titled "Model Considerations for Monitoring Eagle Fatalities at Low-Risk Projects in the United States" (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00215) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement aimed at improving how eagle fatalities are predicted and monitored at wind energy projects that are considered low risk. It is issued under the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), a long-standing partnership framework that connects federal agencies with universities to deliver research, technical assistance, and education. The legal authority cited for the work includes the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), reflecting the federal responsibility to manage and protect migratory birds, including eagles, in a way that aligns with conservation and permitting requirements.
This notice is not a typical open competition. It is explicitly a "Notice of Intent to Award" as a single-source action, meaning the Service plans to fund one specific recipient rather than solicit proposals broadly. Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the award is expected to go to a member university within the Pacific Northwest CESU network. The opportunity was created on June 29, 2018, with an original closing date of July 6, 2018, signaling a short turnaround consistent with a targeted, pre-identified collaboration rather than a wide competitive process. The anticipated award amount is modest, with an award ceiling of $40,000 and one expected award, and it is also noted that the CESU system-wide indirect cost rate is expected to apply.
The practical problem the Service is trying to solve is how to handle permitting and compliance for wind facilities that are located in areas where eagle risk is believed to be low, without weakening protections or losing accountability for eagle take (injury or mortality). The Service describes an immediate need for tools and protocols that can speed up permit evaluation for these low-risk projects while still ensuring that any eagle take is measured, interpreted, and managed in a way that matches agency objectives. A key theme is uncertainty: the Service wants to better identify which uncertainties most affect existing collision and take-estimation models, and then design monitoring approaches that can reduce those uncertainties using real post-construction data.
The main deliverables center on both monitoring and modeling. First, the collaboration is intended to produce a standardized post-construction monitoring protocol tailored specifically to low-risk wind projects. The protocol is meant to help the Service determine whether unacceptable levels of eagle take might be occurring even at projects predicted to be low risk, essentially serving as a check that reality matches model expectations. Second, the work will revise or modify existing collision models so they better reflect conditions at low-risk projects, rather than relying on assumptions or parameter values that may have been developed from higher-risk settings or more generalized datasets. Along the way, the project will evaluate survey design and data requirements, which typically includes questions like how often to search for carcasses, how to account for scavenger removal or imperfect detection, and how much monitoring effort is needed to make statistically meaningful inferences without imposing unnecessary burdens on low-risk operators.
Another important objective is implementation support. The Service is not only seeking technical products, but also assistance in integrating those products into the broader eagle permitting framework used by agency staff. In other words, the outputs are intended to be operational, usable, and aligned with how permits are reviewed and managed in practice, not just academic recommendations. The initial phase is described as focusing on revising the collision model and creating monitoring standards for projects in low-risk areas. The notice also points to possible follow-on work, including updates to the adaptive decision framework (the structured approach used to make permitting decisions under uncertainty and adjust over time), development of more complex collision models if needed, and continued work on a bald eagle-specific model component, described as a "collision prior," which suggests improving the prior assumptions or baseline risk estimates used when site-specific data are limited.
In short, this is a targeted, single-recipient university partnership under the CESU program to refine the technical foundation behind eagle take estimation at low-risk wind facilities. The intent is to make permitting more efficient where risk is low, while strengthening confidence that eagle fatalities are still being accurately detected, modeled, and managed according to federal conservation responsibilities.Apply for F18AS00215
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Model Considerations for Monitoring Eagle Fatalities at Low-Risk Projects in the United States" 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 Jun 29, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2018. (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 $40,000.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Model Considerations for Monitoring Eagle Fatalities at Low-Risk Projects in the United States."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is F18AS00215.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, within the Department of the Interior.
What type of award is this?
This is a cooperative agreement. That generally indicates an assistance relationship where the agency expects substantial involvement in the project, rather than a standard procurement contract or a purely hands-off grant.
Is this an open, competitive grant solicitation?
No. The notice is explicitly a "Notice of Intent to Award" as a single-source action. That means the Service plans to fund one specific recipient rather than solicit proposals broadly.
Who is eligible to apply based on the notice?
Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The expected recipient is a member university within the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network.
What is the CESU, and why is it relevant here?
The work is issued under the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), a partnership framework connecting federal agencies with universities to deliver research, technical assistance, and education. This opportunity is structured as a CESU-based collaboration and is expected to go to a CESU member university.
What legal authority is cited for this work?
The notice cites the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.). This reflects the federal responsibility to manage and protect migratory birds, including eagles, in a way that aligns with conservation and permitting requirements.
What problem is the Service trying to address with this project?
The Service is trying to improve how eagle fatalities are predicted and monitored at wind energy projects that are considered low risk. The practical challenge is improving permitting and compliance processes for low-risk facilities without weakening protections or losing accountability for eagle take (injury or mortality).
What does "low-risk projects" mean in this context?
In this notice, "low-risk" refers to wind energy projects located in areas where eagle risk is believed to be low. The project is focused on ensuring monitoring and modeling approaches are appropriate for these settings rather than relying on assumptions derived from higher-risk projects.
Why does the notice emphasize uncertainty in collision and take-estimation models?
A key theme is uncertainty: the Service wants to identify which uncertainties most affect existing collision and take-estimation models, and then design monitoring approaches that reduce those uncertainties using real post-construction data.
What are the main deliverables expected from this cooperative agreement?
The notice describes two primary technical deliverables: (1) a standardized post-construction monitoring protocol tailored specifically to low-risk wind projects, and (2) revisions or modifications to existing collision models so they better reflect conditions at low-risk projects.
What is the purpose of the standardized post-construction monitoring protocol?
The protocol is intended to help determine whether unacceptable levels of eagle take might be occurring even at projects predicted to be low risk. It functions as a check on whether observed outcomes align with model expectations, while supporting agency objectives for conservation and accountability.
What does the notice mean by revising or modifying collision models?
The project will revise existing collision models to better represent low-risk project conditions, rather than relying on parameter values or assumptions developed from higher-risk settings or generalized datasets. The intent is improved fit and decision usefulness for low-risk permitting contexts.
What kinds of monitoring and survey-design issues are expected to be evaluated?
The notice indicates the work will evaluate survey design and data requirements. Examples mentioned or implied include how frequently to conduct carcass searches, how to account for scavenger removal and imperfect detection, and how much monitoring effort is needed to support statistically meaningful inferences without creating unnecessary burdens for low-risk operators.
How will the results be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
The notice emphasizes implementation support: the Service is seeking products and assistance that help integrate the protocol and model updates into the eagle permitting framework used by agency staff. The outputs are intended to be operational and aligned with real permitting review and management practices.
Does the notice mention any phased approach or initial scope?
Yes. The initial phase is described as focusing on revising the collision model and creating monitoring standards for projects in low-risk areas.
Is there any indication of follow-on or future work beyond the initial phase?
Yes. The notice points to possible follow-on work, including updates to the adaptive decision framework, development of more complex collision models if needed, and continued work on a bald eagle-specific model component described as a "collision prior" (improving baseline assumptions or prior estimates when site-specific data are limited).
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
One award is expected.
What is the expected funding amount and ceiling?
The anticipated award is modest, with an award ceiling of $40,000.
When was the opportunity created and what was the closing date listed?
The opportunity was created on June 29, 2018, with an original closing date of July 6, 2018. The short turnaround is consistent with a targeted, pre-identified collaboration rather than a broad competitive process.
What indirect cost rate is expected to apply?
The notice states that the CESU system-wide indirect cost rate is expected to apply.
Is this opportunity aimed at wind energy development, wildlife conservation, or both?
Both. The project is focused on wind energy projects, but its purpose is to strengthen the technical foundation for eagle take estimation and monitoring so permitting can be more efficient where risk is low while still meeting federal conservation responsibilities.
What is meant by "eagle take" in this notice?
The notice describes "take" as injury or mortality of eagles. The project is aimed at ensuring take is measured, interpreted, and managed in line with agency objectives and permitting needs.
Why tailor monitoring to low-risk projects instead of using existing approaches?
The notice indicates existing assumptions and parameter values may have been developed using higher-risk settings or generalized datasets. Tailoring monitoring and modeling to low-risk projects is intended to maintain protections and accountability while avoiding unnecessary monitoring burden and improving permitting efficiency.
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