The Regents University of California | F18AS00196

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00196

This grant opportunity, titled "The Regents University of California" (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00196), is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.678. It was created on June 25, 2018, with an original application closing date of July 3, 2018. The funding is relatively targeted in scale, with an award ceiling of $93,181 and an expectation of a single award, suggesting the agency intended to support one coordinated effort rather than multiple parallel projects. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, which typically means the competition may be limited or tailored to specific partner types or institutions depending on the agency's stated criteria.

The purpose of the funding is to develop, refine, and field-test a standardized waterbird habitat assessment protocol that supports management objectives across National Wildlife Refuges in California's Central Valley and in the Klamath Basin region. In practical terms, the work centers on taking an existing pilot survey approach, improving it based on lessons learned, and then implementing that improved protocol across a network of refuges. The refuge network specifically includes the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Complex, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and Kern National Wildlife Refuge Complex. By designing and using a consistent assessment method across these sites, the project aims to make habitat evaluation more comparable from refuge to refuge and more directly useful for ongoing management decisions.

A major deliverable of the project is the collection of vegetation and habitat attribute data during surveys, which will then be used by the partners to calculate a Seed Production Index. The Seed Production Index is a way of estimating the food value that wetland units provide to migratory waterbirds, based on the kinds and amounts of seeds produced by wetland vegetation. This matters because many migratory waterbirds depend on specific wetland food resources during stopover and wintering periods, and refuge managers often need a reliable way to gauge whether habitat conditions are meeting those nutritional and energetic needs. By linking field measurements to an index that reflects food availability, the project is designed to translate ecological monitoring into something directly actionable for habitat planning, wetland unit management, and potentially for prioritizing restoration or water management actions.

Beyond field protocol development and survey implementation, the opportunity explicitly includes building a database, conducting data analysis, and producing reporting as part of the agreement. That indicates the agency was not only seeking raw field observations but also a complete workflow that turns field data into usable information products. In other words, the funded partner(s) would be expected to help ensure the data are organized, stored in a structured and reusable format, analyzed in a way that supports refuge objectives, and reported out so that managers and stakeholders can apply the findings. Overall, the grant is focused on creating a credible, repeatable monitoring approach that strengthens how refuges in the Central Valley and Klamath Basin assess wetland habitat quality for migratory waterbirds, with particular emphasis on quantifying food value through seed production-based metrics.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Regents University of California" 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 25, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 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 $93,181.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for F18AS00196

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