Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation | F17AS00356

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00356

The Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00356) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Northeast Region initiative under the Department of the Interior that supports science and technology research focused on tracking and understanding migratory wildlife movements. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to be carried out with active involvement and coordination with USFWS programs, particularly the Division of Migratory Birds (DMB) and the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). Funding authority is provided through the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended) and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, reflecting its emphasis on applied conservation outcomes tied to federal wildlife priorities.

This is a sole-source notice intended for a single recipient: the University of Rhode Island (URI) in Kingston, Rhode Island. USFWS selected URI because the proposed work is a continuation and expansion of a multi-year, ongoing collaboration focused on tracking birds at regional scales using digital VHF telemetry "nanotag" technology. URI is positioned as a key partner because of its long-running field research and monitoring efforts in the Northeast, including extensive work at study sites in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, and because it has already helped pilot nanotag tracking along the U.S. Atlantic Coast in conjunction with the Service. The project particularly builds on existing efforts involving federally listed species such as the Roseate Tern and Piping Plover, where improved information on movement and habitat use can directly inform management, recovery actions, and refuge planning.

The practical scope of work centers on maintaining and leveraging an existing coastal network of automated radio telemetry tracking towers (telemetry stations) along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. These stations detect signals from nanotags attached to birds (and potentially bats), allowing researchers to record fine-scale movement patterns without continuous manual tracking. In addition to maintaining equipment, the project aims to improve coordination among multiple nanotag efforts operating on a shared frequency, which is important because the value of telemetry networks increases when projects are aligned and data are interoperable rather than isolated. A significant analytical component is also planned: URI would conduct meta-analyses of previously collected tracking datasets to answer higher-priority questions for USFWS, DMB, and NWRS, turning raw detections into actionable insights such as migration timing, stopover patterns, site connectivity, and cross-jurisdictional movement pathways.

Work funded under this opportunity is described as supporting project coordination, equipment maintenance, data analysis, and reporting during 2018, with assistance provided by a research assistant. The results are intended to provide technical support to USFWS migratory bird and refuge managers in Region 5 by improving the reliability of monitoring infrastructure, strengthening collaborative telemetry efforts, and producing synthesized analyses that can guide conservation and management decisions. The project also contributes to the broader Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a large cooperative network of more than 100 organizations across the Western Hemisphere that share nanotag telemetry data and infrastructure to map migrations and movements of birds and bats at continental scales.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary, with an expected single award and an award ceiling of up to $60,000. The CFDA listing is 15.655, and the eligible applicant type listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the intended recipient. The notice was created on August 1, 2017, with an original closing date of August 7, 2017, reflecting that it was posted as an announcement of intent to issue a single-source financial assistance award rather than a broad competitive solicitation.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Monitoring Assessment and Conservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 01, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 07, 2017. (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 $60,000.00 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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