Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00367
The grant opportunity titled "GLNF-CESU: Forest Health Assessment for GLKN" (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP20AC00367) is a discretionary National Park Service cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior. It is designed as a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota, led by Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione, and the National Park Service Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network. The central idea is to combine applied field monitoring with research analysis so the parks get an updated, science-based picture of forest condition across the Great Lakes region and a clearer sense of how forests are responding to intermediate-term environmental change.
The project focuses on re-measuring long-term monitoring sites to evaluate current forest health and detect change over time. Specifically, funding supports the resampling of 240 permanent forest monitoring plots spread across five national park units in the Great Lakes region. These plots were previously sampled during an earlier monitoring cycle (2011 to 2016), and the new fieldwork is meant to create a comparable dataset that allows direct comparisons between the two sampling periods. That comparison is important because it helps managers separate short-term variability from meaningful trends in forest structure, composition, regeneration, and overall condition.
A major public-purpose element of the award is workforce development through youth employment. The agreement anticipates supporting 16 positions over a five-year period. While the program does not set an age restriction or discriminate by age, it notes that applicants for these types of field positions are commonly between 20 and 25 years old. The intent is to provide practical, career-relevant experience in natural resources work, including field sampling, data collection protocols, and other real-world skills tied to forest monitoring and ecological assessment.
The second public-purpose element is methodological innovation aimed at helping land managers deal with climate-driven uncertainty. The opportunity explicitly frames climate change as a source of surprise and complexity for park management, making it harder to anticipate impacts and choose appropriate responses. In that context, part of the project is to develop and test new or improved ways of analyzing trends in forest change, using the repeated-measures monitoring data as a foundation. A University of Minnesota graduate student or research technician will receive temporary support to analyze the dataset and explore novel approaches for detecting, interpreting, and communicating forest change in ways that are useful for management decisions.
The intended outputs are both practical and scholarly. On the applied side, the work is expected to produce updated assessments of forest condition in the participating parks and translate those findings into management recommendations tailored to Great Lakes forests as climate pressures continue. On the research side, the collaboration is expected to result in one to two peer-reviewed journal articles that address vegetation responses to intermediate-term change and examine management concerns and options in a shifting environment.
Administratively, the opportunity falls under CFDA 15.945 and lists eligibility for public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the University of Minnesota partnership described in the announcement. The award ceiling is $300,006, with an expectation of one award. The opportunity was created on March 23, 2020, and originally closed on April 2, 2020.Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00367
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GLNF-CESU: Forest Health Assessment for GLKN" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 02, 2020. (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 $300,006.00 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 "GLNF-CESU: Forest Health Assessment for GLKN."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is NPS NOIP20AC00367.
Which federal agency is offering this award?
This is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary cooperative agreement under the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What type of funding mechanism is this?
It is a discretionary cooperative agreement, structured as a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and an academic partner.
Who are the primary partners named in the opportunity?
The collaboration described is between the University of Minnesota (led by Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione) and the National Park Service Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is designed to combine applied field monitoring with research analysis so participating parks receive an updated, science-based picture of forest condition across the Great Lakes region and a clearer understanding of how forests are responding to intermediate-term environmental change.
What work will the project fund?
Funding supports re-measuring (resampling) long-term monitoring sites, specifically the resampling of 240 permanent forest monitoring plots across five national park units in the Great Lakes region.
How does this project connect to previous monitoring?
The 240 permanent plots were previously sampled during an earlier monitoring cycle (2011 to 2016). The new fieldwork is intended to generate a comparable dataset so results can be directly compared between the two sampling periods.
Why is repeated sampling over time important for this project?
By comparing two sampling periods, park managers can better distinguish short-term variability from meaningful trends in forest structure, composition, regeneration, and overall condition.
How many parks or park units are included?
The opportunity states that monitoring will occur across five national park units in the Great Lakes region.
What kinds of forest health indicators are mentioned?
The description highlights tracking change in forest structure, species composition, regeneration, and overall condition, using the repeated-measures plot data to evaluate forest health and detect trends over time.
Is workforce development part of the public-purpose goals?
Yes. A major public-purpose element is workforce development through youth employment tied to field-based natural resources work.
How many positions are expected to be supported?
The agreement anticipates supporting 16 positions over a five-year period.
Is there an age restriction for the positions?
No. The program does not set an age restriction and does not discriminate by age. It notes that applicants for these types of field positions are commonly between 20 and 25 years old.
What kind of experience or skills are the positions intended to provide?
The intent is to provide practical, career-relevant experience in natural resources work, including field sampling, data collection protocols, and other real-world skills connected to forest monitoring and ecological assessment.
How does the project address climate change and management uncertainty?
The opportunity frames climate change as a source of surprise and complexity for park management. Part of the project is to develop and test new or improved ways of analyzing trends in forest change, using the repeated-measures monitoring data to support more useful detection, interpretation, and communication of change for management decisions.
Who is expected to conduct the research analysis component?
A University of Minnesota graduate student or research technician is expected to receive temporary support to analyze the dataset and explore novel approaches for understanding and communicating forest change.
What outputs or deliverables are expected from the project?
Expected outputs include updated assessments of forest condition in participating parks and management recommendations tailored to Great Lakes forests under continuing climate pressures. The collaboration is also expected to produce one to two peer-reviewed journal articles focused on vegetation responses to intermediate-term change and related management concerns and options.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under CFDA 15.945.
Who is eligible to apply, based on the eligibility statement provided?
Eligibility is listed for public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the University of Minnesota partnership described in the announcement.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $300,006.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of one award.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on March 23, 2020, and originally closed on April 2, 2020.
Over what time period are positions anticipated to be supported?
The agreement anticipates supporting positions over a five-year period.
What is the overall geographic focus of the project?
The work focuses on the Great Lakes region, specifically within five national park units supported by the National Park Service Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network.
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