Invasive Species | F18AS00253

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00253

This grant opportunity, titled "Invasive Species" (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00253), is a U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Fish and Wildlife Service notice about a planned single-source cooperative agreement award to Cornell University. It is essentially a notification posting rather than an open competition, with one expected award and an anticipated funding ceiling of $100,000. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.652) and was created on July 19, 2018, with an original closing date of July 27, 2018. While the listing names several categories of eligible applicants (including certain higher education institutions and nonprofits), the intent here is specifically to fund Cornell University for a defined project.

The project is titled "Acoustic Monitoring to Assess Impacts of Phragmites australis on Bird and Amphibian Communities" and focuses on improving how land managers evaluate both invasive plant control efforts and the resulting ecological changes in wetlands. The target species is Phragmites australis (common reed), an aggressive, hard-to-control invasive plant that has spread widely across wetlands in the northeastern United States, including many inland and coastal Northeast National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). Because Phragmites can dominate wetland vegetation and alter habitat structure, managers need better tools to understand whether control actions are actually restoring habitat value for wildlife.

A key driver behind the work is the anticipated release of a biological control organism for Phragmites that, at the time of the announcement, was in the final stages of federal permitting review by USDA APHIS. Once biocontrol releases occur at test locations, refuge managers will need efficient and reliable monitoring methods to track two things at once: how Phragmites responds to the biocontrol over time, and how broader wetland communities respond as plant structure and composition change. In other words, the monitoring needs are not just about measuring plant dieback or regrowth, but also about detecting whether habitat conditions are improving for birds, frogs, and other wildlife.

The core approach proposed is acoustic monitoring, using recording devices to capture species vocalizations as a proxy for wildlife presence, activity, and community composition. The work will place acoustic monitors in paired sets of sites: areas heavily infested with Phragmites and comparable uninfested (or less-infested) reference areas, across both inland and coastal wetland settings. The project has two primary technical objectives: first, to test and train software so it can accurately detect and distinguish species calls (supporting reliable automated or semi-automated identification), and second, to compare use of the different habitat types by birds and anurans (frogs and toads). This directly addresses persistent management questions, such as whether dense stands of Phragmites provide meaningful habitat for migratory birds, how bird use changes as sites shift back toward native vegetation, and whether non-native Phragmites alters wetland suitability for amphibians and other aquatic-associated fauna.

The project also includes a methods comparison meant to improve monitoring efficiency at larger spatial scales. In addition to standard stationary recorders, the study will evaluate mobile acoustic monitoring using detectors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). That comparison is intended to determine whether UAV-based acoustic surveys can complement or, in some situations, partially substitute for fixed monitoring stations, potentially allowing managers to cover more area, access difficult terrain, and collect data more flexibly.

From an agency perspective, the work is framed as supporting DOI and National Wildlife Refuge System priorities around using sound science and innovative techniques to manage public lands and waters, conserve migratory birds and other at-risk wildlife, and improve outcomes that matter to surrounding communities and partner organizations. Because invasive plants spread across ownership boundaries, the refuge system views effective invasive species management as beneficial not only within refuge borders but also to neighboring lands. The deliverables and lessons from this Cornell-led effort are positioned to help other land managers as well, including state agencies and private conservation groups facing similar Phragmites challenges.

The announcement cites multiple legal authorities that underpin the project and the agency's ability to provide this type of financial assistance, including the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted support for developing and validating a practical, scalable monitoring toolkit to evaluate Phragmites biocontrol and its ecological effects on wetland bird and amphibian communities.

• 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 "Invasive Species" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.652.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 19, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 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 $100,000.00 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, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for F18AS00253

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: