Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00110
This grant opportunity, titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigan's Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay" (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00110), is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service effort to support ongoing, long-term monitoring of fish-eating colonial waterbirds in and around Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). The project focuses on understanding how environmental contaminants are affecting bird colonies in places such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River, along with other AOCs, while also extending comparable monitoring to Grand Traverse Bay locations including Bellow Island. The overall intent is to keep tracking whether contaminant exposure is tied to measurable harm in bird populations, reproduction, and immune system function, and to determine whether conditions are improving over time as cleanup and restoration progress.
The work supported under this cooperative agreement centers on collecting new field and laboratory data that can be compared in two directions: first, against reference sites that are not designated as AOCs (to help distinguish local contamination impacts from broader regional conditions), and second, against historical measurements from the same sites collected in prior years. By building directly on previous investigations, the program emphasizes continuity and comparability, meaning the sampling approaches and immunological test methods need to remain consistent enough that trends can be interpreted with confidence. The study is especially concerned with endpoints that reflect colony-level status (such as breeding population numbers), reproductive performance, and immunological health in chicks and/or adults, since immune suppression and reproductive effects are key ways that persistent pollutants can translate into long-term population impacts.
A major feature of the project is its focus on specific immune function measurements that have already been used in these Great Lakes bird colonies over many years. The opportunity notes past research linking polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to suppression of T-cell-mediated immunity in herring gull and Caspian tern chicks at highly contaminated Great Lakes sites, along with associations suggesting altered antibody-mediated immunity. Continuing to measure these kinds of immune endpoints matters because they offer a biologically meaningful bridge between contaminant exposure and real-world health consequences, such as increased disease vulnerability or reduced survival. In addition to established contaminants like PCBs, the project also includes evaluating whether contaminants of emerging concern may be influencing the same population, reproductive, and immune endpoints, particularly at Bellow Island, reflecting a broader shift in Great Lakes science toward tracking both legacy pollutants and newer chemical threats.
The results are intended to directly inform assessment and management decisions tied to Michigan's AOCs, specifically the Wildlife Populations and Reproductive/Deformities Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs). In the AOC program framework, BUIs are the formal indicators used to judge whether an area remains impaired and what evidence is needed to document recovery. Data generated through this grant therefore has an applied purpose: it is meant to support determinations about the presence, severity, and trajectory of wildlife-related impairments, and to help evaluate whether restoration actions are translating into improved biological condition in the field.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism (CFDA 15.662), with an expected single award and a stated award ceiling of $275,641. A key point is that it is not an open, competitive solicitation and there is no application process. Instead, it is a notice of intent to make a single-source award to Calvin College under specific Department of the Interior justification provisions (505 DM 2.14.B.2 and 4). The stated rationale for limiting competition is that Calvin College is considered uniquely qualified due to its demonstrated expertise working with Great Lakes colonial waterbird colonies and, most importantly, its long-standing use of the same immunological methods at these study sites over roughly two decades. That continuity is presented as essential because it allows newly collected data to be directly compared with the historical record, strengthening the ability to detect trends and to evaluate progress toward BUI restoration targets.
Finally, the opportunity makes clear that the Fish and Wildlife Service will not simply provide funds and step back. Through the Michigan Ecological Services Field Office, the agency will have substantive involvement typical of cooperative agreements, including collaborative planning, coordinating and assisting with field collection, helping decide what samples will be analyzed and how, coordinating with analytical laboratories, and supporting the development of reports and presentations that summarize findings. In practice, that structure is designed to keep the monitoring aligned with AOC information needs, ensure methodological consistency, and translate technical study results into usable products for restoration planning and regulatory or programmatic decisions.Apply for F19AS00110
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigan's Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2019 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the Calvin College under justification 505DM 2.14.B. 2 and 4.. (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 $275,641.00 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).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Assessment of Population, Reproductive, and Health Impairments in Colonial Waterbirds Breeding in Michigan's Areas of Concern and Grand Traverse Bay."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F19AS00110.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) funding opportunity.
What type of funding mechanism is being used?
The project will be supported through a cooperative agreement, which means the Fish and Wildlife Service expects to have substantive involvement in planning, coordination, and implementation rather than simply issuing funds with minimal engagement.
Is this a competitive grant with an open application process?
No. The notice states this is not an open, competitive solicitation and there is no application process.
Who is expected to receive the award?
The Fish and Wildlife Service states an intent to make a single-source award to Calvin College.
Why is the award being made as a single-source (non-competitive) action?
The stated justification is that Calvin College is considered uniquely qualified based on demonstrated expertise with Great Lakes colonial waterbird colonies and, critically, its long-term use of the same immunological methods at the study sites over roughly two decades. That continuity is described as essential for comparing new results with historical data and interpreting trends.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity lists CFDA 15.662.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expected single award.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The stated award ceiling is $275,641.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project supports ongoing, long-term monitoring of fish-eating colonial waterbirds in and around Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) and comparable locations in Grand Traverse Bay. The overall intent is to track whether environmental contaminant exposure is associated with measurable harm to bird populations, reproductive success, and immune function, and to determine whether conditions are improving over time as cleanup and restoration progress.
What kinds of birds does the project focus on?
The work focuses on fish-eating colonial waterbirds breeding in the Great Lakes region. The description references prior work in herring gull and Caspian tern chicks in the Great Lakes.
Which geographic areas are included in the monitoring?
The monitoring is centered on Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs), including examples such as Saginaw Bay and the Raisin River, and it extends comparable monitoring to Grand Traverse Bay locations, including Bellow Island.
Why are Michigan's Areas of Concern (AOCs) important to this project?
AOCs are locations where environmental degradation and contamination have led to recognized impairments. This project is designed to generate evidence about whether contamination is contributing to harmful biological outcomes in colonial waterbirds and whether restoration is improving conditions.
What are the main scientific endpoints being measured?
The opportunity emphasizes three major endpoint categories: colony-level status (such as breeding population numbers), reproductive performance, and immunological health in chicks and/or adults. These endpoints are treated as key ways to detect population and health impairments linked to contaminant exposure.
Why is immune function a major emphasis of this work?
The opportunity explains that immune endpoints provide a biologically meaningful link between contaminant exposure and real-world consequences such as increased disease vulnerability or reduced survival. Prior Great Lakes research is cited linking PCBs to suppression of T-cell-mediated immunity in chicks at highly contaminated sites, with additional associations suggesting altered antibody-mediated immunity.
Which contaminants are specifically discussed?
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are explicitly discussed, particularly in relation to immune suppression in prior studies. The opportunity also notes that contaminants of emerging concern will be evaluated, especially at Bellow Island.
What does "contaminants of emerging concern" mean in this opportunity?
The notice does not list specific chemicals, but it indicates the study will evaluate whether newer or emerging contaminants may be influencing the same population, reproductive, and immune endpoints, reflecting an expanded focus beyond legacy pollutants like PCBs.
How will new data be compared to understand impacts and trends?
The work is structured to support two main comparisons: (1) comparing AOC data to reference sites that are not designated as AOCs to help distinguish local contamination impacts from broader regional conditions, and (2) comparing newly collected measurements to historical data from the same sites collected in prior years to evaluate trends over time.
Why does the opportunity stress continuity of methods?
Because the project is built on long-term monitoring, the notice highlights that sampling approaches and immunological test methods need to remain consistent enough for direct comparison to the historical record. This consistency is presented as necessary to interpret trends with confidence and to evaluate whether conditions are improving.
How do the results tie into management decisions for AOCs?
The results are intended to directly inform assessment and management decisions tied to Michigan's AOCs, specifically supporting evaluation of wildlife-related impairments and whether restoration actions are translating into improved biological condition.
What are BUIs, and which BUIs are most relevant here?
BUIs (Beneficial Use Impairments) are formal indicators used in the AOC program framework to judge whether an area remains impaired and what evidence is needed to document recovery. This project is specifically linked to the Wildlife Populations BUI and the Reproductive/Deformities BUI.
What role will the Fish and Wildlife Service play during the project?
The Fish and Wildlife Service, through the Michigan Ecological Services Field Office, will have substantive involvement typical of a cooperative agreement. The notice describes collaborative planning, coordinating and assisting with field collection, helping decide which samples will be analyzed and how, coordinating with analytical laboratories, and supporting the development of reports and presentations summarizing findings.
Why does the cooperative agreement structure matter for this work?
The described structure is intended to keep monitoring aligned with AOC information needs, maintain methodological consistency across years and sites, and help translate technical results into usable products for restoration planning and regulatory or programmatic decisions.
What kinds of project outputs are expected?
The opportunity mentions development of reports and presentations that summarize findings, supported by the Fish and Wildlife Service in collaboration with the award recipient.
What is the long-term question this monitoring is trying to answer?
The long-term goal is to determine whether contaminant exposure is tied to measurable harm in colonial waterbird populations, reproduction, and immune function, and whether these conditions are improving over time as cleanup and restoration progress.
Which DOI provisions are cited to justify limiting competition?
The notice cites Department of the Interior justification provisions 505 DM 2.14.B.2 and 4 as part of the rationale for a single-source award.
Does the opportunity indicate any changes in scope compared to past monitoring?
Yes. In addition to continuing established monitoring in AOCs and maintaining long-used immune test methods, the opportunity notes extending comparable monitoring to Grand Traverse Bay locations (including Bellow Island) and evaluating whether contaminants of emerging concern may be influencing the same endpoints.
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