Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00382
The grant opportunity titled "ROMO CESU: Submerged Habitat Mapping Assistance for Great Lakes National Parks" is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding announcement under the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the NPS is not just providing funds but is also expected to stay actively involved through oversight, technical support, and coordination during the project. The work falls under the Natural Resources activity category (CFDA 15.945) and was created on March 24, 2020, with an original closing date of April 4, 2020. The funding opportunity number is NPS NOIP20AC00382, with an award ceiling of $300,000 and an expectation of a single award.
This specific notice serves primarily as public notification of the NPS intent to make a non-competitive award to Front Range Community College (FRCC). FRCC is identified as a member of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network, which is a partnership structure used by federal agencies to collaborate with academic and other partners on research, technical assistance, and education that supports resource management. Because the award is intended to be issued without competition, the practical eligibility is effectively limited to the named institution for this project, even though the listing indicates "Others" as an eligible applicant category with additional eligibility clarification referenced elsewhere in the full posting.
The core purpose of the project is to support Great Lakes national parks by improving understanding of underwater environments through submerged habitat mapping. In plain terms, it focuses on coastal bottom and benthic habitats, which includes the lakebed and nearshore underwater areas that can be important for fish, aquatic plants, invertebrates, water quality, and overall ecosystem health. The project emphasizes classification of underwater imagery and the creation of mapping products that translate raw imagery and datasets into usable habitat maps and visualizations. These outputs are intended to help parks make better management decisions and also communicate what is beneath the water surface to the public in a clear, engaging way.
FRCCs role is centered on technical assistance and capacity-building through student engagement. The college is expected to help with nationwide mapping initiatives (suggesting the work aligns with broader NPS or federal mapping standards and workflows), organize and facilitate participation by students, and perform hands-on tasks such as reviewing underwater imagery and classifying habitat types. In addition, FRCC will develop mapping visualization products, meaning the project is not only about analyzing data but also about producing practical deliverables like maps, layers, and presentation-ready visuals that can be used for park planning, interpretation, and outreach.
The NPS role complements this by providing the underlying inputs and ensuring the work stays aligned with park needs. NPS will contribute datasets and imagery for analysis, provide project oversight, and offer technical assistance as the mapping and classification proceed. A notable element is the explicit involvement of park interpreters and communications staff to help share the resulting products publicly, indicating that outreach and education are built into the project design rather than being an afterthought. Overall, the scope is best summarized as applied data analysis and product development in support of coastal and benthic habitat activities within national park units in the Great Lakes region, delivered through a collaborative partnership that also creates training and experiential learning opportunities for community college students.Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00382
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "ROMO CESU: Submerged Habitat Mapping Assistance for Great Lakes National Parks" 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 24, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 04, 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 $300,000.00 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 name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "ROMO CESU: Submerged Habitat Mapping Assistance for Great Lakes National Parks."
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding announcement under the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What type of award is being used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement. That means NPS is expected to remain actively involved during the project through oversight, technical support, and coordination, rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
What is the activity category and CFDA number?
The work falls under the Natural Resources activity category, CFDA 15.945.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is NPS NOIP20AC00382.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The announcement was created on March 24, 2020, and the original closing date was April 4, 2020.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $300,000.
How many awards does NPS expect to make?
The notice indicates an expectation of a single award.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. This notice primarily serves as public notification of NPS intent to make a non-competitive award to a specific institution.
Who is the intended recipient of the non-competitive award?
NPS intends to make the non-competitive award to Front Range Community College (FRCC).
Who is effectively eligible for this particular project?
Although the listing indicates "Others" as an eligible applicant category (with additional clarification referenced in the full posting), this specific notice describes an intended non-competitive award to FRCC. Practically, eligibility for this project is effectively limited to the named institution.
What is the Rocky Mountains CESU, and why is it mentioned?
FRCC is identified as a member of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network. CESU is a partnership structure used by federal agencies to collaborate with academic and other partners on research, technical assistance, and education that supports resource management.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The project supports Great Lakes national parks by improving understanding of underwater environments through submerged habitat mapping, including translating imagery and datasets into usable habitat maps and visualizations.
What kinds of habitats are the focus of the mapping work?
The focus is on coastal bottom and benthic habitats, including the lakebed and nearshore underwater areas.
What does "submerged habitat mapping" mean in this context?
In this project, it refers to using underwater imagery and related datasets to classify habitat types and produce mapping products that describe what is on the bottom (benthic/coastal bottom habitats) and present it in a form parks can use.
What types of work products are expected from this project?
The project emphasizes classification of underwater imagery and the creation of mapping products. These include habitat maps, mapping layers, and visualization products that can be used for park planning, interpretation, and outreach.
How will the results be used by Great Lakes national parks?
The outputs are intended to help parks make better management decisions and to communicate underwater resources to the public in a clear, engaging way.
What role does Front Range Community College (FRCC) play?
FRCC is expected to provide technical assistance and capacity-building through student engagement, help with mapping initiatives, organize and facilitate student participation, review underwater imagery, classify habitat types, and develop mapping visualization products.
How are students involved in the project?
Student engagement is a central feature. FRCC is expected to organize and facilitate participation by students who will support hands-on tasks such as reviewing underwater imagery and classifying habitat types, contributing to training and experiential learning.
What role does the National Park Service (NPS) play during the project?
NPS is expected to provide the underlying datasets and imagery for analysis, deliver project oversight, and offer technical assistance as mapping and classification proceed. NPS also coordinates to ensure the work aligns with park needs.
Does the project include public communication or outreach?
Yes. The notice describes explicit involvement of park interpreters and communications staff to help share resulting products publicly, indicating outreach and education are built into the project design.
What geographic area does the project support?
The project is intended to support national park units in the Great Lakes region.
Is the work primarily research, or applied product development?
Based on the scope described, it is applied data analysis and product development: classifying imagery, building habitat maps, and creating visualization products tailored to park management and communication needs.
What inputs or data sources are referenced in the description?
The project references underwater imagery and NPS-provided datasets and imagery as key inputs for analysis and classification.
How does the cooperative agreement structure affect project execution?
Because it is a cooperative agreement, NPS is expected to remain actively engaged through oversight, technical support, and coordination throughout the work, rather than acting only as a funder.
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