OpportunityTitle: Scientific Investigation of Wildlife Disease Outbreaks
Description: NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service&#191;s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement P14AS00104 Project Title Scientific Investigation of Wildlife Disease Outbreaks Recipient Colorado State University Principle Investigator / Program Manager Dr. Terry Spraker Total Anticipated Award Amount $148,500.00 Cost Share none New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement H2370094000 Anticipated Length of Agreement From Date of award to 12/31/2015 Anticipated Period of Performance From Date of award to 12/31/2015 Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g); 16 USC 1a-2(j); 15 USC 5933 CFDA # and Title 15.945 Cooperative Research &amp; Training Programs Resources of the NPS CESU&#191;s Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (2) Continuation NPS Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718 june_zastrow@nps.gov OVERVIEW The mission of the National Park Service&#191;s Biological Resource Management Division (NPS BRMD) is to work in cooperation with parks, regions, other divisions of the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, and other partners to preserve, protect, and manage biological resources and related ecosystem processes. One of the responsibilities of the BRMD is to provide expert scientific, planning, and evaluation assistance on management actions and biological resource management issues. The Division is also responsible for policy formulation, planning, training, coordination, and implementation of biological resource management activities and programs of broad Service-wide importance. Wildlife health issues are an important aspect of these biological resource and ecosystem management programs. Wildlife disease outbreaks can occur or expand unexpectedly and require prompt response for scientists to gain critical data necessary to understand the ecology of the disease and its impacts. These data contribute to our scientific knowledge base that can be used to monitor and manage ongoing outbreaks as well as predict or prevent future outbreaks in wildlife populations. Outbreaks of diseases such as bighorn sheep pneumonia complex and chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk may have population limiting effects and require further investigation to fully appreciate their threats to native wildlife populations. Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (CSUVDL) has the capabilities to provide specialized support in wildlife health programs and in wildlife disease outbreak investigation. Staff of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology assigned to the CSUVDL includes a nationally recognized expert on bighorn sheep pneumonia complex and CWD. CSUVDL has the capability to train NPS and partner staff on techniques of outbreak investigation including animal monitoring, disease ecology, identification, and distribution, and defining impacts on populations. CSU also provides facilities for any associated diagnostic work as well as research libraries to support investigation of wildlife diseases. The CSUVDL has the capability to provide well trained technicians, students, and other staff that can maintain close collaboration with professional personnel at the laboratory and assist wildlife health teams. The co-location of the NPS wildlife health program and CSUVDL in Fort Collins, Colorado, allows for close collaboration in project conception, implementation, and reporting regardless of where outbreaks occur. Further, NPS staff have an opportunity to interact with CSU students in the Professional Veterinary Medicine Program and undergraduate majors interested in wildlife diseases and outbreak investigations. Through collaboration with NPS BRMD, CSU will have the opportunity to diversify the exposure of their students. CSUVDL staff and students will visit NPS units to investigate disease outbreaks, work collaboratively with co-investigators, and compile and publish research findings. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory agrees to provide professional assistance and assign mutually agreed upon staff to support wildlife health programs in conducting scientific investigation of two current disease outbreaks: bighorn sheep mortality focused around Mojave National Preserve, California, and CWD focused around Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Tasks may include: &#191; Support in designing field investigations and data collection. &#191; Field assistance capturing or monitoring animals to collect data on movements, habitat characteristics, disease occurrence, distribution, and changes over time. These captures may involve use of veterinary pharmaceuticals applied via hand injection or using remote delivery systems. &#191; Postmortem examination of carcasses, and collection and handling of postmortem samples. &#191; Data management and mapping disease distribution. &#191; Providing consultation on pathology, epidemiology, and other aspects of disease ecology. &#191; Collaboration on data analysis and preparation of manuscripts for publication. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT Substantial involvement on the part the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following: National Park Service agrees to: &#191; Collaborate in the selection and placement of CSUVDL staff for outbreak investigations. &#191; Jointly develop study plans, sampling protocols, and data collection methodology. &#191; Work collaboratively on all phases of scientific investigation, including data analysis and preparation of manuscripts for publication. &#191; Provide the opportunity to diversify the educational experience of students in the Professional Veterinary Medicine program and related undergraduate fields of study. SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable. In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria: (1) Unsolicited Proposal &#191; The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives; (2) Continuation &#191; The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity; (3) Legislative intent &#191; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#191; intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications &#191; The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications; (5) Emergencies &#191; Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed. The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: (2) CONTINUATION SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DESCRIPTION: THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD This is a Task Agreement (P14AC00636) under Cooperative Agreement (H2370094000) in the amount of $148,500.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 12/31/2015. &quot;This proposed project between Colorado State University and NPS is authorized to go through the Rocky Mountains CESU at the negotiated overhead rate of 17.5% because it passes the test of substantial involvement by the NPS, public purpose and consistency with the mission of the CESU Network&quot;. Also, on the SF 424 forms that the partner sponsored programs office fills out for each project, requires a CFDA number - 15.945, which is the number associated with the CFDA Title: COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS - RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (CESU). STATUTORY AUTHORITY A. 16 U.S.C. &#167;1g authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS appropriated funds to state, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out National Park Service programs. B. 16 U.S.C. &#167;1a-2(j) Cooperative research and training programs. Authorizes the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements with public or private educational institutions, states, and their political subdivisions, for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the national park system. Pursuant to such agreements, the cooperator may accept from or make available to the NPS technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units as the Secretary deems appropriate (research projects subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation excluded). Modified 5/31/05 &#191; Agreement Handbook Memorandum Number 2 C. 16 U.S.C. &#167;5933 Cooperative agreements. The Secretary is authorized and directed to enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, including but not limited to land grant schools, in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, to establish cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research and develop integrated information products on the resources of the National Park System, or the larger region of which parks are a part.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: June_Zastrow@nps.gov
GrantorContactText: June Zastrow, 303-987-6718&lt;br/&gt;June_Zastrow@nps.gov&lt;br/&gt;