OpportunityTitle: George Melendez Wright Initiative Young Leaders in Climate Change
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 P14AS00227 Project Title George Melendez Wright Initiative Young Leaders in Climate Change Recipient University of Washington Principle Investigator / Program Manager Dr. Lisa Graumlich Total Anticipated Award Amount $211,000.00 Cost Share None New Award or Continuation? Continuation of Cooperative Agreement H8W0711001 Anticipated Length of Agreement From date of award until 1/30/2017 Anticipated Period of Performance From date of award until 1/30/2017 Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority 16 USC 1(g); 16 USC 1a-2(j); 16 USC 5933 CFDA # and Title 15.945 Cooperative Research &amp; Training Programs &#191; Resources of 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 This Task Agreement by and between the National Park Service (NPS) and University of Washington (UW) is issued against the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement, H8W07110001, for the purpose of mutual assistance in conducting a project entitled &#191;George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change&#191;. Unless otherwise provided herein, the terms and conditions of H8W07110001 apply to this Task Agreement. The NPS has clearly identified the need for diverse perspectives and innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to address the challenges of climate change in the management of national parks and public lands. The NPS has also made it a priority to make parks and public lands more personally relevant to the American public, engage the next generation of scientists and leaders, and foster a more diverse professional workforce. The George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change (YLCC) will meet these needs and priorities. It will build a pathway for exemplary students in higher education to apply cutting-edge climate change knowledge. This is a collaborative project between the University of Washington (UW) and NPS to administer and fund the YLCC. NPS units (parks and programs) will define the internship projects, compete for funds, and oversee structured projects which produce clearly defined products in one or more of the following interdisciplinary areas: climate change science and monitoring; resource conservation and adaptation; policy; sustainable park operations; and interpretation/education. Students will utilize critical thinking and problem solving for climate change management challenges and engage in effective communication with diverse stakeholders. Supervisors will guide interns through structured tasks and mentor them to develop leadership skills and prepare for a professional career in the federal government. Interns who accomplish their work with a high degree of success are eligible to be hired non-competitively into government service. There are many public benefits to this project, including hands-on work experience, education, and training for young people; increased knowledge and information about protecting resources in a changing climate; and enrichment of interpretive programs, school outreach, facilities and operations, and other aspects of public experiences. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT 1. Collaboratively undertake a project titled &#191;George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change&#191; as described throughout this document. 2. Cooperate with the NPS CCRP to ensure that the conduct of the project complies with the &#191;NPS Interim Guidance Document Governing Code of Conduct, Peer Review, and Information Quality Correction for National Park Service Cultural and Natural Resources Disciplines,&#191; and with any and all subsequent guidance issued by the NPS Director to replace this interim document. Recruit and Select Park Internship Projects 3. Collaborate with the CCRP to provide selected park staff with webinar-based overview of initiative, procedural details, and requirements such as effective mentoring and professional development of participants. Recruit Student Proposals/Applicants 4. Review and comment on Call for Applications drafted by the CCRP. 5. Assist the NPS in development of additional marketing tools. 6. Distribute Call for Applications through professional networks and recruit applicants. a. Identify and promote opportunities within Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs &#191; historically Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander, and American Indian) or other schools with diverse student populations. b. Identify and promote opportunities within universities with exemplary programs in related fields of study including natural and cultural resource and facilities management disciplines. c. Solicit recruitment assistance from minority student organizations and programs within professional organizations 7. Provide for on-line submission of all internship applications by students. 8. Field questions from prospective interns with input from the CCRP as needed. Manage Recipients 9. Place interns onto UW payroll following a criminal background check and provide them with insurance, W-4s, W-2s, etc. 10. Pay travel for all recipients to attend orientation at the start of summer in Washington DC. 11. Receive bimonthly time sheets from intern supervisors and pay interns accordingly. Manage and respond to questions from interns and park staff regarding payment, benefits, and other topics within the realm of UW responsibilities. 12. Prepare quarterly internship payroll invoice and submit it to the ATR for approval. 13. Pay travel for all recipients to attend symposium at the end of summer in Washington DC. 14. Pay travel for select recipients to travel to the biennial (odd-year) George Wright Society Conferences. Annual Project Reporting 15. Produce a PI Annual Accomplishments Report and deliver to the CCRP. Additional Tasks 16. Ensure that reports and other formal materials (including publications and presentations) resulting from this collaborative project acknowledge the NPS and that the project was conducted through the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, and reference this Task Agreement number. 17. Upon request of the NPS, obtain digital photographs with captions of project activities and make these available to the NPS Pacific Northwest CESU Research Coordinator and others for use in presentations and reports. 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: 1. Provide financial assistance to the UW as provided in Article V. The Budget, included as Attachment 1, is incorporated in this Task Agreement. 2. Inform the PI of the specific activities required to comply with the &#191;NPS Interim Guidance Document Governing Code of Conduct, Peer Review, and Information Quality Correction for National Park Service Cultural and Natural Resource Disciplines,&#191; and with any and all subsequent guidance issued by the NPS Director to replace this interim document. 3. Review and approve as necessary all invoices submitted by UW. Recruit and Select Park Internship Projects 4. Develop and distribute Call for Projects to all NPS parks and programs. 5. Receive internship project proposals and assemble a panel of 4-5 NPS staff to review proposals and select awardees. 6. Collaborate with UW to provide selected park staff with webinar-based overview of initiative, procedural details, and requirements. Recruit Student Proposals/Applicants 7. Prepare a Call for Applications and provide to UW for review and comment. 8. Distribute the Call for Applications through all NPS channels. 9. Collaborate with UW to inform Minority Serving Institutions and other organizations via advertising materials and any appropriate follow-up. 10. Field questions from prospective interns with input from the UW as needed. Paneling and Selection 11. Conduct initial screening of internship applicants and forward qualified and diverse candidates to park staff for final review and selection. The total pool of candidates forwarded to park staff should match, to the extent possible, the racial demographics of the national civilian labor force. 12. Develop a standard scoring method for evaluating applicants. 13. Organize a board to evaluate all eligible applicant packages. The board will contain one (1) CCRP representative and one (1) Project Supervisor from each selected project and one (1) additional staff member from each selected project (optional). The board will utilize a standard scoring method provided by the CCRP. The board will meet virtually and all documents will be made available electronically. The board will select their top candidates for virtual interviews, schedule interviews, and make final recommendations for selection. 14. Park staff will conduct required security background checks (HSPD-12) at park&#191;s expense. 15. Produce a Preliminary Internship Report and deliver to UW to post materials on the website. Manage Recipients 16. Provide selected students with a webinar-based overview of NPS climate change response. 17. Develop an Internship Handbook with input from the UW and provide an electronic copy to each intern and park supervisor. Include in this handbook a template for the park to develop a Leadership Development and Mentoring Plan (LDMP). 18. Develop a LDMP for each intern and submit to CCRP for review and feedback. 19. Provide interns with an NPS climate change shirt to wear in lieu of a park uniform. 20. Verify employment eligibility and submit I-9 form for each intern to UW no later than the first day of employment for the individual intern. 21. Arrange for an orientation meeting at start of summer in Washington DC to include meetings with NPS leaders; overview of the bureau; presentations on Pathways and NPS career paths; discussions with STEM Education experts from NPS, DOI, NSF, and other organizations; exploration of local national parks; and social events. 22. Create a virtual space, possibly a closed Facebook page, which will allow the interns to interact with and learn from one another throughout the project, and following the internship, will act as space for an alumni network. Post questions, encourage the posting of photos and stories, and initiate additional discussion. 23. Provide interns with necessary and appropriate work space, equipment, supplies, etc. to conduct their work successfully and provide training, mentorship, and leadership development to support the professional development of interns. 24. Arrange housing and transportation, where necessary to complete the project, and for all expenses incurred while providing these items. The CCRP will arrange for a limited housing stipend fund for parks that lack the ability to provide housing, on a case-by-case basis. 25. Create webinar or other opportunities for interns to present on-line the results of their projects to a broad NPS audience. 26. Develop a Documentation of Service template and provide to supervisors. 27. Develop a Certificate of Intern Program Completion template and provide to supervisors. 28. Gather and file intern work products, evaluations, and other materials at the end of the internship. 29. Arrange for a symposium at end of summer in Washington DC to allow all participants to reconvene, reflect and present their work to NPS and other professional audiences, and build professional networks that will be useful for subsequent employment and career growth. 30. Produce, within 60 days of each intern&#191;s completion, a Final Internship Report and deliver to CCRP and UW to use in the development of the PI Annual Accomplishment Report. Additional Tasks 31. Ensure that reports and other formal materials (including publications and presentations) resulting from this collaborative project acknowledge the UW and that the project was conducted through the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, and reference this Task Agreement number. 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 (P14AC01369) under Cooperative Agreement (H8W0711001) in the amount of $211,000.00 with a period of performance from date of award until 01/30/2017. &quot;This proposed project between University of Washington and the NPS is authorized to go through the Pacific Northwest 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;