OpportunityTitle: F24AS00367 FWS - White-nose Syndrome Research for Conservation Grants - 2024
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Additional eligible applicants include nonprofits having a 501(c)4 and 501(c)5 status with the IRS.This funding opportunity is open to domestic and foreign applicants. Additional information for foreign entities is included below. To be eligible, the following conditions must be met: Proposed projects must clearly address one or more priorities identified by the WNS program in this funding announcement, as identified above. Applicants must be in good standing on previously awarded Federal grant agreements, with no outstanding reports or obligations, and a record of successful use of funds from previous WNS grants, including NFWF BFF (if applicable). When an applicant is carrying two or more active WNS awards (including grants from directly from the Service and from NFWF BFF) while applying for another, the Service has an administrative obligation to verify that there are no correctable problems in implementing the existing awards. The Service will review the reasons why those grants are still open before proceeding with further consideration. Previous recipients that have demonstrated their effective use of WNS project funds will not be affected. Previous recipients that have taken no significant action on any one of their two or more preexisting awards will not be considered eligible to compete for new funds from the WNS program until the issue is resolved.
Description: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) makes funding available for research and conservation action to support the management of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and susceptible bat species. The Service leads the coordinated National Response to WNS and provides financial and technical assistance to nongovernmental, university, and private researchers, as well as state and local governments, Native American tribes, and federal agencies to support management of WNS and conservation of bats. Projects receiving WNS Research for Conservation Grants will investigate priority questions to improve our collective ability to manage the disease and conduct actions that conserve affected bat species. In 2024, priorities for this funding opportunity are indicated below:Priority 1: Understand Pd invasion, WNS progression, and WNS impacts in western and southern regions of North America, with particular focus on Myotis spp., Perimyotis subflavus, Parastrellus Hesperus.WNS management decisions depend on a clear understanding of the distribution and abundance of Pd, interactions between Pd and susceptible species, severity of disease impacts to those species, and variation in susceptibility among individuals of a species. The USFWS seeks proposals in this category that substantially add to knowledge that can inform decisions about WNS management and treatment actions. Priority 2: Characterize critical features of winter or summer roosts and habitat associated with important persisting, recovering, or at-risk populations of WNS-susceptible species in order to conserve, preserve, or enhance resources for these populations.WNS-impacted species continue to be present across their ranges, although with notable differences associated with habitat types, locations, behavior, and other factors. The USFWS seeks proposals in this category that lead to information specifically needed to support bat conservation and management decisions. Priority 3: Develop novel, biotechnological tools that remove or suppress Pd&#8217;s pathogenic properties, making it unable to cause severe disease. Of particular interest are projects that use a Pd-specific mycovirus, or other tools, to effect changes in genes or gene expression in Pd. There are several tools available intended to reduce the abundance of Pd in hibernacula or the severity of WNS in bats. These involve repeated application or long-term commitments that may limit the scalability and long-term viability of such management actions. The USFWS seeks proposals in this category to produce original tools (i.e., novel mechanisms) or innovative applications for transformative management of Pd and WNS.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Kate_Moran@fws.gov
GrantorContactText: Kate Moran&lt;br/&gt;Kate_Moran@fws.gov
CloseDateExplanation: Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM., ET, on the listed application due date.This funding opportunity will remain open until 12/15/2024.  See the anticipated schedule below.Projects received by the initial deadline may be awarded, declined, or held to be evaluated again after the final deadline. Projects that are not awarded may be resubmitted while this funding opportunity remains open.  No more than 75% of total available funds for this opportunity will be awarded prior to evaluation of all proposals received by the final deadline.Initial deadline: 07/31/2024Notification of decisions for proposals received by the initial deadline: 09/16/2024Final deadline: 12/15/2024Notification of decisions for proposals received by the final deadline: 02/15/2025