Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation CFDA 15.655 | F17AS00064

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00064

The Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation grant opportunity (CFDA 15.655; Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00064) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) discretionary funding notice announcing the agency's intent to issue one cooperative agreement as a single-source award to the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $150,000. The notice was created on December 13, 2016, with an original closing date of December 20, 2016. While the broader CFDA program can be open to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and certain nonprofit organizations, this particular posting is explicitly structured as a sole-source action directed to the University of Rhode Island rather than a competitive solicitation.

The core purpose of the project is to generate new, decision-relevant information about the movements and habitat use of two federally protected coastal bird species within and beyond the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) region: the Federally endangered North Atlantic population of the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) and the Federally threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). The work is designed to clarify how these birds move from breeding areas in the northeastern United States through staging and migratory routes and into migratory stopover sites and wintering areas in the Caribbean. A central management question is the extent to which Roseate Terns and Piping Plovers use offshore federal waters during breeding, staging, and migration, because that information directly affects how agencies and developers can plan, site, and manage offshore and coastal wind energy facilities in ways that reduce risks to these species.

A major practical driver behind the study is wind energy planning and oversight in the Atlantic OCS. By documenting where and when birds travel, and whether their routes intersect offshore wind energy areas, the project aims to support both forward-looking siting decisions for proposed facilities and monitoring of bird movements through wind energy areas that have already been designated. The notice emphasizes that better movement data is "critical" for minimizing adverse impacts, reflecting the need for evidence-based assessments of exposure and risk, particularly for listed species where regulatory review and conservation obligations are heightened.

Methodologically, the project relies on nano-tag transmitter technology paired with a network of automated radio telemetry receiver stations. Birds will be captured and tagged at sites along the northeastern U.S. Atlantic coast. Piping Plovers are to be captured on their breeding grounds during the incubation period, while Roseate Terns are to be captured in two distinct windows: first during the breeding season to capture movement patterns during chick-rearing, and then again during the post-breeding period to help ensure tag retention through migration and to improve the likelihood of collecting complete migration data. Once tagged, individuals from both species will be detected by an array of automated telemetry stations deployed along the U.S. Atlantic coastline and extended into the Caribbean.

A key enhancement described in the notice is the addition of tracking stations in the Caribbean, which would enable tracking of these birds, for the first time in this context, across the full duration of their fall migratory flights in the Atlantic OCS. Beyond simply mapping flight paths, these stations are intended to support an initial evaluation of how birds use specific migratory stopover destinations and wintering areas, particularly in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. The expected value of that output is twofold: it can help identify and prioritize protection of important Roseate Tern stopover areas during migration, and it can improve understanding of Piping Plover wintering site use, both of which are essential for targeted conservation actions.

On the analysis side, the opportunity indicates that existing data analysis methods will be used to translate detection data into practical management insights. This includes assessing exposure of Roseate Terns and Piping Plovers to offshore wind energy facilities in the Atlantic OCS and evaluating migration timing, stopover duration (length of stay), and patterns of site use across the Caribbean locations highlighted. In effect, the project is positioned as applied research and development that connects field-based tracking to concrete conservation and planning decisions.

The legal and policy foundation for the award and the underlying work is anchored in FWS authorities and mandates, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended; 16 U.S.C. 742a-754) and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 2901-2911). The notice also situates the project within FWS responsibilities under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918) and the Endangered Species Act (1973), which provide additional protections and elevate the importance of careful monitoring and impact avoidance for species listed as endangered or threatened. Overall, the opportunity supports a focused tracking and assessment effort aimed at closing key information gaps about two sensitive coastal bird species, with the explicit goal of improving offshore wind energy planning and strengthening conservation outcomes across the U.S. Atlantic coast and Caribbean regions these birds depend on.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Migratory Bird Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation CFDA 15.655" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.655.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 20, 2016. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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