White Nose Syndrome Education and Secondary Impact Assessment | NOIP17AC01110

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOIP17AC01110

The White Nose Syndrome Education and Secondary Impact Assessment opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on understanding and responding to the ecological fallout from White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in the caves of Buffalo National River (BUFF) in Arkansas. WNS, first observed in the U.S. in 2006 and detected at BUFF in winter 2014-2015, has caused steep declines in cave-hibernating bat populations, with a notable impact on tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus). Because BUFF contains roughly 500 documented caves and supports multiple bat species protected under the Endangered Species Act, the park faces both an urgent conservation challenge and a need for strong, science-based management decisions. The project is designed to strengthen habitat and ecosystem stewardship by pairing on-the-ground monitoring with rigorous protocols and active communication of results to both scientific and public audiences.

The core work centers on Fitton Cave, a high-value cave system that was specifically protected through an unusual BUFF boundary "bump out" intended to safeguard the cave and much of its contributing watershed. The project will establish and run detailed biological inventory transects and guano deposit transects within targeted areas of Fitton Cave. By repeatedly measuring cave fauna and guano deposition over time, the project aims to build a practical model of the secondary and cumulative impacts of WNS. In other words, it is not only about documenting bat declines, but also about assessing what happens next in the cave ecosystem when a major nutrient source and ecological driver (bat populations and their guano) collapses, and how those changes ripple to cave-obligate species and broader cave community dynamics.

The recipient, identified as TNC (The Nature Conservancy), is expected to conduct comprehensive biological surveys and annual monitoring to document which cave species are present and approximate population levels. A key component is an annual bat dropping survey that estimates droppings per square meter across the cave floor, creating a repeatable index of guano availability and change. TNC also commits to capacity-building and education by providing two cave biology trainings each year for park staff, partners, and caving groups, helping ensure that knowledge and best practices persist beyond the immediate project. On the analysis and reporting side, the recipient will produce management-focused analyses and reports that translate monitoring results into likely consequences for non-bat cave-adapted species, submit monitoring and survey summaries on a per-trip basis, and help NPS develop WNS-related materials for the 2017 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium. A strict requirement throughout the fieldwork is compliance with WNS decontamination protocols for all clothing and equipment, reflecting the high priority placed on preventing accidental spread of the WNS fungus between caves.

NPS plays an unusually hands-on role because the award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning substantial federal involvement is built into the project design. BUFF natural resource staff, including the Natural Resource Program Manager or designee, are expected to participate in site selection, protocol development, and distribution of interim and final results. NPS will provide cave-dedicated equipment, along with decontamination facilities and supplies, and will assign a technical representative to assist as needed. The agency also retains operational authority to direct or redirect work to align with other park priorities, to halt activities if performance specifications are not being met, and to work directly with TNC when challenging issues arise. This setup reflects a field-intensive project where coordination, safety, and contamination control are central to success.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary Department of the Interior opportunity under CFDA 15.944, offered as a single expected award with an award ceiling of $300,000. The funding opportunity number is NOIP17AC01110. It was posted in late August 2017 with an early September 2017 closing date. The opportunity also includes a single-source justification: NPS states competition was not practicable because the proposed recipient has unique qualifications, including proximity and familiarity with Fitton Cave, which would reduce mobilization costs and avoid the added time and expense that a more distant, less site-familiar organization would require to establish the transects and execute the work to standard. Overall, the grant is best understood as a targeted, collaborative effort to measure WNS-driven ecosystem change in a flagship cave system, translate that science into park management guidance, and expand training and outreach so the findings and protective practices carry beyond BUFF.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "White Nose Syndrome Education and Secondary Impact Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 04, 2017. (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).

Apply for NOIP17AC01110

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: