Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR LC 20 N004

This Notice of Intent to Award is a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (CFDA 15.517) focused on bat conservation monitoring under the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCRMSCP). The work centers on taking acoustic recordings collected at bat monitoring stations in LCRMSCP areas and turning those recordings into standardized, decision-ready metrics that describe bat activity and species presence over time. The opportunity is structured for a single expected award, with an award ceiling of $384,654, and is limited to eligible applicants from state governments.

The core project has two main parts. First, the recipient will manage and analyze acoustic data provided by Reclamation, specifically recordings from acoustic bat monitoring stations installed at LCRMSCP locations. This implies responsibilities such as organizing large volumes of sound files, maintaining clear metadata (station, date, time, deployment period, and other relevant context), applying consistent processing workflows, and producing outputs that can be integrated into ongoing program reporting and long-term monitoring datasets. Second, the recipient will quantify several specific bat-activity indicators for the four bat species that are covered and evaluated by the LCRMSCP. The required indicators include: (1) the volume of "bat minutes" per species per night (a measure of activity intensity), (2) presence per species per night (whether each species is detected on a given night), and (3) mean nightly bat minutes per species per month (a monthly summary showing average nightly activity levels). Together, these outputs allow the program to track both how frequently bats occur and how active they are across nights and months, which supports conservation performance evaluations and trend comparisons.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it emphasizes continuity and comparability with prior monitoring years. The acoustic recordings collected by Bureau of Reclamation biologists are to be processed using the same filters and methods that the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and USBR used from 2016 through 2018, as described in the agreement. The notice explicitly references the use of Analook and Kaleidoscope software, along with established acoustic filters, which signals that the awardee should already be capable of working within that existing analytical framework rather than inventing a new one. This requirement is intended to keep costs down and avoid inefficiencies, which is why the notice also stresses the need for regional expertise in analyzing acoustic bat files. In practice, that means the awardee is expected to have experience with the local bat fauna and the typical call characteristics and misclassification issues that arise in the region, improving accuracy and reducing the time and expense associated with troubleshooting and reprocessing.

Administratively, the opportunity was posted on December 13, 2019, with an original closing date of December 26, 2019, and it is labeled as a notice of intent to award, meaning the agency is indicating its plan to make an award (often to a specific or anticipated partner) rather than running an open, highly competitive competition. The activity category is Environment, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (suggesting substantial agency involvement or coordination during performance), and only one award is anticipated. Overall, the grant supports a specialized, method-consistent acoustic analysis effort designed to convert field-collected bat audio data into standardized metrics that can be used to evaluate the status and activity patterns of four priority bat species under the LCRMSCP.

  • The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2019.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 26, 2019. (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 $384,654.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments.
Apply for BOR LC 20 N004

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is this funding opportunity?

This is a Notice of Intent to Award for a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (CFDA 15.517). The project supports bat conservation monitoring under the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCRMSCP).

2. What is the main purpose of the project?

The project focuses on converting acoustic recordings from bat monitoring stations in LCRMSCP areas into standardized, decision-ready metrics that describe bat activity and species presence over time.

3. What type of funding instrument is being used?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which generally indicates substantial agency involvement or coordination during the period of performance.

4. Who is the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.

5. What program does the work support?

The work supports the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCRMSCP), specifically its bat conservation monitoring efforts.

6. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number referenced is 15.517.

7. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to state governments.

8. How many awards are expected?

Only a single award is anticipated.

9. What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $384,654.

10. What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Environment.

11. What does "Notice of Intent to Award" mean in this context?

It indicates the agency is signaling its plan to make an award, often to a specific or anticipated partner, rather than running an open, highly competitive competition.

12. When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on December 13, 2019, with an original closing date of December 26, 2019.

13. What are the major parts of the project work?

The core project has two main parts: (1) managing and analyzing acoustic bat data provided by Reclamation, and (2) quantifying specific bat-activity indicators for the four bat species evaluated by the LCRMSCP.

14. What data will the recipient work with?

The recipient will work with acoustic recordings collected at bat monitoring stations installed at LCRMSCP locations. These recordings are provided by Reclamation.

15. What does "manage and analyze acoustic data" involve?

Based on the description, this implies organizing large volumes of sound files, maintaining clear metadata (such as station, date, time, and deployment period), applying consistent processing workflows, and producing outputs suitable for program reporting and long-term monitoring datasets.

16. What bat metrics are required as deliverables?

The required indicators include: (1) bat minutes per species per night (activity intensity), (2) presence per species per night (whether each species is detected on a given night), and (3) mean nightly bat minutes per species per month (a monthly summary of average nightly activity levels).

17. What does "bat minutes" mean in the context of this project?

Bat minutes are described as a measure of activity intensity, reported per species per night, and also summarized into monthly averages (mean nightly bat minutes per species per month).

18. What does "presence per species per night" mean?

It refers to whether each of the covered bat species is detected on a given night, producing a night-by-night record of occurrence.

19. How are the monthly metrics supposed to be reported?

The notice calls for mean nightly bat minutes per species per month, which is a monthly summary showing average nightly activity levels for each species.

20. How many bat species are included in the required analyses?

The notice specifies that the recipient must quantify indicators for four bat species that are covered and evaluated by the LCRMSCP.

21. Why is continuity with prior monitoring years emphasized?

Continuity is emphasized so that results remain comparable to prior years and can be used for conservation performance evaluations, trend comparisons, and consistent long-term monitoring.

22. What processing methods must be used for the acoustic data?

The recordings must be processed using the same filters and methods that the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the Bureau of Reclamation used from 2016 through 2018, as described in the agreement.

23. Which software tools are referenced for analysis?

The notice explicitly references Analook and Kaleidoscope software, along with established acoustic filters.

24. Is the awardee expected to create new analytical methods?

No. The description signals the awardee should be capable of working within the existing analytical framework (including the same filters and methods used in 2016-2018) rather than developing a new approach.

25. Why does the notice stress regional expertise?

Regional expertise is emphasized to keep costs down and avoid inefficiencies. The notice suggests that experience with local bat fauna, call characteristics, and common misclassification issues helps improve accuracy and reduces time and expense associated with troubleshooting and reprocessing.

26. How will the outputs be used by the program?

The standardized metrics are intended to support ongoing program reporting and long-term monitoring datasets, enabling the program to track how frequently bats occur and how active they are across nights and months.

27. What kind of monitoring insights do these metrics support?

They support conservation performance evaluations and trend comparisons by providing standardized measures of species presence and activity intensity over time.

28. Who collected the acoustic recordings?

The acoustic recordings were collected by Bureau of Reclamation biologists at bat monitoring stations installed at LCRMSCP locations.

29. Is this opportunity described as competitive?

It is described as a notice of intent to award, which typically indicates the agency plans to make an award (often to a specific or anticipated partner) rather than conduct a broad, open competition.

30. What is the overall focus of the funded work?

The work is a specialized, method-consistent acoustic analysis effort intended to translate field-collected bat audio into standardized metrics for four priority bat species under the LCRMSCP.

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