SFAN Vital Signs Monitoring and Communication | P18AS00662

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00662

The SFAN Vital Signs Monitoring and Communication opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00662) is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding action under the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is structured as a cooperative agreement focused on education and natural resources (CFDA 15.944). The central aim is to support work that tracks and communicates "vital signs" data, meaning scientifically collected indicators that describe the condition and trends of key natural resources across units of the National Park System. The overall public-purpose goal is to make resource information more usable and more widely shared, so that park managers and the public alike can better understand what is changing in park ecosystems and why it matters.

The project described is designed to generate, organize, and distribute scientific information about natural resource conditions and long-term trends. In practical terms, that typically includes monitoring datasets and interpretive products that help explain what those datasets show over time. The NPS emphasizes that the resulting information is intended for multiple audiences: park resource managers who make day-to-day and long-range stewardship decisions, educators who translate park science into learning experiences, and members of the general public who want credible, understandable information about the health of national park resources. A major theme is turning monitoring results into accessible outputs so the data do not sit unused, but instead actively inform decisions and public understanding.

A second objective is to strengthen the broader scientific and educational community by providing comparative data that can support other studies in the region. The announcement highlights that the knowledge produced will complement and enhance research efforts at universities, colleges, high schools, and other public institutions. That language signals an interest in data products and communication approaches that are compatible with outside research and learning, helping students and researchers place their own findings in a wider regional context and compare results across sites or time periods.

The opportunity also explicitly connects monitoring with public engagement. Beyond collecting and reporting data, the work is expected to contribute to tools that directly engage people with scientific information. That implies an emphasis on communication deliverables, such as interpretive materials, web-based or interactive data displays, briefs, summaries, or other outreach formats that help non-specialists explore what the monitoring is showing. The end result is meant to support transparency and build public literacy around park science while maintaining scientific rigor.

From a management perspective, the announcement ties the monitoring and communication work directly to adaptive stewardship. NPS resource managers are expected to use the science generated to identify best practices for managing land and water resources and to respond to environmental change. In other words, the project is not just about documenting conditions, but also about producing actionable insights that can guide planning, prioritization, and adaptation strategies as ecosystems shift due to stressors such as climate variability, invasive species, altered hydrology, or other pressures relevant to park landscapes.

Administratively, this notice is not a request for applications. It is a Notice of Intent to Award, issued to inform the public that the NPS planned to fund a specific project under an existing cooperative agreement with GGNPC. Because of that status, the usual competitive application process does not apply here, even though the listing includes general eligibility language (nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education). The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $84,415. The posting was created on September 9, 2018, and lists an original closing date of September 23, 2018, which functions more as a posting timeline than an open solicitation given the intent-to-award nature of the announcement.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SFAN Vital Signs Monitoring and Communication" 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 Sep 09, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 23, 2018 NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD. This is not a request for applications. This funding announcement is to provide public notice that the National Park Service will fund the following project under an existing Cooperative Agreement with GGNPC.. (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 $84,415.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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