15.678 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units | F19AS00354

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00354

This grant opportunity (CFDA 15.678, Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units) from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service supports a research project aimed at improving how scientists locate and monitor nesting waterfowl in Alaska. The work focuses on Kigigak Island within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, an area known for extremely high densities of nesting birds and a long history of intensive field research. The central problem the project addresses is that traditional nest monitoring often requires repeated human visits to nest sites, and those visits can unintentionally increase egg and nest mortality. The main drivers are higher rates of nest abandonment and higher predation risk after people move through nesting areas, which can leave scent trails or otherwise draw predators and disturb incubating birds. These impacts are a general concern in waterfowl studies, but they are especially acute at Kigigak Island because of how many nests are concentrated there and how frequently monitoring has historically occurred.

The funded research will evaluate whether low-level unmanned aerial systems (UAS, or drones) and the imagery they collect can be used as a practical, less intrusive alternative for two key tasks: (1) locating nests and (2) monitoring nesting behavior. The intent is not simply to test whether drones can capture images, but to determine their real utility in a working field program: whether imagery-based approaches can reliably find nests, gather behavior information that managers and researchers actually need, and do so while minimizing disturbance compared to people walking through colonies or nesting habitat. The opportunity builds on prior work indicating that UAS-based observations can be conducted with minimal disturbance to both nesting and staging waterfowl, including studies conducted inside and outside the Yukon Delta refuge. By extending and refining these methods, the project also contributes to broader development of remote sensing tools for wildlife research, potentially improving monitoring approaches across many waterfowl ecology efforts beyond this single site.

A major motivating conservation driver is the presence of high-profile species at Kigigak Island, particularly the threatened Spectacled Eider. For this species, developing effective monitoring that reduces disturbance is not just a methodological preference; it has been identified as a critical recovery task by the Spectacled Eider Recovery Team. In practice, better low-disturbance monitoring can improve the quality of population and productivity data while reducing the risk that the monitoring itself harms nesting success. That matters both for day-to-day refuge management and for the scientific basis of decisions made under the Endangered Species Act, where agencies are expected to rely on strong science and careful analysis when assessing threats, recovery progress, and appropriate protections.

In terms of outputs, the grant anticipates clear research products rather than only internal reporting. The expected deliverables include a Master’s thesis and peer-reviewed manuscripts in the primary scientific literature. Those publications are intended to directly inform future monitoring and research protocols, especially around when and how UAS can be used effectively for waterfowl nest detection and behavioral observation, what limitations exist, and what best practices reduce disturbance while still producing usable data. Because these methods, if validated, can reduce the need for intensive ground visitation, the results could influence standard operating procedures for waterfowl research programs in sensitive or densely nested environments.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning the agency anticipates active involvement or collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off grant structure. The opportunity number is F19AS00354, with an award ceiling of $80,000 and an expectation of a single award. It was posted in late August 2019 (creation date Aug 26, 2019) with an original closing date of Aug 31, 2019, reflecting a short application window typical of some targeted CESU opportunities. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with further clarification expected in the funding notice’s eligibility section, consistent with CESU mechanisms that often emphasize partnerships with specific network members or qualified entities.

Finally, the opportunity is framed as supporting several Department of the Interior leadership priorities, particularly the emphasis on using science to improve stewardship of land and water resources and adapt management to environmental change. It also highlights relationship-building with conservation and local or regional stakeholder organizations, specifically referencing the Waterfowl Conservation Commission of the Alaska Village Council Presidents, suggesting an intent to align scientific monitoring improvements with collaborative stewardship and balanced use of public lands. Overall, the grant funds applied research with immediate operational relevance: testing whether drone-based imagery can reduce harmful disturbance while improving the effectiveness and defensibility of waterfowl monitoring, especially for a threatened species in a high-density nesting landscape.

• 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 "15.678 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 26, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 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 $80,000.00 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 F19AS00354

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