Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. Department of Interior
National Park Service
Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Haleakala National Park
Funding Opportunity Announcement Number: P15AS00067
CFDA #: 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the
National Park System
Announcement Type: Initial
Issue Date:
03/18/2015
Application Due Date:
05/18/2015
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY
PROJECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
PROJECT METHODS AND SCHEDULE
TERM OF THE AGREEMENT
SECTION II: AWARD INFORMATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
EXPECTED NUMBER OF AWARDS
ESTIMATED TOTAL PROGRAM FUNDING (ANNUAL)
AWARD CEILING (ANNUAL) $130,000.00
ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENT: TASK AGREEMENT
SECTION III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
A.
B.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
COST-SHARING OR MATCHING REQUIREMENT
SECTION IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE
CONTENTS AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION
SUBMISSION FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS
SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES
INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW
SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
AWARD DOCUMENTS
FUNDING RESTRICTIONS
SECTION V: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
A.
B.
REVIEW CRITERIA
REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
SECTION VI: AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
AWARD NOTICES
NOTICE OF SELECTION
ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS
REPORTING
SECTION VII: AGENCY CONTACTS
SECTION VIII: QUESTIONS
A.
QUESTIONS
SECTION IX: OTHER INFORMATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
MODIFICATION OR CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT
GOVERNMENT RIGHT TO REJECT OR NEGOTIATE
EVALUATION AND ADMINISTRATION BY NON-FEDERAL PERSONNEL
NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF FINANCIAL CAPABILITY
NOTICE OF POTENTIAL DISCLOSURE UNDER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS
APPENDIX B – PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION
APPENDIX C – APPLICATION PACKAGE
Forms SF 424 (Application for Financial Assistance)
SF 424A (Budget Information)
SF 424B (Assurances)
SF LLL (Lobbying)
“Certificate Regarding Lobbying” from grants.gov
APPENDIX D. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATURAL RESOURCE CONDITION ASSESSMENT FOR HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK
SECTION I: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Legislative Authority
Pursuant to 54 USC §101702(b), to facilitate the administration of the System, the Secretary, under
such terms and conditions as the Secretary may consider advisable, may—(A) enter into cooperative
agreements with public or private educational institutions, States, and political subdivisions of States
to develop adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the
resources of the System; and (B) pursuant to an agreement, accept from and make available to the
cooperator technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research
projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative
research units that the Secretary considers appropriate. This subsection does not waive any
requirements for research projects that are subject to Federal procurement regulations.
B. Project Background Information
1. Introduction and Overview
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) pertains to the Natural Resource Condition
Assessment (NRCA) in and adjacent to Haleakala National Park (HALE) located on the Island of
Maui in Hawai’i (see Figure 1 in Appendix D). The NRCA will provide an evaluation of current
ecological conditions and discernible trends for natural resources and ecosystem processes,
identify critical data and knowledge gaps, and highlight existing and potential threats to natural
resources and ecosystems within the park. This assessment will rely on existing scientific data
from multiple sources, as well as the best professional judgment of an interdisciplinary team of
specialists, to evaluate current status and suggest future conditions for natural resources in the
park.
The assessment will focus on a subset of terrestrial, aquatic and marine resources and
processes selected by the park for particular attention. A list of topics and themes that will be
addressed by the NRCA is provided in Table 1.
2. Haleakala National Park
A general description of the park and important natural resource topics are provided in
Appendix D.
C. Project Objectives
1. Objectives
The project seeks to interpret and synthesize existing scientific information into a form that park
managers can readily apply for use in park decision making and resource planning. By
incorporating published research, data from the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program,
additional unpublished NPS and other agency data and information, and relevant professional
expertise, the assessment will provide managers and the public with the most current
determination of resource and ecosystem conditions available.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
The project will result in a park-specific report and spatial data that: a) describe park resources
in a regional context; b) provide an interdisciplinary evaluation of current resource conditions
and discernible trends; c) document critical data gaps and research needs; and d) document
high-priority resource management issues.
2. Guidelines
NPS Document Standards - The standards for NRCA documents are described in detail on the
NPS NRCA website http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/nrca/guidance.cfm. The core document
includes five chapters:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
NRCA Background Information
Introduction and Resource Setting
Study Design and Scoping
Natural Resource Conditions (see below)
Discussion
Chapter 4 - Natural Resource Conditions contains the primary assessment analysis and
supporting information for each topic, including:
a. Description and Assessment Measure
b. Data and Methods
c. Reference Conditions/Values
d. Resource Condition and Trend
e. Level of Confidence
f. Data Gaps/Research Needs
g. Management Recommendations
h. Sources of Expertise
i. Literature Cited
Examples of completed reports can be accessed at the NPS NRCA website
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/nrca/reports.cfm).
Team Expertise - The study team selected for this NRCA must have expertise in natural
resources, processes and ecosystems that are of greatest concern and importance to the park.
Specifically for the HALE NRCA, the core team expertise should be particularly relevant to the
NRCA priority 1 resources in Table 1. The PI also should be prepared to enlist associate team
members with appropriate expertise to address other potential resource elements from Table 1
that may be selected for final inclusion in the NRCA.
Park-specific focus - The NRCA will result in a similar set of products as outlined in this SOW.
However, the assessment project must consider park-specific variables such as:




park purpose and significant resources, resource setting, and landscape context (current and
historic land-use, adjacent land-use, fragmentation, regional context);
status of park resource stewardship planning; for example, whether the park has in place a
Resource Stewardship Strategy;
types and amounts of scientific data and information available for use in the assessment;
other related projects or studies ongoing at the park that may require coordination or data
sharing with the NRCA.
Ecological Framework - NPS will collaborate with the Recipient to identify the appropriate
ecological framework to be used in the NRCA as described in the Guidelines. The framework to
be used will be agreed upon between the Recipient and the NPS Project Coordinating Committee
(described below) early in the project development process and will be included in the study plan.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
There are a number of indicator frameworks that can be considered, including but not limited to
an Environmental Protection Agency-Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB) framework, the NPS
Ecological Monitoring Framework, and a framework adapted from the Heinz Center. A partial list
of potentially useful assessment frameworks and methodologies is provided on the NRCA
program website at nature.nps.gov/water/nrca/frameworks.cfm. A review of completed NRCA
projects also will provide additional examples on frameworks previously adopted.
Reference Conditions - An important part of the project involves the identification or development
of appropriate reference conditions against which to assess the current status of identified
resources. Reference conditions may be qualitative or quantitative based on existing data and
knowledge for a given resource. An additional goal of the effort is to integrate resource condition
evaluations across multiple ecosystem components, such as species, communities, and physical
processes, to provide syntheses of overall ecosystem condition. Where applicable, ecosystem
syntheses will be applied to relevant park areas, such as watersheds, ecosystem/habitat types, or
park management zones.
Scientific Integrity - For many resources and processes, sufficient data will not exist to
quantitatively assess condition. To maintain scientific credibility, available data and information
will be combined with professional expertise to develop valid assessments. Additional credibility
will be achieved through transparent, well-documented logic and assumptions and by
communicating a level of confidence associated with all findings and conclusions.
Spatial (GIS) Component - The report will incorporate a strong geospatial component for all topics
for which spatial analysis and/or presentation will provide important additional supporting
information. (For example, simple presentations of resources in formats readily available in
existing NPS documents or from other sources may not be necessary unless they are specifically
requested by the NPS.) All original spatial data and/or analyses developed by the Recipient will
be delivered as part of the final report and will include metadata that meets Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC) standards for geospatial content.
Potential sources of NPS information – These include vegetation monitoring data, vertebrate
monitoring data, rare plant monitoring data, and Inventory and Monitoring Program reports and
datasets, aerial photography, vegetation maps, soil and maps, and expert opinion. The
investigator will assess the utility of all available datasets and select the data and information
sources that are most relevant to the overall assessment for each community type. In the
absence of relevant data to a specific task, the investigator will provide analysis and conclusions
using whatever data, information and expert opinions are available, and will include in the final
report a discussion of relevant data gaps that could be addressed with further sampling or
research. The study team is responsible for searching for other pertinent information from non
NPS sources.
3. Potential Themes and Resources
A list of priority natural resource elements and relative rating based on importance has been
identified by park staff (Table 1). These resources will be further refined through discussions
between the Recipient and the NPS Committee early in the project from which the Recipient will
develop a detailed study plan. Discussions will address data richness of resources, identification
of relevant indicators or measures, and reference conditions.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Table 1. Potential resources to be addressed in the natural resource condition assessment. Priority
will be given to resources rated 1 before those rated 2 or 3.
NRCA
Priority
I. Life-Supporting Environment
A. Physical and Chemical Integrity of Air Quality, Weather and Climate
This resource will be assessed by the NPS and
Air Quality
included in the NRCA.
Address effects on species/systems under
Weather and Climate
biological integrity
B. Physical and Chemical Integrity of Geology and Soils
Hillslope Features and Processes
Geomorphology (Surface
Processes)
Coastal/Oceanographic Features and Processes
(Japan tsunami debris)
Stream Channel Characteristics
1
3
3
3
3
Lake/Bog Features and Processes (limnology)
3
Subsurface Geologic
Processes
Cave Features and Processes (lava tubes)
3
Volcanic Features and Processes
2
Soil Quality
Soil Function and Dynamics
2
C. Physical and Chemical Integrity of Water Resources
Surface Water Dynamics
 Lakes
 Perennial and intermittent streams
Hydrology
Groundwater Dynamics
Coastal Dynamics
 Storm surges
 Sea level changes
Surface Water (lakes and streams)
Water Quality
Groundwater
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3
3
3
2
3
Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
NRCA
Priority
II. Biological Integrity
A. Ecological Communities of Concern
 Cave-dwelling invertebrates
 Other fauna
Cave Ecosystems
 Water quality
 Hydrology
 Vegetation
 Marine animals: sea turtles, monk seals,
invertebrates, shore birds
Coastal Communities
 Intertidal communities
 Coastal vegetation
 Native plants/animals
Crater Ecosystem
 Invasive species
 Weather and Climate
 Plant diversity
Shrubland Communities
 Community richness
 Front Country
 Native and non-native animals
 Kaupo
 Weather and climate effects
 diseases, pests
Forest Communities
 Plant diversity
 Low elevation (< 4000’)
 Community richness
 High elevation (> 4000’)
 Invasive plants and animals
 Bogs
 Plant diversity and community richness
 Native and non-native animals
Sub-alpine Grassland
Community
 Weather and climate effects
 diseases, pests
Nuu Parcel
 Ecological integrity
Lakes and Streams
 Aquatic invertebrates
Freshwater Communities
 Amphibians and reptiles
 Fish
 Bryophytes
Non-vascular Plants
 Mosses
 Mycorrhizae
B. Animal Communities of Concern
Invertebrates
Birds
T&E Wildlife
Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrates/ Pollinators
Native and non-native birds
 Shore birds (kolea)
 Forest birds
 Avian diseases
 Bats
 Endangered Birds
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2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
NRCA
Priority
C. Stressors
Invasive Species
Disease and Infestations
Invasive/Exotic Plants
Invasive/Exotic Animals
 Mammals
 Birds
 Amphibians
 Reptiles
 Invertebrates
 Insects
 Plant and Animal Diseases (avian malaria,
pox)
 Insect Pests
2
2
III. Landscape Condition Context
2
Soundscape
Fuel and Fire Dynamics
Land Cover/Use and Habitat Connectivity
 Housing density
 Road density
 Human footprint
Natural Disturbance Regimes
 tsunamis
 hurricanes
 drought
Natural Quiet
Viewscape
Dark Night Sky
2
Landscape Dynamics
3
3
2
Condition and trends of important ecological and animal communities of concern
Determine condition status and trends of key species, including rare, threatened and endangered
plants and animals, in the communities of concern shown in Table 2. Determine status and trend
of current stressors such as invasive species, diseases and pests. Discuss the implications of
these findings and the likely effects of climate change and fire on the current condition and trend
of each plant and animal community.
Condition and trends of restored native plant communities
Determine the effectiveness of restoration and reestablishment of native plant communities.
Condition and trends in water quality and quantity
Determine extent, condition, and trend of lakes, streams and ground water quality and quantity in
light of current and historic water.
4. Project Products
The Recipient, in collaboration with the NPS, will produce the following:
1. A Study/Implementation Plan that includes:
a. specific objectives and scope of the project based on potential themes, individual park
needs, available data, park site visits, and NPS NRCA Guidelines;
b. the environmental assessment framework the Recipient intends to utilize;
c. data management strategy;
d. detailed implementation schedule and budget.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
2. A final written report for the park in accordance with NPS publication standards (NPS: Natural
Resource Publications Management (NRPM)/) that includes all of the elements described
above under NRCA Guidelines. In addition, the report will include an Executive Summary (5
pages or less), References, and relevant Appendices as determined by the Recipient and the
Committee. (Suggested appendices include long species lists [e.g. plants], web links, data
sources, relevant legislation or management directives, metadata, citations, complex maps or
graphics, and expert contact information.)
3. All spatial and non-spatial data and analyses developed for the assessment, with metadata,
provided on a disk or flash drive. (Existing data with metadata can be referenced, but
metadata must be created in cooperation with park staff for data that are utilized but have no
existing metadata.)
4. A final presentation to park staffs and their invited associates.
D. Program Objectives
1. The NPS will:
a. Assign a Key Official and NPS Project Manager. The NPS Project Manager is the NPS point
of contact for the Recipient, will lead the Committee, and will coordinate between the Recipient
and other NPS park unit staff, the NPS Pacific West Regional Office (PWRO), and the Pacific
Island Network Inventory and Monitoring Program (PACN I&M). The NPS Project Manager will
participate in project management decisions throughout the duration of the project and serve
as a liaison with Recipient personnel regarding compliance with NPS resource management
objectives and policies pertinent to the conduct of this project;
b. Participate in project development and planning, review interim and final products in a
timely manner and participate in meetings as needed;
c. Assign, as appropriate, other NPS staff including HALE park staff, PACN I&M and other
park staff, PWRO staff, and/or NPS Water Resources Division (WRD) staff to collaborate
with the Recipient to provide guidance, technical assistance, and logistical coordination as
needed;
d. Coordinate and collaborate with the Recipient during information/data collection and
status assessment to ensure that the synthesis is consistent with the project goals. Such
collaboration may include: access to GIS data layers and information, limited GIS
assistance by NPS staff, participation in the development and review of the interim and
final reports;
e. Provide NPS source data and information where available for the subject Park, including
data located in Servicewide NPS databases, relevant NPS unpublished documents, and
unpublished spatial and non-spatial data located at HALE and PACN I&M;
f. Identify for the Recipient sensitive information (e.g., locations of endangered species or
specified cultural resources) that should not be released in any publically-disseminated
products;
g. Clearly identify and acknowledge Recipient, the specific CESU, and the task agreement
under which this work is performed, in all published material and presentations;
h. Coordinate and complete the publication process according to NPS NRR guidelines
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). The NPS will obtain and manage peerreview of the NRCA and any supplementary products. Management of peer review will be
overseen by a peer review manager appointed by the NPS. The peer review manager will
determine whether additional review of the project products is warranted (such as
additional peer review or management review), and approve the report for publication.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
2. The Recipient will:
a. Collaborate with NPS and potential sub-recipients in identifying sources of information;
b. Review park, I&M program, regional, NPS-wide data sources, and other relevant data
sources for each resource topic prioritized for the park;
c. Compile, assess, and summarize existing information to assess the ecological condition of
priority resources;
d. Communicate with NPS to identify watershed, habitat and/or ecological assessment
framework(s) to use in the project;
e. Organize and lead the conference calls or meetings identified in the SOW;
f. Meet NPS publication format guidelines and standards;
g. Ensure all geospatial data products are in compliance with NPS Geographic Information
System Data Specifications for Resource Mapping, Inventories, and Studies; (adherence to
the spatial, tabular, and documentation format/content requirements will be critical); submit
geospatial products to the Committee for NPS review when the project is 75% completed;
h. Provide metadata in compliance with Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and NPS
Profile elements, including the documentation of processing steps involved in creation of final
GIS products (if applicable);
i. Not disclose sensitive information (e.g., locations of threatened or endangered species and
certain cultural resources) without advance written permission from the NPS;
j. Create cartographic products in a format that adheres to the National Park Service’s Graphic
Identity Program standards (http://imgis.nps.gov/templates.html).
k. Provide NPS all supporting data, including GIS-related coverages, metadata, documentation,
reports, etc. from the project.
l. Clearly acknowledge NPS, the specific CESU, and the task agreement under which this work
is performed, in any published material and presentations.
E. Project Methods and Schedule
1. Methods
A project coordinating committee (‘Committee’) will be assembled by NPS to provide critical
project collaboration between the Recipient and NPS. Additional members will be added to the
committee at the discretion of HALE staff once the Recipient is selected and prior to the first
scoping meeting.
Based on this SOW, the selected Recipient will:
 draft a Study and Implementation Plan that will be reviewed and approved by the NPS
Committee for HALE;
 in collaboration with NPS, determine the data and information sources most pertinent and
useful to the project and compile those materials into the formats needed for project-related
analyses;
 provide a multi-disciplinary synthesis of data and information describing current conditions for
each topic. The final products will include a written report for the park, as well as all relevant
spatial and non-spatial data, data analyses and metadata.
During the course of the project, the Recipient and the Committee will communicate regularly to
assure that NPS has adequate opportunities for input and review of draft products and findings. In
addition, the Recipient will keep NPS apprised in a timely manner of any potential deviations from
the agreed-upon schedule.
2. Project Phases
Phase 1 - The Recipient will organize several conference calls with NPS HALE and Pacific Island
Network Inventory and Monitoring Program (PACN I&M) staff to establish specific goals and
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
objectives for the assessments as directed by the priority resources and topics described below.
(Due to the remoteness of the park, site visits will be made if funding allows but are not required.)
During and subsequent to these calls/visits, the Recipient will work with NPS staff to identify
existing sources of scientific data and information useful for the project, and both parties will
develop a data-sharing and metadata development strategy for both spatial and non-spatial data.
Phase 2 - Based on the results of the site visits and/or conference calls, the Recipient will
develop a comprehensive Study and Implementation Plan which will incorporate the goals,
objectives, and data management strategy described above. The plan will be reviewed and
accepted by the Committee before work proceeds.
Phase 3 - The Recipient will produce a draft written report (‘NRCA’) for the park in accordance
with the NPS Requirements and Guidelines for NRCAs described below. (The Recipient should
be aware that the NRCA national guidelines are subject to change, though it will be the
responsibility of the Committee to make the Recipient aware of any substantial changes to the
guidelines or directives during the project.) The final document will be prepared according to NPS
publication directives for the Natural Resource Report series
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM). Ongoing communication between the Recipient
and the Committee will be maintained to assure the quality of the product and will be the
responsibility of both the Recipient and NPS.
Phase 4 - Upon delivery of the final draft, NPS will manage its peer review. The Recipient and
NPS will work together to address and respond to reviewers’ suggestions until both NPS and the
Recipient approve the final document.
Phase 5 – NPS will coordinate the final publication process through the NPS Natural Resource
Publication program identified above.
3. Schedule
The anticipated project schedule is outlined in Table 2.
Table 2. Projected Timeline and Responsibilities
Date
Responsible
Party
Project Initiation
September 2015
Recipient/NPS
Site Visit/Scoping Meeting NPS and Recipient convene to share
NPS data
As soon as possible after Recipient/
funding, no later than
Committee
Nov. 1 2015
Milestone
Development and
Acceptance of Study Plan,
including data mgmt.,
data sharing, and
metadata
Information
Collection and Review
Assess Resources
First Draft Report
Description
NPS and Recipient discuss and agree
on indicators, datasets, methodologies
Feb. 1, 2016
and data management
Acquire and prepare for analysis (if
necessary) all necessary data and
information
Conduct resource assessments to
develop initial findings regarding
condition of resources
Submit first draft of NRCA with
Committee input as needed
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Recipient/
Committee
March 1-June 1, 2016
Recipient
May 1 - Dec 31, 2016
Recipient
Jan. 31, 2016
Recipient
Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Draft Report Revision
Committee provides timely response
May 1, 2017
and input
Submit final draft report for NPS peer
August 1, 2017
review
NPS Peer Review
NPS submits final draft report to
selected peer reviewers
Draft Report Review
Incorporate peer review and NPS
comments and submit Final Report
Present findings and final report to
NPS
Prepare Final NRCA
Present Findings
Submission for publication in NRR
Series
Final Publication
Committee
Recipient
August 1-Nov. 1 2017
NPS
Feb. 1, 2018
Recipient
April 1, 2018
Recipient
May 1, 2018
NPS
F. Term of the Agreement
This agreement will become effective upon the date of last signature and shall expire three years
from the effective date, unless terminated earlier in accordance with 2 CFR 200.
SECTION II: AWARD INFORMATION
NPS anticipates awarding a Task Agreement under this program announcement. The NPS will be
substantially involved in directing the work performed under the resulting award. The level of involvement
will be negotiated with each Recipient prior to the award of the Task Agreement. Substantial involvement
consists of collaboration in the project. As part of its standard project management responsibilities, NPS
will also conduct periodic reviews and ongoing evaluation of key performance parameters.
A. Expected Number of Awards
NPS anticipates making one (1) award under this announcement.
B. Estimated Total Program Funding (annual)
Subject to the availability of funds, estimated funding is approximately $130,000.00. The actual level
of funding is dependent upon the appropriations allocated for this program.
C. Award Ceiling (annual) $130,000.00
D. Assistance Instrument: Task Agreement
SECTION III: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
A. Eligible Applicants
This announcement is limited to Partners of the following Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units
(including university, state, and non-governmental organizations): Hawai'i-Pacific Islands CESU,
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Californian CESU, Great Basin CESU, and Pacific Northwest CESU. A list of active partners and the
master Cooperative Agreements for these four CESUs are linked to the following webpage:
http://www.cesu.psu.edu/. The NPS strongly encourages multiple partner engagement in this project.
This may occur through subawards to partner institutions from the primary awardee, or broad
expertise from multiple PIs within a single institution. Further, proposals may consider the use of
subcontracts to non-academic and non-federal entities for the field investigation component with full
justification as to why this may be more effective than solely university entities.
B. Cost-Sharing or Matching Requirement
A cost share or match is not required for the award generated from this Funding Opportunity
Announcement.
SECTION IV: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
A. Address to Request Application Package
PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE SUBMITTED
ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH GRANTS.GOV. SUBMISSION INFORMATION IS POSTED IN
PART B OF SECTION IV BELOW.
An Application Package has been included within this Funding Opportunity Announcement for your
convenience, found in Appendix C. The Application Package contains five mandatory forms, which
must be submitted with your proposal, forms: Standard Form (SF)-424 (Application for Financial
Assistance), SF-424A (Budget Information), SF-424B (Assurances), SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities), and the grants.gov “Certification Regarding Lobbying.” The Application Package can also
be accessed and downloaded from the Synopsis page of this announcement in Grants.gov.
B. Contents and Form of Application Submission
You must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms, in accordance with the
instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below, as required by this Funding
Opportunity Announcement. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable
information as defined in Appendix B.
Standard Form 424 – Application for Federal Assistance
Complete this form as much as possible with all applicable information.
Standard Form 424A – Budget Information
You must provide an estimated cumulative budget for the total project in your proposal. A detailed
budget will be required for the individual task agreements generated under the Cooperative
Agreement during the term of the agreement.
Standard Form 424B – Assurances
This form must be signed and submitted with you application.
Standard Form LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Complete this form as much as possible with all applicable information.
Certification Regarding Lobbying from grants.gov
This form must be signed and submitted with you application.
Indirect Charges
The negotiated Indirect Cost Rate of 17.5% as listed in the Master Cooperative Agreements for
Hawai'i-Pacific Islands CESU, Great Basin CESU, Pacific Northwest CESU, and Californian CESU
will apply to the resulting award.
Proposal Submission Format
The proposal is a narrative description that should specifically address each of the review criteria (see
Section V). The proposal text must be no longer than 12 pages, no smaller than font size 11, and
have 1-inch margins. The 12-page limit includes all text, figures, and references (Forms SF 424, SF
424A, SF 424B, SF LLL, the “Certification Regarding Lobbying,” and the curriculum vitae and
resumes are not counted as part of the 30 page limit). Additionally, only information that is pertinent
to the proposal should be included.
Complete Application Package should include:







Completed SF 424 – Application for Financial Assistance
Completed SF 424 A – Budget Information
Completed SF 424 B – Assurances
Completed SF LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Completed “Certification Regarding Lobbying” from grants.gov
Proposal
CVs and/or Resumes
C. Submission from Successful Applicants
If selected for award, NPS reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any
reason deemed necessary, including, but not limited to:
1. Other budget information
2. Name and phone number of the Designated Responsible Employee for complying with national
policies prohibiting discrimination (See 10 CFR 1040.5)
D. Submission Dates and Times
Applicants are held responsible for their proposals being submitted to the National Park Service.
Applications must be received by Monday, May 18, 2015, 5:00PM PST. You are encouraged to
submit your application well before the deadline. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE
DEADLINE WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED FOR AWARD. If it is determined that a
proposal will not be considered due to lateness, the applicant will be notified. Application
preparation time may take several weeks, so please start the application process as soon as
possible.
WHERE TO SUBMIT
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BY THE DUE DATE
via grants.gov.
Funding Opportunity Announcement – P15AS00067
E. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.” Applicants subject to EO 122372 must contact their State’s Single Point of
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State’s process. The names and addresses of
the SPOC’s are listed in the OMB’s home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/
F. Submission and Registration Requirements
STEP 1. Registration Process Requirements
There are several one-time actions you must complete in order to submit an application with the
Federal Government. Each applicant must register with the System of Award Management (SAM).
You are required to have a DUNS number (Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System)
in order to register with SAM. Use the Grants.gov Organization Registration Checklist to guide you
through this process at:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html
Registration processes for SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov
STEP 2. Questions
SECTION VIII of this announcement explains how to submit other questions to the Department of
Interior, relative to the content and requirements of this announcement VIA E-MAIL TO
lilette_baltodano@nps.gov. Answers to all applicant questions will be posted as a stand-alone
document, uploaded to the grants.gov posting for this Funding Opportunity Announcement weekly
every Friday, by close of business, until the end date of the announcement.
G. Award Documents
This project will be funded, subject to the availability of funds, by issuance of a Task Agreement
placed against the applicable CESU unit’s master Cooperative Agreement. The Task Agreement will
identify the amount of funding provided by the NPS, provide a detailed Statement of Work (SOW) for
the project, project plan, and project budget.
The Task Agreement will identify the amount of funding provided by the NPS, provide a detailed
Statement of Work (SOW) for the project, project plan, and project budget. The project budget shall
include detailed information on all cost categories, and must clearly identify all project costs. Unit
costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors.
Cost categories can include but are not limited those costs items included on the SF424A and
SF424C.
An agreement issued by the NPS and signed by the NPS Awarding Officer obligates NPS funds.
Notification of a successful proposal does not constitute authority to incur costs. Costs incurred prior
to receipt of a signed cooperative and subsequent task agreement will not be reimbursed. Once the
cooperative agreement and subsequent task agreement for a successful proposal has been signed
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
by the NPS Awarding Officer, the recipient may incur costs as specified in the approved budget
submittal.
H. Funding Restrictions
Funding: All funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States
Congress.
Cost Principles: Costs must be allowable in accordance with the Federal cost principles referenced in
2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.
Pre-award Costs: Pre-award costs will not be reimbursed for any awards concluded from this
Funding Opportunity Announcement.
SECTION V: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Review Criteria
NPS WILL EVALUATE AND CONSIDER ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT SEPARATELY
ADDRESS EACH OF THE MERIT REVIEW CRITERION. Each applicant is required to provide a
detailed narrative of the following criteria elements. It is HIGHLY recommended that the Project
Narrative have sections labeled as follows:
Criterion 1
Management Expertise
Collaboration and
communication
abilities
Management and
administrative
abilities
Weight 25%
Ability of the principal investigator to collaborate effectively and
strategically with agency project staff, including ability to plan,
coordinate, and facilitate: strategy workshop(s), discussions and
decisions on conceptual and analytical frameworks to apply,
discussions of assessment findings, and presentation of findings
that incorporate visual aids.
Qualifications and experience of the principal investigator to direct
an interdisciplinary study team, provide managerial oversight of the
project, and administer funds to meet all obligations of the project.
Ability to seamlessly write a unifying report that incorporates
contributions from multiple coauthors
Criterion 2
Team Technical Expertise
Weight 25%
Knowledge, understanding and experience of the principle
investigator and study team members with the natural resources
Subject Matter
and ecological communities of Haleakala National Park, with
Expertise
particular emphasis on subject matter expertise relevant to the high
priority resources identified in Table 1 of this FOA.
Ability to gather, process, and analyze spatial data and produce
GIS Capacity
pertinent maps and other spatial products, both to inform the
assessment process and for the final report and products.
Criterion 3
Approach to the Assessment
Weight 25%
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
This project will evaluate current condition status for park areas
(e.g., habitats, watersheds) based on existing data and information,
which are often limited. It will provide recommendations to park
managers, in narrative or semi-quantitative form, about appropriate
reference conditions (desired states) for park resources and will
evaluate existing and emerging threats/stressors. How will you
accomplish this with missing and/or very limited or unreliable data?
Describe your familiarity with assessment frameworks, their
strengths and weaknesses, and how you will use a framework to
report on higher-level relationships and conditions.
Data treatment
Assessment
framework
Criterion 4
Reporting Capability
Report preparation
GIS and data
preparation
Weight 25%
Ability and experience to produce a well-organized and well-written
report that adheres to prescribed publication standards and that
incorporates project priorities developed during the planning
process and best professional judgment in assessing ecological
conditions and inter-relationships for the intended audience.
Ability to incorporate GIS products (maps, charts, etc.) and data
summaries (appropriate tables and graphs) into a report, organize
data files, and document metadata for an end user.
B. Review and Selection Process
All proposals for funding will be considered using the criteria outlined above. A summary of the review
panel comments may be provided to the applicant if requested.
1. Merit Review
Each criteria element will be scored on a 0-10 point scale:
10:
Superior
(100 % of weighted average)
8:
Good
(80 % of weighted average)
6:
Satisfactory
(60 % of weighted average)
4:
Marginal
(40 % of weighted average)
2:
Poor
(20 % of weighted average)
0:
Not Acceptable (No score)
The following numerical rating values may be assigned: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 0. The scoring of each
criterion must be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the application narrative. To assist in
assigning an appropriate score, the following will be used as a guideline:
Rating
Descriptive Statement
10
Superior: Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criterion, convincingly
demonstrates that it will meet the Government's performance requirements, and
demonstrates no weaknesses.
8
Good: Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criterion, convincingly
demonstrates a likelihood of meeting the Government's requirements, and
demonstrates only a few minor weaknesses.
6
Satisfactory: Applicant addresses all aspects of the criterion and demonstrates
the ability to meet the Government's performance requirements. The Application
contains weaknesses and/or a number of minor weaknesses.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
4
Marginal: Applicant addresses all aspects of the criterion and demonstrates the
ability to meet the Government's performance requirements. The Application
contains significant weaknesses and/or significant minor weaknesses.
2
Poor: A the likelihood of successfully meeting the Government's requirements.
Significant weaknesses are demonstrated and clearly outweigh any strength
presented.
0
Not Acceptable: Applicant does not address all aspects of the criterion and the
information presented indicates a strong likelihood of failure to meet the
Government's requirements.
2. Selection
The Selection Official may consider the merit review recommendation, program policy factors and
the amount of funds available.
3. Discussions and Award
The Government may enter into discussions with a selected applicant for any reason deemed
necessary, including, but not limited to: (1) only a portion of the application is selected for award;
(2) the Government needs additional information to determine that the recipient is capable of
complying with the requirements of DOI Financial Assistance Regulations and/or (3) special
terms and conditions are required. Failure to resolve satisfactorily the issues identified by the
Government will preclude award to the applicant.
SECTION VI: AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Award Notices
After an applicant’s proposal is selected for award, a Task Agreement will be negotiated and will be
sent to the recipient for signature. Work cannot begin before the recipient receives a fully executed
copy of the Task Agreement.
B. Notice of Selection
NPS will notify the applicant selected for award by June 8, 2015. This notice of selection is not an
authorization to begin performance. (Pre-award expenses will not be reimbursed).
Organizations whose applications have not been selected will be advised as promptly as possible.
This notice will explain why the application was not selected.
C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
By accepting Federal financial assistance, your organization agrees to abide by the applicable
federal regulations in the expenditure of federal funds and performance under this program.
2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards”
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
2. Standard Award Terms and Conditions
This agreement incorporates the Standard Award Terms and Conditions found at the following
Dept. of Interior website as if they were given here:
http://www.doi.gov/pam/programs/financial_assistance/TermsandConditions.cfm
Acceptance of a Federal Financial Assistance award from the Department of the Interior carries
with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award.
Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via
electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by and are
subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the following:



Program legislation\regulation.
Special terms and conditions.
Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements, as applicable (Contact your program
officer with any questions regarding the applicability of the following):
2 CFR Part 175, “Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000”
2 CFR Part 1400, “Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension”
2 CFR Part 1401, “Requirements For Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”
43 CFR Part 18, “New Restrictions on Lobbying”
FAR Clause 52.203-12, Paragraphs (a) and (b), “Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain
Federal Transactions.”
3. Endorsements
Recipient shall not publicize or otherwise circulate promotional material (such as advertisements,
sales brochures, press releases, speeches, still and motion pictures, articles, manuscripts or
other publications) which states or implies governmental, Departmental, bureau, or government
employee endorsement of a product, service, or position which the recipient represents. No
release of information relating to this award mat state or imply that the Government approves of
the recipient’s work products, or considers the recipient’s work product to be superior to other
products.
All information submitted for publication or other public releases of information regarding this
project shall carry the following disclaimer: “The views and conclusions contained in this
document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or
policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not
constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.”
Recipients must obtain prior Government approval for any public information releases concerning
this award which refer to the Department of the Interior or any bureau or employee (by name or
title). The specific text, layout photographs, etc. of the proposed release must be submitted with
the request for approval.
A recipient further agrees to include this provision in a sub-award to and sub-recipient, except for
a sub-award to a State government, a local government, or to a federally recognized Indian tribal
government.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
4. Special Terms and Conditions
a. Order of Precedence: Any inconsistency in the agreement shall be resolved by giving
precedence in the following order: (a) Any national policy requirements and administrative
management standards; (b) 2 CFR Part 200; (c) requirements of the applicable OMB
Circulars and Treasury regulations; (d) special terms and conditions; and (e) all agreement
sections, documents, exhibits, and attachments; (f) and the recipient’s project proposal.
b. Modifications: The agreement may be modified by written agreement signed by both the
recipient’s Authorized Representative and the NPS Awarding Officer. Administrative changes
(i.e. Awarding Officer name change, etc.) which do not change the statement of work,
agreement amount, etc. or otherwise affect the recipient may be signed unilaterally by the
Awarding Officer. Additionally, a unilateral modification may be utilized if it should become
necessary to impose remedies for non- compliance, suspend or terminate the agreement in
accordance with 2 CFR 200, Sections 200.338 – 200.342.
All other changes shall be made by means of a bilateral modification to the agreement. No
oral statement made by any person, or written statement by any person other than the NPS
Awarding Officer shall be allowed in any manner or degree to modify or otherwise effect the
terms of the agreement.
All requests for modification of the agreement shall be made in writing, provide a full
description of the reason for the request and be sent to the attention of the NPS Awarding
Officer. Any request for project extension shall be made at least 30 days prior to the
expiration date of the agreement or the expiration date of any extension period that may have
been previously granted. Any determination to extend the period of performance or to provide
follow-on funding for continuation is solely at the discretion of the NPS.
5. Payments
All applicants must also be registered with and willing to process all payments through the
Department of Treasury Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system. All
recipients with active NPS financial assistance agreements must be enrolled in ASAP under the
appropriate Agency Location Code(s) (ALC) and the Data Universal Number System (DUNS)
Number prior to the award of funds. If a recipient has multiple DUNS numbers they must
separately enroll within ASAP for each unique DUNS Number and/or Agency. Note that if your
entity is currently enrolled in the ASAP system with an agency other than NPS, you must enroll
specifically with NPS in order to process payments.
All applicants must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM) prior to award
under this FOA. Instructions for registering for SAM are located at
<www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM>. All applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with
current information at all times while they have an active Federal award or an application under
consideration.
6. Liability
The recipient agrees:
a. Insurance. The recipient shall be required to (1) obtain liability insurance or (2) demonstrate
present financial resources in an amount determined sufficient by the Government to cover
claims brought by third parties for death, bodily injury, property damage, or other loss
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
resulting from one or more identified activities carried out in connection with this financial
assistance agreement.
b. Insured. The federal government shall be named as an additional insured under the
recipient's insurance policy.
c.
Indemnification. The recipient hereby agrees to indemnify the federal government, NPS or
from any act or omission of the Recipient, its officers, employees, or (members, participants,
agents, representatives, agents as appropriate), (1) against third party claims for damages
arising from one or more identified activities carried out in connection with this financial
assistance agreement and (2) for damage or loss to government property resulting from such
an activity. This obligation shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
1. To purchase public and employee liability insurance at its own expense from a
responsible company or companies with a minimum limitation of one million dollars
($1,000,000) per person for anyone claim, and an aggregate limitation of Three Million
Dollars ($3,000,000) for any number of claims arising from any one incident. The policies
shall name the United States as an additional insured, shall specify that the insured shall
have no right of subrogation against the United States for payments of any premiums or
deductibles due thereunder, and shall specify that the insurance shall be assumed by, be
for the account of, and be at the insured's sole risk. Prior to beginning the work
authorized herein, [Recipient Name] shall provide the NPS with confirmation of such
insurance coverage.
2. To pay the United States the full value for all damage to the lands or other property of the
United States caused by the Recipient
3. To provide workers' compensation protection to <Recipient Name> officers, employees,
and representatives.
4. To cooperate with NPS in the investigation and defense of any claims that may be filed
with NPS arising out of the activities of the Recipient, its agents, and employees.
5. In the event of damage to or destruction of the buildings and facilities assigned for the
use of the Recipient in whole or in part by any cause whatsoever, nothing herein
contained shall be deemed to require NPS to replace or repair the buildings or facilities. If
NPS determines in writing, after consultation with the Recipient that damage to the
buildings or portions thereof renders such buildings unsuitable for continued use by the
Recipient, NPS shall assume sole control over such buildings or portions thereof If the
buildings or facilities rendered unsuitable for use are essential for conducting operations
authorized under this Agreement, then failure to substitute and assign other facilities
acceptable to the Recipient will constitute termination of this Agreement by NPS.
d. Flow-down: For the purposes of this clause, "Recipient" includes such sub-recipients,
contractors, or subcontractors as, in the judgment of the recipient and subject to the
Government's determination of sufficiency, have sufficient resources and/or maintain
adequate and appropriate insurance to achieve the purposes of this clause.
D. Reporting
1. Financial Status Reports
Report of expenditures is required as documentation of the financial status of awards according
to the official accounting records of the recipient’s organization. The financial information will be
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
reported by completing and submitting the Federal Financial Report (FFR), SF425. Reports may
be required quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The reporting requirements will be determined
by the Awarding Officer and defined in the individual Task Agreements.
Reports shall be submitted no more than 30 calendar days after the end of the reporting period.
The final FFR is no more than 90 calendar days after the end date of the agreement. The
recipient shall submit a completed original Federal Financial Report (FFR).
The FFR can be downloaded at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/standard_forms/ffr.pdf
The NPS Awarding Officer will review the report for patterns of cash expenditures and assess
whether performance or financial management problems exist. Before submitting the FFR to the
NPS Awarding Officer, recipients must ensure that the information submitted is accurate,
complete, and consistent with the recipient’s accounting system. The recipient’s Authorized
Certifying Official’s signature on the FFR certifies that the information in the FFR is correct and
complete and that all outlays and obligations are for the purposes set forth in the agreement
documents, and represents a claim to the Federal government. Filing a false claim may result in
the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
2. Performance Reports
Recipients shall submit an annual performance report to the NPS Awarding Officer and the
Agreement Technical Representative at the end of each year of the agreement detailing project
activity and participant profile information.
3. Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with the reporting requirements contained in this agreement may be considered
a material non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the award. Non-compliance may
result in withholding of future payments, suspension or termination of the agreement, recovery of
funds paid under the agreement, and the withholding of future awards.
SECTION VII: AGENCY CONTACTS
Awarding Officer
Lilette J. Baltodano, Financial Agreements Officer
lilette_baltodano@nps.gov
SECTION VIII: QUESTIONS
A. Questions
Questions regarding the content of the announcement must be submitted by e-mail to:
Lilette Baltodano, Financial Agreements Officer, lilette_baltodano@nps.gov
SECTION IX: OTHER INFORMATION
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
A. Modification or Changes to the Announcement
Notices of any modifications to this announcement will be posted on Grants.gov. You can receive an
email when a modification or an announcement message is posted. When you download the
application at Grants.gov; you can also register to receive notifications of changes through
Grants.gov.
B. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate
NPS reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any or all applications received in response to
this announcement and to select any application, in whole or in part, as a basis for negotiation and/or
award.
C. Evaluation and Administration by Non-Federal Personnel
In conducting the merit review evaluation, the Government may seek the advice of qualified nonFederal personnel as reviewers. The Government may also use non-Federal personnel to conduct
routine, nondiscretionary administrative activities. The applicant, by submitting its application,
consents to the use of non-Federal reviewers/administrators. Non-Federal reviewers must sign
conflict of interest and non-disclosure agreements prior to reviewing an application. Non-Federal
personnel conducting administrative activities must sign a nondisclosure agreement.
D. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability
NPS reserves the right to conduct an independent third party review of financial capability for
applicants that are selected for negotiation of award (including personal credit information of
principal(s) of a small business if there is insufficient information to determine financial capability of
the organization).
E. Notice of Potential Disclosure Under Freedom of Information Act
Applicants should be advised that identifying information regarding all applicants, including applicant
names and/or points of contact, may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information
Act, whether or not such applicants are selected for negotiation of award.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
APPENDICES
Page 25 of 34
Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Appendix A – Definitions
“Applicant” means the legal entity or individual signing the Application. This entity or individual may be
one organization or a single entity representing a group of organizations (such as a Consortium) that has
chosen to submit a single Application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement.
“Application” means the documentation submitted in response to a Funding Opportunity
Announcement.
“Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)” is the person with assigned privileges who is
authorized to submit grant applications through Grants.gov on behalf of an organization. The privileges
are assigned by the organization’s E-Business Point of Contact designated in SAM.
“Award” See “Federal Award.”
“Awarding Officer" means the NPS official authorized to execute Awards on behalf of NPS and who is
responsible for the business management and non-program aspects of the Financial Assistance process.
“Budget” means the financial plan for the project or program that the Federal awarding agency or passthrough entity approves during the Federal award process or in subsequent amendments to the Federal
award. It may include the Federal and non-Federal share or only the Federal share, as determined by the
Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.
“Consortium (plural consortia)” means the group of organizations or individuals that have chosen to
submit a single Application in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement.
“Cooperative Agreement” The legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal
Government and a State or local government or other recipient whenever (1) the principal purpose of the
relationship is the transfer of money, property, services, or anything of value to the State or local
government or other recipient to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by
Federal statute, rather than acquisition, by purchase, lease, or barter, of property or services for the direct
benefit or use of the Federal Government; and (2) substantial involvement is anticipated between the
executive agency, acting for the Federal Government, and the State or local government or other
recipient during performance of the contemplated activity. (31 U.S.C. § 6305)
A cooperative agreement may be entered into to accomplish various projects or tasks anticipated and
initiated over a span of up to 5 years unless otherwise authorized by law. Such a cooperative agreement
should establish the general scope of the agreement, as well as its essential elements and the estimated
funding. Either a bilateral modification or a task agreement may then be issued to authorize specific
project commencement and funding. A bilateral modification or a task agreement is not always required
as a cooperative agreement may stand on its own without task agreements and can contain the specific
scope of work and related funding.
“Cost Sharing or Matching” means the portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds. The
percentage of Applicant Cost Share is to be applied to the Total Project Cost (i.e., the sum of Applicant
plus NPS Cost Shares) rather than to the NPS contribution alone.
“Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number” is a unique nine-character identification number
issued by Dun and Bradstreet (D&B). Organizations must have a DUNS number prior to registering in
SAM. Call 1-866-705-5711 to receive one free of charge.
“Federal Award” means the document that sets forth the terms and conditions of the Agreement.
“Financial Assistance” (also “Federal Financial Assistance”) means the legal instrument authorized,
governed by FGCAA, where the principal purpose of the relationship is the transfer of money, property,
services, or anything of value to the State or local government or other recipient to accomplish a public
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute, rather than acquisition, by purchase,
lease, or barter, of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government.
(a) For grants and cooperative agreements, Federal financial assistance means assistance that nonFederal entities receive or administer in the form of:
(1) Grants;
(2) Cooperative agreements;
(3) Non-cash contributions or donations of property (including donated surplus property);
(4) Direct appropriations;
(5) Food commodities; and
(6) Other financial assistance (except assistance listed in paragraph (b) of this section).
(b) For Audit Requirements Federal financial assistance also includes assistance that non-Federal
entities receive or administer in the form of:
(1) Loans;
(2) Loan Guarantees;
(3) Interest subsidies; and
(4) Insurance.
(c) Federal financial assistance does not include amounts received as reimbursement for services
rendered to individuals as described in 2 CFR, Part 200, Section §200.502 Basis for determining Federal
awards expended.
An agency may provide financial assistance through various types of transactions including grants,
cooperative agreements, loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, insurance, food commodities, direct
appropriations, and transfers of property in place of money.
(FGCAA – PL 95-244, 31 U.SC. § 7501 and 505 DM 2)
For NPS, it does not include direct loans, loan guarantees, price guarantees, purchase agreements,
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), or any other type of financial incentive
instrument.
“Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)” is a publicly available document by which a Federal
agency makes known its intentions to award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as a
result of competition for funds. Funding opportunity announcements may be known as program
announcements, notices of funding availability, solicitations, or other names depending on the agency
and type of program.
“Grant Agreement” means a legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding
agency and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302, 6304:
(a) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from
the Federal awarding agency to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law
of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal
awarding agency’s direct benefit or use;
(b) Is distinguished from a cooperative agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement
between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out
the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
(c) Does not include an agreement that provides only:
(1) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual;
(2) A subsidy;
(3) A loan;
(4) A loan guarantee; or
(5) Insurance.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Grant Agreements can be discretionary, which permits the NPS to have some latitude in recipient
selection and funding amounts. A mandatory grant requires NPS to fund eligible recipients due to
program regulations or specified by statute. Discretionary grants are required to be competitive unless a
single source exception can be justified in accordance with DOI guidance; mandatory grants are generally
not competed.
“Grants.gov” is the “storefront” web portal which allows organizations to electronically find and apply for
competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is THE single access
point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.
http://www.grants.gov
“Key Personnel” mean the individuals who will have significant roles in planning and implementing the
proposed Project on the part of the Applicant and Participants.
“Modification” means a revision to a Funding Opportunity Announcement.
“Participant” for purposes of this Funding Opportunity Announcement only, means any entity, except the
Applicant substantially involved in a Consortium, or other business arrangement (including all parties to
the Application at any tier), responding to the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
“Project” means the set of activities described in an Application, State plan, or other document that is
approved by NPS for Financial Assistance (whether such Financial Assistance represents all or only a
portion of the support necessary to carry out those activities).
“Proposal” is the term used for the documentation submitted in response to a Funding Opportunity
Announcement. Also see Application.
“Recipient” means a non-Federal entity that receives a Federal award directly from NPS to carry out an
activity under a Federal program. The term recipient does not include sub-recipients. Recipient includes
organization, individual, or other entity that receives a Financial Assistance Award from NPS, and is
financially accountable for the use of any NPS funds or property provided for the performance of the
Project, and is legally responsible for carrying out the terms and condition of the award.
“Selection” means the determination by the NPS Selection Official that negotiations take place or certain
Projects with the intent of awarding a Financial Assistance instrument.
“Selection Official” means the NPS official designated to select Applications for negotiation toward
Award under a subject Funding Opportunity Announcement.
“Substantial Involvement” means significant involvement on the part of the Government. NPS's
involvement may include shared responsibility for the performance of the Project; providing technical
assistance or guidance which the Applicant is to follow; and the right to intervene in the conduct or
performance of the Project. Such involvement will be negotiated with each Applicant prior to signing any
agreement.
“System for Award Management (SAM)” is the primary database which collects, validates, stores and
disseminates data in support of agency missions. Funding Opportunity Announcements, which require
application submission through Grants.gov, require that the organization first be registered in SAM at
http://www.sam.gov.
“Total Project Cost” means all the funds to complete the effort proposed by the Applicant, including
NPS funds plus all other funds that will be committed by the Applicant as Cost Sharing.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Appendix B – Personally Identifiable Information
In responding to this Announcement, Applicants must ensure that Protected Personally Identifiable
Information (PII) is not included in the following documents: Project Abstract, Project Narrative,
Biographical Sketches, Budget or Budget Justification. These documents will be used by the Merit
Review Committee in the review process to evaluate each application. PII is defined by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) as:
Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including but not limited to, education,
financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information that can be
used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, date and
place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any other personal information
that is linked or linkable to an individual. This definition of PII can be further defined as: (1) Public PII and
(2) Protected PII.
1. Public PII: PII found in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, business cards,
university listing, etc. Public PII includes first and last name, address, work telephone number,
email address, home telephone number, and general education credentials.
2. Protected PII: PII that requires enhanced protection. This information includes data that if
compromised could cause harm to an individual such as identity theft.
Listed below are examples of Protected PII that Applicants must not include in the files listed above to be
evaluated by the Merit Review Committee.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social Security Numbers in any form
Place of Birth associated with an individual
Date of Birth associated with an individual
Mother’s maiden name associated with an individual
Biometric record associated with an individual
Fingerprint
Iris scan
DNA
Medical history information associated with an individual
Medical conditions, including history of disease
Metric information, e.g. weight, height, blood pressure
Criminal history associated with an individual
Employment history and other employment information associated with an individual.
Ratings
Disciplinary actions
Performance elements, standards, or work expectations are PII when they are so intertwined
with performance appraisals that their disclosure would reveal an individual’s performance
appraisal
Financial information associated with an individual
Credit card numbers
Bank account numbers
Security clearance history or related information (not including actual clearances held)
Listed below are examples of Public PII that Applicants may include in the files listed above to be
evaluated by the Merit Review Committee:
•
•
•
•
Phone numbers (work, home, cell)
Street addresses (work and personal)
Email addresses (work and personal)
Digital pictures
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Birthday cards
Birthday emails
Medical information pertaining to work status (i.e. individual A is out sick today)
Medical information included in a health or safety report
Employment information that is not PII even when associated with a name
Resumes, unless they include a Social Security Number
Present and past position titles and occupational series
Present and past grades
Present and past annual salary rates (including performance awards or bonuses, incentive
awards, merit pay amount, Meritorious or Distinguished Executive Ranks, and allowances
and differentials)
Present and past duty stations and organization of assignment (includes room and phone
numbers, organization designations, work email address, or other identifying information
regarding buildings, room numbers, or places of employment)
Position descriptions, identification of job elements, and those performance standards (but
not actual performance appraisals) that the release of which would not interfere with law
enforcement programs or severely inhibit agency effectiveness
Security clearances held
Written biographies (e.g. to be used in a program describing a speaker)
Academic credentials
Schools attended
Major or area of study
• Personal information stored by individuals about themselves on their assigned
workstation or laptop unless it contains a Social Security Number
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Appendix C – Application Package
Forms SF 424 (Application for Financial Assistance)
SF 424A (Budget Information)
SF 424B (Assurances)
SF LLL (Lobbying)
“Certificate Regarding Lobbying” from grants.gov
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Appendix D. General Information for Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park is located on the eastern side of the island of Maui, the second largest island in
the Hawaiian chain. The Park preserves part of Haleakala Volcano and native Hawaiian ecosystems in
perpetuity. The park is characterized by starkly contrasting mountain and coastal environments. Within a
few miles from the coast, the park rises dramatically in elevation to 10,023 feet at the summit of the
dormant Haleakalā Volcano. Moisture-bearing trade winds bring more than 400 inches of annual
precipitation to windward mountain slopes, while some leeward areas only receive an average of 10
inches of rain or less. Wind, rain, temperature, and altitude contribute to shape the widely diverse
character and composition of the park’s natural ecosystems and microhabitats. Vegetation zones
transition from humid coastal strand and subtropical lowlands, rainforests, montane bogs, cloud forests,
subalpine shrublands and grasslands to sparsely vegetated subalpine aeolian desert at the summit. The
park supports a tremendous range of native biological diversity and protects endemic and iconic species
including the Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose), ‘ahinahina (Haleakalā silversword) and the ‘Akohekohe (the
Crested Honeycreeper). The park’s remarkable ecological diversity is recognized by its designation as a
United Nations International Biosphere Reserve.
Haleakalā National Park was originally established in 1916 as part of Hawai‘i National Park. At that time,
the park included lands on both the islands of Hawai‘i and Maui. The Maui portion of the park was
established as a separate NPS unit in 1961 (74 Stat. 881; 16 USC 396b). Additional lands were added
subsequently in Kipahulu Valley, Oheo, Puhilele, Hana Rain Forest, Kaapahu, Manawainui, Kaupo and
most recently Nuu. The Park encompasses 33,222 acres, of which 24,719 acres are designated
wilderness (74% of the Park). Historic and recent vegetation surveys have documented approximately
425 native plant taxon in the Park, 26% of which are indigenous and 74% are endemic to the Hawaiian
Islands. The USFWS has designated 33 plants as endangered in the Park and one as threatened. In
addition the Park is home to nine endangered birds, two mammals and one invertebrate. Many of these
have not been seen for decades.
Although the park’s ecosystems retain a high percentage of these unique species found nowhere else in
the world, the introduction of alien plants and animals primarily by human activities have led to the
extinction or severe decline of many native species. Haleakalā’s wildlife and vegetation are therefore
intensively managed to prevent further species declines and extinctions. Among these measures, fences
have been constructed along the older park boundaries to keep nonnative feral ungulates such as pigs,
goats and axis deer from damaging park resources; however, newer parcels have yet to be protected.
The Park’s high-elevation cloud forest and adjacent alpine ecosystems are crucial for watershed and
biodiversity protection but may now be especially threatened by climate change.
In addition to supporting a diversity of unique and sensitive natural resources, the Park is of special
interest to Native Hawaiians. Haleakalā National Park is a sacred place to kānaka maoli (Native
Hawaiians) and is fundamentally linked to their traditional and contemporary beliefs, practices, and way of
life. Hawaiians have used particular areas, sites and features within the current park boundaries for a
broad range of activities and cultural practices including ceremonies and spiritual training, practices
related to birth and burial, resource collection, and travel across East Maui.
Approximately 1.2 million visitors come to Haleakala National Park annually. There are two primary visitor
attractions within the Park—the Summit and the Kipahulu coastal area. The Summit area includes the
volcanic landscape of the upper slopes of Haleakala, and the Kipahulu coastal area protects Kipahulu
Valley and the scenic stream system ending at Oheo Gulch.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
Figure 1. Location of Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui in Hawai'i and more detailed view of
the park.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement P15AS00067
General References
Aruch, S. 2006. Appendix A: Haleakala National Park resource overview. In: HaySmith, L., F.Klasner, S.
H. Stephens, and G. H. Dicus. Pacific Island Network vital signs monitoring plan. Natural Resource
Report NPS/PACN/NRR—2006/003 National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. (Includes a
Bibliography for Haleakala National Park up to 2004)
http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/pacn/monitoring/plan/
Bailey, C.N. (ed.) July 2007. Forest bird and non-native mammal inventories at Ka'apahu, Haleakalā
National Park, Maui, Hawai'i. Technical Report 145. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit,
University of Hawaii at Manoa/University of Hawaii Press. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Chimera, C. G., A. C. Medeiros, L. L. Loope and R. H. Hobdy. August 2000. Status of management and
control efforts for the invasive alien tree Miconia calvesecens DC. (Melastomataceae) in Hana, East Maui.
Technical Report 128. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at
Manoa/University of Hawaii Press. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Krushelnycky, P.D., L.L. Loope, and R.G. Gillespie. September 2007. Inventory of arthropods of the west
slope shrubland and alpine ecosystems of Haleakala National Park. Technical Report 148. Cooperative
National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa/University of Hawaii Press.
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Kueffer, C. and L. Loope (Editors). August 2009. Prevention, early detection and containment of invasive,
non-native plants in the Hawaiian Islands: current efforts and needs. Technical Report 166. Cooperative
National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa/University of Hawaii Press.
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Natividad Bailey, C.S. February 2009. Seabird Inventory at Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawai`i.
Technical Report 164. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at
Manoa/University of Hawaii Press. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Smith, C. W., J. Denslow, and S. Hight. Sept. 2002. Proceedings of a workshop on biological control of
invasive plants in native Hawaiian ecosystems. Technical Report 120. Cooperative National Park
Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa/University of Hawaii Press.
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Stein, V. August 2007. Critical assessment of habitat for release of Maui Parrotbill. Technical Report 148.
Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa/University of Hawaii
Press. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
Welton, P., and B. Haus. February 2008. Vascular plant inventory of Ka'apahu, Haleakala National Park.
Technical Report 151. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at
Manoa/University of Hawaii Press. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hpicesu/techrep.htm
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