Region 4 Genetic Management Plans | F17AS00425

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00425

The "Region 4 Genetic Management Plans" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00425) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) notice of intent for a discretionary cooperative agreement focused on conservation genetics in the southeastern United States. It is explicitly not a request for applications, meaning it functions more like an advance notice that the agency intends to fund a specific effort rather than run an open competition. The agency also notes that the decision not to compete the assistance is tied to Departmental Manual 505 DM 2, section 2.14(B)(2), and that choosing a noncompetitive approach is solely at the government’s discretion.

The project is designed to produce practical, management-ready genetics guidance for six federally listed species, pairing new genomic data generation with applied analysis and planning. The target species include five freshwater mussels and one turtle: Ouachita Rock Pocketbook (Arkansia wheeleri), Cumberlandian Combshell (Epioblasma brevidens), Fanshell (Cyprogenia stegaria), Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta), Pink Mucket (Lampsilis abrupta), and the Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii). A central deliverable is the creation of genetics management plans for each species, supported by robust genetic datasets and conservation genetics publications.

The work scope is laid out as a sequence of connected objectives. First, the project provides technical support to the Service’s regional geneticist through a postdoctoral researcher, indicating an emphasis on building capacity and ensuring sustained technical expertise during the effort. Second, it calls for generating high-resolution genetic information in the form of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for each of the six species, which typically enables fine-scale insights into population structure, relatedness, and genetic diversity. Third, those genomic data are to be analyzed to identify ideal broodstock populations, which is a key applied conservation outcome because broodstock selection affects captive propagation, augmentation, and reintroduction success while minimizing risks like inbreeding, outbreeding depression, or loss of locally adapted lineages. Fourth, the project culminates in a genetics management plan for each species, translating results into actionable recommendations for managers (for example, guidance on which populations to prioritize for propagation, how to maintain genetic diversity across facilities or watersheds, and how to monitor genetic outcomes over time). Fifth, the effort is also expected to produce peer-reviewed papers, ensuring the methods and findings are documented in the scientific literature and can be scrutinized and reused.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under Natural Resources and associated with CFDA 15.678. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any clarifications that might appear in the full announcement, but because this is a notice of intent rather than an open solicitation, the practical implication is that the agency is signaling an intended funding action rather than inviting proposals broadly. The anticipated funding structure includes a single expected award, with an award ceiling of $352,151. The posting was created on August 25, 2017, with an original closing date of August 31, 2017, consistent with a short notice window typical of intent announcements rather than competitive cycles.

For questions, the listed point of contact is Artela Jacobs at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, reachable by phone at (404) 679-7197 or by email at artelajacobs@fws.gov.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Region 4 Genetic Management Plans" 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 25, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2017 NOTICE OF INTENT. This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications.. (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 $352,151.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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