Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance Programs | F19AS00212

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00212

The Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance Programs grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00212) is a discretionary federal grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. It sits in the research and development space tied to environmental and natural resource priorities (CFDA 15.664) and is aimed at supporting scientific work that informs fish and wildlife conservation and management. For this specific announcement, the focus is on Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a species of high conservation concern in the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and on understanding how turbidity (water cloudiness) influences their survival in the presence of predators.

At the center of the project is the idea that turbidity can function as a protective environmental condition for Delta Smelt. In clearer water, predators may be more effective hunters, and Delta Smelt may experience higher predation risk. In more turbid water, reduced visibility may interfere with predator foraging efficiency, change how prey behave, and ultimately affect survival. The proposed work is designed to test that protective role of turbidity in a structured way, not only by measuring predation outcomes directly, but also by examining how turbidity interacts with temperature, fish behavior, and development. Temperature is included because thermal conditions can change metabolism, activity levels, stress, and predator-prey interactions, potentially strengthening or weakening any protective benefit that turbidity provides.

The opportunity lays out three main scientific objectives. First, the project would evaluate how Delta Smelt respond to predator cues across different turbidity levels and thermal conditions, focusing specifically on individuals at about 120 days post hatch (120 dph), which suggests the work targets a particular life stage relevant to vulnerability and behavior. Second, it would examine growth and development under those same combinations of turbidity and temperature, while also comparing conditions with and without predator cues. That approach is meant to capture not only direct predation risk, but also indirect effects such as stress responses or altered foraging that can slow growth or affect development even when predators are not physically present. Third, the study would quantify actual predation rates of Delta Smelt across turbidity and temperature conditions and also evaluate predator-prey behavior, particularly under low-turbidity (clear-water) scenarios where visual interactions are more pronounced and behavioral dynamics may be easier to observe and interpret.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $400,000. The eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, indicating this call is intended for universities and similar public academic research institutions rather than private companies or nonprofits. The posting lists an original creation date of July 15, 2019 and an original closing date of August 12, 2019. The listing shows “Expected Awards: 0,” which can sometimes reflect how the opportunity was recorded in the system rather than a guarantee about outcomes, but it does signal that applicants would need to read the full announcement carefully for details on selection plans and whether the call is tied to a specific anticipated project or partner.

The legal authorities behind the opportunity include the Fish and Wildlife Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Together, those statutes frame the federal government’s role in conserving fish and wildlife, coordinating conservation considerations with water and development activities, improving fish and wildlife resources, and supporting research and actions related to species protected under the ESA. In practical terms, the research supported here is meant to produce actionable evidence about habitat conditions (turbidity and temperature) that may improve survival outcomes for Delta Smelt, helping resource managers make better-informed decisions about habitat restoration, water operations, and conservation strategies that reduce predation pressure and support recovery.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.664.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 15, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 12, 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 $400,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for F19AS00212

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