Cooperative Watersheds Studies Program: Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) and the Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study (VTSSS) | NPS 19 NERO 0006

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0006

The National Park Service (NPS) posted a discretionary funding notice for a project titled "Cooperative Watersheds Studies Program: Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) and the Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study (VTSSS)" under funding opportunity number NPS 19 NERO 0006. The notice is classified as a cooperative agreement, meaning the NPS expects to have substantial involvement with the recipient in carrying out the work rather than simply issuing a pass-through grant with minimal federal participation. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, indicating the work is research-focused and tied to generating data or analyses that support watershed and stream management.

A key point of this posting is that it is explicitly not a request for applications. Instead, it functions as a public notice that NPS intends to make an award for the described project activities. In practical terms, that typically signals that NPS has already identified a partner or is proceeding under an authority or process where competition is not being solicited through this announcement. Because it is not a solicitation, interested parties should not interpret it as an open call to apply; it is mainly meant to ensure transparency about the federal agency's intent to provide financial assistance for the SWAS and VTSSS work.

The opportunity sits under CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) number 15.945, which aligns with NPS financial assistance programs. Eligible applicants are broadly labeled as "Others," a catch-all category that can include entities outside the standard government, academic, or nonprofit categories depending on program rules and the specific circumstances of the award. Even with that eligibility label, the fact that the notice is not soliciting applications means eligibility is largely informational rather than an invitation to submit proposals.

In terms of funding scale and timing, the posted award ceiling is $50,000. The notice lists an original closing date of March 24, 2019, and a creation date of March 14, 2019. For notices like this that are not requests for applications, the "closing date" often functions more like an administrative posting window or public notice period rather than a deadline by which applicants must submit materials. The announcement also lists "ExpectedAwards" without a value, which suggests the number of anticipated awards was not specified in the source record, though the context implies an intended award rather than multiple competitive awards.

Substantively, the project title indicates support for two related study efforts: the Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) and the Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study (VTSSS). While the notice does not provide technical details about tasks, the titles strongly suggest research and monitoring activities focused on watershed conditions in the Shenandoah region and on understanding how Virginia trout streams respond or are sensitive to environmental stressors. In the NPS context, studies like these are commonly tied to water quality, aquatic habitat, stream chemistry, temperature, flow regimes, land use impacts, and broader ecosystem health, with results used to guide resource management decisions, prioritize conservation actions, and improve long-term stewardship of park and partner watersheds.

Overall, this posting should be read as a transparency notice: NPS is signaling its intent to fund research and development activities related to watershed science in Shenandoah and trout stream sensitivity in Virginia, using a cooperative agreement structure, with up to $50,000 in federal assistance, and it is not offering an open opportunity for applications through this particular announcement.

• The National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Watersheds Studies Program: Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) and the Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study (VTSSS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-24. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0006

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