IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Aquatic Resource Management | L24AS00336

Opportunity Information: Apply for L24AS00336

The IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Aquatic Resource Management opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L24AS00336, CFDA 15.244) is a discretionary federal funding program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which typically means BLM expects to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared decision-making), rather than operating purely as a hands-off grantmaker. The program falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and is focused on aquatic resource management work in Alaska.

Eligibility is limited to public and nonprofit sectors and eligible education and tribal entities. Applicants may include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status. Individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible, so proposals must come from an eligible governmental, Tribal, nonprofit, or academic organization.

A key restriction is that this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not support applicants that want to hire interns or crews under the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993. BLM notes that the Public Lands Corps Act (16 USC, Chapter 37, Subchapter II) is the only legislative authority that allows BLM to "hire" interns in that way, and that youth internship or crew-style projects should instead be pursued through a different funding path. Specifically, eligible Youth Conservation Corps groups are directed to apply under NOFO 15.243, BLM Youth Conservation Opportunities on Public Lands, rather than through this aquatic resource management announcement. In practical terms, applicants should design projects around aquatic resource management outcomes and avoid structuring proposals around intern hiring or youth crew staffing models that would conflict with this limitation.

The NOFO also highlights the role of Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs). CESUs are formal partnerships intended to support research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical assistance, and education services related to public lands and resources. If an award is made to a CESU partner under an existing, formally negotiated Master CESU agreement, and the proposed work aligns with the CESU program purpose, there is a specific cap on indirect costs. Under those circumstances, indirect costs are limited to no more than 17.5 percent of the indirect cost base recognized in the partner's federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Applicants are expected to state clearly whether their proposal advances the CESU mission, and if it does, to identify which CESU Network should be considered the host for the agreement.

In terms of timing and funding scale, the posted closing date is July 15, 2024, and the award ceiling is $160,000. The opportunity record shows an expected awards field, but it is not populated in the provided data, so the number of anticipated awards is not specified here. The announcement was created on May 15, 2024. Applicants planning to compete should pay attention to the cooperative agreement structure, confirm organizational eligibility, ensure the project scope is centered on Alaska aquatic resource management (rather than youth internship/crew hiring), and, if applying as a CESU partner, account for the 17.5 percent indirect cost limitation and specify the relevant CESU Network in the proposal narrative.

• The Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Aquatic Resource Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.244.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-15. (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 $160,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for L24AS00336

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