Assess Feasibility of Oyster Restoration at Assateague Island | NPS 18 NERO 0182

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS 18 NERO 0182

The grant opportunity titled "Assess Feasibility of Oyster Restoration at Assateague Island" is a National Park Service (NPS) funding notice describing the agency's intent to make an award for a specific set of project activities related to oyster restoration feasibility work at Assateague Island. It is important to read this as an informational announcement rather than a competitive solicitation, because the notice repeatedly states that it is not a request for applications. In other words, the NPS is using the posting mainly to satisfy public notice requirements and to document that it plans to provide financial assistance for this work, rather than inviting new proposals from the public.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically indicates that the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project during performance, which can include collaboration on planning, methods, deliverables, or coordination with park priorities and resource managers. The activity category is classified under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, which fits a feasibility-focused effort that would likely involve technical evaluation, field or desktop assessment, and applied scientific planning related to restoration potential.

The opportunity is associated with Funding Opportunity Number "NPS 18 NERO 0182" and is tied to CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) number 15.945, which corresponds to National Park Service programs. The listed eligible applicants category is "Others," a broad label that can include non-federal partners such as nonprofits, universities, research institutions, or other entities, although in this case the announcement format suggests the NPS already has a specific partner or recipient in mind rather than seeking open competition. The posting shows an award ceiling of $32,242, indicating a relatively small, targeted award consistent with a scoped feasibility assessment, preliminary study, planning effort, or initial technical evaluation rather than full implementation of a large restoration project.

Key dates in the record include a creation date of August 31, 2018, and an original closing date of September 9, 2018. Given the nature of the notice (not a request for applications), the "closing date" is better interpreted as the end of the public notice period or the administrative timeline for the posting, rather than a deadline for submitting proposals. The expected number of awards field is not clearly populated in the provided data, but the structure of the announcement implies a single intended award rather than multiple awards.

Programmatically, the stated purpose is to assess the feasibility of oyster restoration at Assateague Island, which generally means determining whether environmental conditions, habitat characteristics, regulatory constraints, logistical considerations, and ecological objectives align well enough to justify restoration actions. Feasibility work in an oyster restoration context often includes reviewing historical oyster presence, evaluating water quality and salinity regimes, identifying suitable substrate or reef placement areas, considering disease and predation risks, and determining how restoration might interact with broader ecosystem goals such as improving water filtration, enhancing habitat complexity, and supporting biodiversity. While the notice does not spell out a detailed scope of work, its classification as research and development suggests the funded activities would focus on assessment, analysis, and planning rather than construction or large-scale deployment.

Overall, this posting functions as a brief public-facing record that the National Park Service intended to use discretionary funding, via a cooperative agreement, to support a scientifically oriented feasibility assessment related to oyster restoration at Assateague Island, with total support capped at $32,242. The most practical takeaway is that it was not an open call for applications, but rather a transparency notice about an intended financial assistance award supporting a defined set of restoration-feasibility activities.

• The National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assess Feasibility of Oyster Restoration at Assateague Island" 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 2018-08-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-09. (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 $32,242.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NPS 18 NERO 0182

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