OARS funding Conservation

Task 1.0Habitat Preferences of the elf owl in riparian habitat:The applicant shall design a study to obtain a description of the habitat within the home range, home range size, and activity budget of the elf owl within riparian areas where they are breeding. For this study Reclamation is interested in larger scale habitat parameters such as species of cavity tree or cactus, species of roosting tree or cactus, sheltering substrate, species of trees in riparian habitat, an estimate of canopy height and canopy cover within riparian habitat, an estimate of the mid story layer within riparian habitat, an estimate of abundance of cavities and snags, and other large scale parameters that may be important. The applicant shall use GIS to map locations of elf owl nests and large scale habitat parameters to describe foraging, roosting, nesting, and sheltering habitat. Reclamation is interested in obtaining a good description of the habitat within the home range of the elf owl but not in collecting data in non-use areas or creating habitat selection models.If any on the ground estimates are proposed for the larger scale parameters above the awardee shall work with Reclamation staff to conduct those measurements according to MSCP standards. 

This program seeks to enhance and expand the national resource of digital data documenting existing vouchered biological and paleontological collections and to advance scientific knowledge by improving access to digitized information (including images) residing in vouchered scientific collections across the United States. The information associated with various collections of organisms, such as geographic, paleogeographic and stratigraphic distribution, environmental habitat data, phenology, information about associated organisms, collector field notes, and tissues and molecular data extracted from the specimens, is a rich resource providing the baseline from which to further biodiversity research and provide critical information about existing gaps in our knowledge of life on earth. The national resource is structured at three levels: a central coordinating organization, a series of thematic networks based on an important research theme, and the physical collections. The national resource builds upon a sizable existing national investment in curation of the physical objects in scientific collections and contributes vitally to scientific research and technology interests in the United States. It will become an invaluable tool in understanding contemporary biological issues and challenges.

The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund is soliciting proposals for the conservation of rhinoceroses and/or tigers throughout their ranges. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act was passed in 1994 to provide financial resources for the conservation programs of nations whose activities directly or indirectly affect rhinoceros and tiger populations. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through: * Enhanced protection of at-risk rhinoceros and tiger populations; * Reducing demand in consumer countries and trafficking for illegal rhino and tiger parts, products and live animals; * Protected area/reserve management in important rhinoceros and tiger range; * Veterinary care for wild populations; * Habitat conservation and management; * Reintroduction to former range; * Restoration of habitat; * Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills; * Conservation education and community outreach; * Efforts to decrease human-rhinoceros and human-tiger conflicts; * Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs; * Transfrontier rhinoceros and tiger conservation; * Applied research on rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring; * Development and execution of rhinoceros and tiger conservation management plans; and * Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceros and tigers or regulate the use and management of their habitat. 

The goal of research funded under the interdisciplinary P2C2 solicitation is to utilize key geological, chemical, atmospheric (gas in ice cores), and biological records of climate system variability to provide insights into the mechanisms and rate of change that characterized Earth's past climate variability, the sensitivity of Earth's climate system to changes in forcing, and the response of key components of the Earth system to these changes.  Important scientific objectives of P2C2 are to: 1) provide comprehensive paleoclimate data sets that can serve as model test data sets analogous to instrumental observations; and 2) enable transformative syntheses of paleoclimate data and modeling outcomes to understand the response of the longer-term and higher magnitude variability of the climate system that is observed in the geological and cryospheric records. 

Coral reefs and associated seagrass and mangrove communities are among the most complex and diverse ecosystems on earth. They support important fishing and tourism industries, protect coasts from wave and storm damage, build tropical islands, contain an array of potential pharmaceuticals, and provide essential services like food security, livelihood, and culture, among other benefits.As shallow-water, near shore communities, coral reef ecosystems are ecologically closely linked to adjacent watersheds and are highly vulnerable to human activity. Stresses in the coral reef environment include poor water quality from runoff and inadequate sewage treatment, destructive fishing practices, sedimentation, recreational overuse and misuse, and impacts from climate change and ocean acidification.To address these threats, Congress passed the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (Act), which established the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and provided guidance for allocation of Federal funding toward efforts to conserve coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. and Internationally. As required in the Act, one of the primary functions of the CRCP is to provide matching grants of financial assistance to external partners for coral reef conservation projects consistent with the Act and CRCP priorities. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to conduct research about the Arctic. Arctic research includes field and modeling studies, data analysis, and synthesis about the arctic region.The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR),??is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) offers postdoctoral research fellowships to provide opportunities for scientists early in their careers to work within and across traditional disciplinary lines, develop partnerships, and avail themselves of unique resources, sites and facilities. The fellowship program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience that will establish them in positions of leadership in the scientific community. During tenure, fellows will affiliate with an appropriate research institution(s) and conduct research on topics supported by OCE. The OCE fellowship program has two tracks: 1) Traick 1 (Broadening Participation) and 2) Track 2 (International). Fellowships are awards to individuals, not organizations, and are administered by the fellows.

The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to recent recipients of the doctoral degree for research and training in selected areas supported by BIO and with special goals for human resource development in biology.  The fellowships encourage independence at an early stage of the research career to permit Fellows to pursue their research and training goals in the most appropriate research locations regardless of the availability of funding for the Fellows at that site.  For FY 2013, these BIO programs are (1) Broadening Participation in Biology; (2) Intersections of Biology and Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineering; (3) National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowships; and (4) International Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology.  These areas change periodically as new scientific and infrastructure opportunities present themselves. For this reason, this solicitation will be changed as necessary to reflect the areas being funded.

The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR), is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The Office of Science of the Department of Energy hereby invites grant applications for support under the Early Career Research Program in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), and Nuclear Physics (NP). The purpose of this program is to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the areas supported by the DOE Office of Science.

The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement is to assess population trends and ecological requirements of Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) Chorizanthe orcuttiana, Piperia cooperi, and Corethrogyne filaginifolia var. incana populations and surrounding habitat, and analyze results to better inform an understanding of the species' status and ecological requirements for one full year/growing season; to conduct erosion control and vegetation management and research in the areas of the current populations at NBPL to maintain and promote them for one full year/growing season and to experiment with propagation and transplantation of the sensitive species in the on-site greenhouse, and provide specific, detailed protocols and guidelines for successful propogation and transplantation of each species at Naval Base Point Loma, San Diego, California.

The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation invite applications for the establishment or continuation of "International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups" (ICBG) to address the interdependence of biodiversity exploration for potential applications in health, with investments in research capacity that support sustainable use of these resources, the knowledge to conserve them, and equitable partnership frameworks among research organizations in the U.S. and low and middle income countries (LMICs). LMICs are defined as low or middle income countries in the World Bank list of economies (see: http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups).

he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) are soliciting proposals under the Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico Program for projects that address Mexico's capacity building for biodiversity conservation. Program Goal: Build human and institutional capacity for biodiversity conservation and management in Mexico through training. Of interest are projects that provide direct and significant training to Mexican personnel in terms of the number of individuals trained, the strategic or innovative nature of the training, and the impact of the training on the conservation of biodiversity. Program Objectives: * To address the training needs of Mexican natural resources managers for managing and conserving biodiversity; * To provide local communities access to training that links sound management practices in priority biodiversity areas with the creation of sustainable economic opportunities; * To involve key stakeholder groups to address biodiversity conservation challenges to enable the delivery and implementation of effective conservation actions.

The Beckman Young Investigator (BYI) Program is intended to provide research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of academic careers in the chemical and life sciences particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science.

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. (2) REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects.

The dwarf bear-claw poppy is a listed endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and is restricted in distribution to western Washington County, Utah. Studies conducted in recent years have found significants difference in fruits/flower, seeds/fruit and the weight of seeds among the seven poppy populations. To further that work, this project will conduct several studies at each of the seven populations. Pollinator studies would consist of viewing and collecting insects visiting flowers for specific periods of time. Insects would be identified, and counted. Specific flowers would be assayed for pollen grain numbered and tagged to estimated fruit set. A series of experimental hand pollinations would be undertaken. Flowers at different population sized sites would be would be pollinated to determine biologically whether smaller populations are more genetically challenged than larger populations. The number of successful mating types will be estimated and compared among populations by cross-pollinating at least three flowers on each of 15-25 plants with donor pollen from each of three flowers at different distances from the pollen recipient. Comparisons would be made among populations in fruits/flowers, seeds/fruit and fruit weight. Lastly, a series of labeled pollen studies at each of the populations would be undertaken to determine the movement of pollen between populations.

The Biology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is offering a limited number of travel grants, up to $250 each, for undergraduate students presenting original research results at a regional or national, discipline-specific meeting* during the fiscal year 2013 - 2014.  Award recipients are required to acknowledge CUR for support of their travel in their talk or poster, to complete a short evaluation form about their meeting experience and to submit a PDF file of their poster.  Minority students are encouraged to apply.

The Mountaineers Foundation promotes the study of the mountains, forests and streams of the Pacific Northwest, and contributes to preserving its natural beauty and ecological integrity. We fund modest, short-term projects consistent with those purposes, with a maximum grant normally at $5000. Our funding criteria are based on our by-laws, articles of incorporation, and status as an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization. We Support: selected projects of 501(c)(3) or of other non-profit organizations and of certain agencies such as libraries and schools; and, occasionally, projects by individuals. research about the natural environment: studies that will yield new data aimed at protecting Northwest wilderness and wildlife biologic, economic, legal, or policy studies direct educational programs and materials related to environmental preservation lectures, conferences, seminars written or audiovisual awareness materials curriculum or other instructional materials publication of conference proceedings, journal articles other fundable projects: seed or pilot studies that can be continued with funding from other sources selected capital improvement projects (e.g., restoration; assistance in purchasing equipment/materials)

The purpose of this Agreement is to conduct invertebrate species surveys and rare plant surveys at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake. Invertebrate species surveys have been conducted at NAWS China Lake since 1994. Invertebrate species with management concerns include giant fairy shrimp, butterflies, Argus land snail, Jerusalem cricket, dune cockroach, Darwin Tiemann's beetle, scarab beetle, and weevils. In order to better manage these species, it is important to understand the distribution of and habitats occupied by them. The endangered plant census will focus on the Lane Mountain milk-vetch (Astragalus jaegerianus) that is federally listed as endangered. This plant grows up through other shrubs and may be found in the Superior Valley portion of the Mojave B south test complex. These surveys are necessary to identify Lane Mountain milk-vetch habitat so that it can be protected from impacts due to military activities. The Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for the installation has identified invertebrate species surveys and Lane Mountain milk-vetch surveys as important prerequisites for management and protection of these species. The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to implement these surveys and censuses that are required by the INRMP.