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The sagebrush landscape is a vast, largely treeless and semi-arid system known for hot summers and cold winters. Consisting mainly of rocky hills, native bunchgrasses and sagebrush, it is home to more than three hundred and fifty associated plants and animal species and spans the region from eastern Washington, Oregon, and California through the Great Basin of Nevada and Idaho, up the high valleys of the Intermountain West in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, to the western edge of the Great Plains in the Dakotas.

Tropical rainforests cover about 2 percent of Earth's total surface area but provide habitat for half of the terrestrial plants and animals on earth. Indigenous peoples who call these rainforests home - as they have for millennia - have proven to be their best guardians, but other human influences have never been a more urgent threat. Today is a time of great challenge and great opportunity in the rainforests of the Amazon River basin, the Congo River basin, and the Indonesian and Malaysian archipelagos. Resource demands that include mining, agriculture, and hydropower have combined with illegal logging and incursions into protected areas to create intense ecological pressures on tropical rainforests. Th peril to these ecosystems has manifested itself in measurable ways. For example, the dry season is now longer in some parts of the Amazon and more drought-tolerant tree species are starting to starting to appear. Continued loss of tree coverage in any tropical forest can alter water cycles in ways that could lead to further degradation. There is hope, however, that global recognition of these problems and discovery of locally grounded solutions can halt or reverse them. 

Through its Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution Awards program, the foundation will award grants of up to $180,000 a year for up to three years (limited to 20 percent of modified total direct costs) to outstanding investigators in the field of marine microbial ecology and evolution with the potential to advance human understanding through experiments, modeling, and/or theory. Projects focusing on the microbiomes of animals or plants or on paleontological records will not be considered in this funding cycle. Investigators with backgrounds in different fields are encouraged to apply.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), seeks proposals that elucidate mechanisms of, and develop strategies to, direct the differentiation of undifferentiated cells into mature, functional cells or organoids. Projects responsive to this solicitation must aim to establish a robust and reproducible set of differentiation design rules, predictive models, real-time sensing, control, and quality assurance methods, and integrate them into a workable differentiation strategy. They must develop a fundamental understanding of how cells develop, including mechanisms, molecular machinery, dynamics, and cell-cell interactions, and use this understanding to manipulate cells purposefully. Investigators can choose any undifferentiated cell type, from any animal species, as a starting point and choose any appropriate functional product (cell, organoid, etc.) with real-world relevance. This solicitation parallels NSF's investment in Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL): Predicting Phenotype, NSF's Big Idea focused on predicting the set of observable characteristics (phenotype) of an organism based on its genetic makeup and the nature of its environment and applies it to understanding and accomplishing the intentional and guided differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into cells, organoids or tissues with predetermined activities and functions.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces the availability of funding through cost reimbursable agreements for the Scientific Cooperation Research Program (SCRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2020. SCRP supports FAS' Borlaug Fellowship Program and other strategic goals and utilizes the scientific communities' accumulated knowledge and technologies to help aid in developing practical solutions to address issues including agricultural trade and market access, animal and plant health, biotechnology, food safety and security, and sustainable natural resource management. All applications must include foreign collaborations, and projects should not exceed two years. Funding may be allocated to foreign collaborators through sub-awards. Background The Scientific Cooperation Research Program (SCRP) is a Foreign Agricultural Service Office,(FAS) administered program that has been in existence for several decades. Historically, SCRP has funded hundreds of collaborative research programs between U.S. and foreign scientists.This program supports up to 10 collaborative research programs annually, up to $50,000.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), seeks proposals that elucidate mechanisms of, and develop strategies to, direct the differentiation of undifferentiated cells into mature, functional cells or organoids. Projects responsive to this solicitation must aim to establish a robust and reproducible set of differentiation design rules, predictive models, real-time sensing, control, and quality assurance methods, and integrate them into a workable differentiation strategy. They must develop a fundamental understanding of how cells develop, including mechanisms, molecular machinery, dynamics, and cell-cell interactions, and use this understanding to manipulate cells purposefully. Investigators can choose any undifferentiated cell type, from any animal species, as a starting point and choose any appropriate functional product (cell, organoid, etc.) with real-world relevance.This solicitation parallels NSF's investment inUnderstanding the Rules of Life (URoL): Predicting Phenotype, NSF's Big Idea focused on predicting the set of observable characteristics (phenotype) of an organism based on its genetic makeup and the nature of its environment and applies it to understanding and accomplishing the intentional and guided differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into cells, organoids or tissues with predetermined activities and functions.

Wildlife Acoustics' mission is to support efforts in conservation and environmental stewardship. We want to enable those involved in animal biology, research and conservation to do their best work easily and quickly. To that end, Wildlife Acoustics has established a grant program to support bioacoustics research efforts from chiropteran, avian, terrestrial, amphibious and marine wildlife, to everything else in between.

This grant program supports: (1) training students for Master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and; (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems.

This grant program supports: (1) training students for Master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and; (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems.

NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration & Research (OER) is soliciting proposals for ocean exploration in waters under U.S. jurisdiction, including the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and areas mapped by, or of interest to, the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project. Presently, important marine habitats and living and non-living resources are neither fully explored nor characterized. OER's intent is to address these knowledge gaps and support growth in the Nation's Blue Economy by soliciting ocean exploration proposals that focus on:

The Honeybee Conservancy is inviting applications for in-kind grants to help organizations or schools safely set up, maintain, and observe on-site bee sanctuaries at schools, community gardens, and green spaces across the United States. Through its Sponsor-A-Hive program, the conservancy will award grants in the form of honey or solitary bees, their homes, beekeeping equipment, and information on how to care for the bees. With the assistance of the conservancy, bees are placed strategically in locations where they can bolster local bee populations, advance science and environmental education, and pollinate locally grown food. The conservancy will also provide a Sponsor-A-Hive Teacher's Kit, which includes lesson plans and worksheets designed to teach students more about their bee home and build their reading and science skills, raise their environmental awareness, and empower them to help the bees. To be eligible, applicants must be located in the United States and be a nonprofit organization; elementary, middle, or high school; college or university; tribal education agency; environmental center; or a food bank or community garden that does not charge a membership fee. In addition, applicant organizations must have been in existence for at least a year to be eligible to receive materials.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Midwest Region, intends to issue a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award without competition to the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA) to support a coordinating Position (State Monarch Conservation Liaison) for monarch butterfly planning and conservation primarily occurring across the MAFWA region (thirteen states and three Canadian provinces). In conjunction with its Species Status Assessment process, the Service has recently identified monarch butterfly conservation units for the U.S., including both North Core and South Core Conservation Units for the eastern monarch population. This is a new focus on those priority conservation areas and includes the need for a coordinated and expanded approach to regional monarch conservation planning and implementation in those identified priority units.

The Cooperative Research Units Program is a unique collaborative relationship between States, Universities, the Federal government and a non-profit organization. The program is comprised of 40 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units on university campuses in 38 states. Since the original nine Units were established in the 1930s, additional Units were established by Congress at specified universities. The 40 units in the program are jointly supported by the US Geological Survey, Host Universities, State Natural Resource Agencies, Wildlife Management Institute, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Science Center (ASC) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to support an evaluation of how changes to foraging behavior may be influencing contaminant exposure of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea. Specifically, the objective is to use adipose tissue samples to estimate polar bear diets and quantify exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation of polar bears has experienced sea ice loss leading to an increasing trend of polar bears spending time on land during summer and possibly increased divergent foraging strategies with differential exposure to contaminants. A characterization of dietary influence on exposure may reveal whether changing behavior has the potential to mediate declines in polar bear health.

With generous support from the Cleveland Zoological Society, the Asia Seed Grants Program provides funds to support field conservation and research projects in Asia. Annual awards ranging from $1000 to $3500 will be made to conservation and research initiatives involving wildlife and their habitats, and educational or cultural activities that involve or impact wildlife and their habitats. Ideal projects have clear and direct conservation impact, positively affect local people and create opportunities for capacity building in country. Projects focusing on the following areas of special interest to the Zoo are strongly encouraged to apply: · Wildlife protection · Human wildlife conflict mitigation · Development and promotion of sustainable environmental practices · Habitat protection and restoration · Capacity-building, education/training, community-based conservation and development · Conservation biology, ecology and natural history studies · Species/taxa based projects that focus on species within the Zoo's collection will be given priority.

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program is a voluntary, incentive-based program that provides direct technical assistance and financial assistance in the form of cooperative agreements to private landowners to restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat for the benefit of federal trust resources. The PFW Program is delivered through more than 250 full-time staff, active in all 50 States and territories. Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program staff coordinate with project partners, stakeholders and other Service programs to identify geographic focus areas and develop habitat conservation priorities within these focus areas. Geographic focus areas define where the program directs resources to conserve habitat for federal trust species. Project work plans are developed strategically, in coordination with partners, and with substantial involvement from Service field staff. Projects must advance the Department of the Interior's mission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's mission, and PFW's mission, promote biological diversity, and based upon sound scientific biological principles. Program strategic plans inform the types of projects funded under this opportunity. Applicants seeking funding under this program should contact the appropriate PFW Regional Program office prior to submitting an application for funding. ***Applicants seeking technical or financial assistance from the PFW Program are requested to consult with the Regional PFW Program office BEFORE developing or submitting an application (see Section VIII. Agency Contacts).***Legal authorities: Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act of 2006, S.260 Public Law 109-294; Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C. 742a-c, 747e-742j; and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, 16 U.S.C. 661 667(e).

INL/C seeks to fund a project that builds Latin America's capacity to deter, detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate wildlife poaching and trafficking cases. The scope includes the facilitative financial crimes (e.g. money laundering and corruption) that enable poaching and trafficking networks. The primary countries of engagement must include two or more of the following: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Additional countries in Latin America and the Caribbean may also be included

The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary program that provides direct technical assistance and financial assistance in the form of cooperative agreements to partners. The program work in partnership to provide fish (and other aquatic organisms) passage and restore aquatic connectivity for the benefit of federal trust resources. Activities which restore fish passage supports the modernization of country's infrastructure such as road culverts, bridges and water diversions. Fish friendly infrastructure provides a means for fish to be self resilient and maintain or increase population's providing for quality of fishing for many species. The NFPP is delivered through more than 65 Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation (FAC) Field Offices across all States and territories. FAC staff coordinates with project partners, stakeholders and other Service programs to identify and collaboratively implement projects within Regional priority areas. Project work plans are developed strategically, in coordination with partners, and with substantial involvement from FAC staff. Projects must advance our mission, promote biological diversity, and be based upon sound scientific biological principles. FAC and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) strategic plans inform the types of projects funded under this opportunity. Applicants seeking funding under this program should review the program strategic plan and also contact the regional NFPP Coordinator that corresponds to the location of the project for additional regional priorities prior to submitting an application for funding.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is pleased to announce the availability of research funding in 2018 to investigate issues related directly to the management of white-nose syndrome (WNS). The WNS Program provides financial and technical assistance to non-governmental, university, and private researchers, as well as state and local governments, Native American tribes, and federal agencies, for the management of WNS and conservation of bats. Funded projects will investigate priority questions about WNS to improve our ability to manage the disease and implement management actions that will help to conserve affected bat species.

The Prescott Grant Program provides Federal assistance to eligible Stranding Network participants for: (1) basic needs of organizations for response, treatment, and data collection from living and dead stranded marine mammals; (2) scientific research objectives designed to answer questions about marine mammal strandings, health, or rehabilitation techniques utilizing data from living and dead stranded marine mammals; and (3) facility operations directly related to the recovery, treatment, and data collection from living and dead stranded marine mammals