Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00255
The grant opportunity titled "Status of Cisco in Western Lake Superior" is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement focused on improving how managers measure and understand the spawning biomass and overall status of cisco in the western part of Lake Superior. Cisco are a key native species in this ecosystem because they help move energy and nutrients across different parts of the lake, both vertically through the water column and horizontally across habitats. They also play a major role as prey for top predators and are important to large-scale commercial fisheries. The underlying management concern driving this work is that cisco recruitment has been inconsistent in recent years, with lake-wide bottom trawl surveys showing only occasional strong year-classes, which raises questions about population stability and future fishery potential.
A central purpose of the project is to address a known limitation in current monitoring tools. Traditional down-looking hydroacoustic surveys have been used to estimate cisco spawning biomass, but they struggle to sample the near-surface zone effectively. This is a serious gap because trawls fished just below the surface have captured high numbers of cisco, suggesting that a meaningful portion of the population can occupy surface waters that are undercounted or missed by down-looking approaches. To fix this problem, the project will implement newer up-looking hydroacoustic methods, using them to quantify how much standard down-looking surveys may be underestimating spawning biomass. In practical terms, the work aims to produce a more accurate picture of how many spawning cisco are present by better covering the full water column, including the surface layer.
Beyond the technology comparison, the project is also positioned as part of a broader, multi-agency effort to assess cisco status in the western end of Lake Superior. That means the results are intended to feed into a larger coordinated monitoring and assessment framework, helping agencies align their understanding of population condition, trends, and potential management responses. The expected outcome is improved scientific confidence in abundance estimates and, by extension, stronger decision-making around conservation and fishery management.
Administratively, this announcement is a notice of intent to make a single-source award rather than a competitive grant. The funding opportunity number is F17AS00255, created June 13, 2017, with an original closing date of June 20, 2017, and it explicitly states there is no application process because the recipient is pre-identified. The planned award is one cooperative agreement with an award ceiling of $95,000 and an expected number of awards of 1. The eligibility field notes "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, but in practice the single-source justification names the University of Minnesota - Duluth as the intended recipient under justification 505DM 2.14.B. The rationale given is that competition is not practical because the University of Minnesota - Duluth has specialized expertise, including an expert professor with experience in hydroacoustic data collection, population modeling, and Lake Superior fisheries, making the institution uniquely qualified to lead and supervise the work.
Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement, the Fish and Wildlife Service will have substantial involvement rather than simply providing funds at arm's length. Specifically, the Service (through the Ashland Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office) will participate in shaping and refining research objectives, provide technical help with field data collection and statistical analyses, assist with editing manuscripts, and ensure that key findings are communicated to the scientific community and other interested audiences through presentations and written products. Service staff will also participate directly in mentoring and oversight by serving as an active member of a University of Minnesota - Duluth graduate student advisory committee, reinforcing that this is a collaborative research-and-management effort rather than a standalone academic study.
In short, the opportunity supports targeted research to correct a known monitoring bias in cisco acoustic surveys by adding up-looking hydroacoustics to better sample surface waters, with the broader goal of improving cisco status assessments in western Lake Superior. The work is structured as a close agency-university collaboration, funded at up to $95,000, and awarded non-competitively to the University of Minnesota - Duluth due to specialized expertise and the practical need for continuity and technical leadership in this niche field.Apply for F17AS00255
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Status of Cisco in Western Lake Superior" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 13, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2017 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the University of Minnesota - Duluth under justification 505DM 2.14.B.. (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 $95,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Status of Cisco in Western Lake Superior (F17AS00255)
What is the "Status of Cisco in Western Lake Superior" grant opportunity?
This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement intended to improve how fisheries managers measure and understand cisco spawning biomass and overall population status in the western part of Lake Superior.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Service's Ashland Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is specifically identified as having substantial involvement in the work.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is F17AS00255.
When was this opportunity created and what was the closing date?
The notice was created on June 13, 2017. The original closing date listed is June 20, 2017.
Is this a competitive grant with an open application process?
No. The announcement is a notice of intent to make a single-source award and explicitly states there is no application process because the recipient is pre-identified.
What type of award is planned (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The planned award is a cooperative agreement. This matters because the Fish and Wildlife Service will have substantial involvement in carrying out the project, rather than simply providing funding with minimal agency participation.
How much funding is available under this award?
The award ceiling is $95,000.
How many awards are expected?
The expected number of awards is 1.
Who is the intended recipient of the single-source award?
The intended recipient named in the single-source justification is the University of Minnesota - Duluth.
Why is the award being made as a single-source (non-competitive) action?
The stated rationale is that competition is not practical because the University of Minnesota - Duluth has specialized expertise. The justification references an expert professor with experience in hydroacoustic data collection, population modeling, and Lake Superior fisheries, and indicates the institution is uniquely qualified to lead and supervise this work.
What justification is cited for the single-source approach?
The notice cites justification 505DM 2.14.B.
What problem is the project trying to solve?
The project targets a known limitation in current monitoring tools used to estimate cisco spawning biomass. Traditional down-looking hydroacoustic surveys struggle to effectively sample the near-surface zone, which can lead to undercounting fish that occupy surface waters.
Why does the near-surface zone matter for cisco monitoring?
Trawls fished just below the surface have captured high numbers of cisco, suggesting a meaningful portion of the population can occur near the surface. If down-looking hydroacoustics miss or under-sample that layer, spawning biomass estimates may be biased low.
What methods are being used to address the monitoring gap?
The project will implement newer up-looking hydroacoustic methods. These will be used to quantify how much standard down-looking surveys may be underestimating cisco spawning biomass by failing to adequately cover surface waters.
What is the main technical comparison being made in this work?
A central objective is comparing up-looking hydroacoustic approaches to traditional down-looking hydroacoustic surveys to determine the degree of underestimation in spawning biomass attributable to poor sampling of near-surface fish.
What is the intended outcome of adding up-looking hydroacoustics?
The intent is to produce a more accurate picture of how many spawning cisco are present by improving coverage of the full water column, including the surface layer, and increasing scientific confidence in abundance estimates.
Where is the project geographically focused?
The work is focused on the western part (western end) of Lake Superior.
Why are cisco important in Lake Superior?
Cisco are described as a key native species because they help move energy and nutrients across the ecosystem (both vertically through the water column and horizontally across habitats). They also serve as major prey for top predators and are important to large-scale commercial fisheries.
What management concern is driving the need for this project?
The underlying concern is inconsistent cisco recruitment in recent years. Lake-wide bottom trawl surveys have shown only occasional strong year-classes, raising questions about population stability and future fishery potential.
How does this project relate to broader cisco assessment efforts?
The project is positioned as part of a broader, multi-agency effort to assess cisco status in western Lake Superior. The expectation is that findings will feed into a larger coordinated monitoring and assessment framework and help align agencies on population condition, trends, and possible management responses.
What does "substantial involvement" by the Fish and Wildlife Service mean in this cooperative agreement?
The Service will participate in shaping and refining research objectives, provide technical assistance with field data collection and statistical analyses, assist with editing manuscripts, and help ensure key findings are communicated through presentations and written products.
Will Fish and Wildlife Service staff be involved in training or mentoring?
Yes. Service staff will participate directly by serving as an active member of a University of Minnesota - Duluth graduate student advisory committee, supporting mentoring and oversight as part of a collaborative research-and-management effort.
What kinds of deliverables or outputs are implied by the notice?
The notice indicates that findings will be communicated to the scientific community and other interested audiences through presentations and written products, and that manuscripts will be edited with agency assistance. Specific deliverables are not enumerated in the provided text, but written and presentation-based communication is explicitly expected.
Does the notice specify that there is no application process?
Yes. It explicitly states there is no application process because the recipient is pre-identified.
What is the key scientific benefit expected from the project?
Improved scientific confidence in cisco abundance and spawning biomass estimates, achieved by addressing a known sampling bias in traditional hydroacoustic monitoring and improving coverage of surface waters.
How does the project connect to fishery management decisions?
By improving the accuracy of abundance estimates and the overall understanding of cisco status, the project is intended to support stronger decision-making around conservation and fishery management in western Lake Superior.
Is this work described as purely academic research?
No. It is framed as a collaborative research-and-management effort, with close agency involvement in study design, technical work, communication, and graduate student advising.
What monitoring tool is mentioned as having limitations, and what is the limitation?
Traditional down-looking hydroacoustic surveys are identified as limited because they struggle to sample the near-surface zone effectively, potentially missing fish occupying surface waters.
What other monitoring information is referenced to explain the management concern?
Lake-wide bottom trawl surveys are referenced as showing only occasional strong year-classes in recent years, contributing to concerns about recruitment consistency and long-term population stability.
Does the notice indicate who within the Fish and Wildlife Service will be involved?
Yes. The Ashland Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is named as the Service entity providing substantial involvement.
What is the overall short summary of what this funding supports?
It supports targeted work to correct a known monitoring bias in cisco acoustic surveys by adding up-looking hydroacoustic methods to better sample surface waters, improving spawning biomass estimation and supporting broader multi-agency cisco status assessments in western Lake Superior.
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