GLNF CESU: Diatoms and Water Quality in Great Lakes National Parks- GLKN | NPS NOIP20AC00364

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00364

The grant opportunity titled "GLNF CESU: Diatoms and Water Quality in Great Lakes National Parks - GLKN" (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP20AC00364) is a National Park Service discretionary cooperative agreement focused on using diatoms and water chemistry to track and interpret environmental conditions in Great Lakes national parks. Diatoms are microscopic algae whose species composition is strongly tied to water quality; because their silica shells preserve well in lake sediments, they provide a reliable record of ecological change over time. By comparing diatom communities preserved in sediments with present-day measurements, the project aims to detect shifts in lake conditions, place current water quality in a longer historical context, and strengthen the scientific basis for lake monitoring and management.

The core objective is straightforward but scientifically important: identify diatom species collected from lake sediment samples and analyze water samples for nutrients and chlorophyll. Nutrients (commonly including forms of nitrogen and phosphorus) and chlorophyll are key indicators of lake productivity and potential eutrophication, and they are essential for interpreting what diatom assemblages mean in terms of ecological health. In other words, the diatom data provide a biological signal of change, while the nutrient and chlorophyll measurements provide the environmental context needed to accurately explain that signal and connect it to potential drivers.

The work is structured around established monitoring protocols used by the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN), which helps ensure consistency with long-term National Park Service monitoring and makes the results comparable across sites and years. Under those protocols, the Science Museum of Minnesota is responsible for the specialized laboratory and data tasks: identifying diatom species from sediment samples, analyzing nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations in the water samples, interpreting findings, and producing reports. A notable deliverable is the upload of diatom data to Neotoma, an online paleoecological database widely used by researchers. This step is significant because it makes the data discoverable and reusable by the broader scientific community, increasing transparency, enabling regional comparisons, and supporting future research beyond the immediate project.

GLKN, working in cooperation with park staff, handles field collection and coordination responsibilities. This includes collecting sediment and water samples in the parks, supplying additional water chemistry measurements to complement the Museum's analyses, obtaining any necessary permits, and collaborating on data analysis and report writing. This division of labor reflects the cooperative agreement model: NPS and partners share responsibilities, with NPS providing access, coordination, and monitoring framework, and the partner providing technical expertise and analytical capacity.

Beyond the technical science goals, the opportunity explicitly emphasizes public value and stewardship outcomes. First, it is designed to engage recipients, partners, communities, and/or visitors in shared environmental stewardship, aligning scientific monitoring with broader conservation participation. Second, it aims to benefit the wider scientific community by generating new knowledge and disseminating results related to natural resources, supporting external researchers who can build on the findings. Third, it supports public understanding by helping create, promote, or improve interpretation and education about natural areas, including ecological conservation areas and parks, so that monitoring results can be translated into information that is meaningful for visitors and stakeholders.

Administratively, this opportunity was issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under CFDA 15.945. Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The notice was created on March 23, 2020, with an original closing date of April 2, 2020. The award ceiling was $195,393, and one award was expected, indicating a single, focused partnership intended to deliver a defined set of monitoring and reporting products tied to GLKN priorities.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GLNF CESU: Diatoms and Water Quality in Great Lakes National Parks- GLKN" 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 Mar 23, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 02, 2020. (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 $195,393.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00364

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