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.Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00364
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "GLNF CESU: Diatoms and Water Quality in Great Lakes National Parks - GLKN."
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is NPS NOIP20AC00364.
3) Which federal agency issued this opportunity?
This opportunity was issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
4) What type of funding instrument is this?
It is a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning responsibilities are shared between NPS and the partner rather than being a simple pass-through grant.
5) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 15.945.
6) What is the project trying to accomplish overall?
The project focuses on using diatoms and water chemistry to track and interpret environmental conditions in Great Lakes national parks. The aim is to detect shifts in lake conditions, place current water quality into a longer historical context, and strengthen the scientific basis for lake monitoring and management.
7) What are diatoms, and why are they useful for water quality work?
Diatoms are microscopic algae whose species composition is strongly tied to water quality. Their silica shells preserve well in lake sediments, which makes them useful for reconstructing ecological conditions and changes over time.
8) How does the project connect sediment records to present-day lake conditions?
The approach compares diatom communities preserved in lake sediments with present-day measurements (including nutrients and chlorophyll). This comparison helps identify changes in lake conditions and interpret what those changes may mean for ecological health.
9) What are the main scientific tasks described in the opportunity?
The core objective is to identify diatom species from lake sediment samples and analyze water samples for nutrients and chlorophyll.
10) Which water quality indicators are specifically mentioned?
The opportunity specifically mentions nutrients and chlorophyll. Nutrients commonly include forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, and chlorophyll is used as an indicator related to lake productivity and potential eutrophication.
11) Why are nutrient and chlorophyll measurements important in this project?
The nutrient and chlorophyll measurements provide the environmental context needed to interpret diatom assemblages. In the project framing, diatoms provide the biological signal of change, while nutrients and chlorophyll help connect that signal to ecological conditions and potential drivers.
12) What monitoring protocols will guide the work?
The work is structured around established monitoring protocols used by the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN), supporting consistency with long-term NPS monitoring and comparability across sites and years.
13) Who is responsible for diatom identification and the laboratory analyses?
Under the described protocols and division of responsibilities, the Science Museum of Minnesota is responsible for specialized laboratory and data tasks, including identifying diatom species from sediment samples and analyzing nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations in water samples.
14) What additional responsibilities does the Science Museum of Minnesota have under this project?
In addition to laboratory analyses, the Science Museum of Minnesota is responsible for interpreting findings, producing reports, and uploading diatom data to Neotoma (an online paleoecological database).
15) What is Neotoma, and what role does it play in this opportunity?
Neotoma is an online paleoecological database used by researchers. A notable deliverable in this opportunity is the upload of diatom data to Neotoma to make the data discoverable and reusable by the broader scientific community.
16) Why is data upload to Neotoma considered significant?
The opportunity describes this as significant because it supports transparency, enables regional comparisons, and allows future research beyond the immediate project by making the dataset easier for other researchers to find and reuse.
17) What responsibilities are assigned to GLKN and park staff?
GLKN, working 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.
18) What kinds of samples will be collected?
The opportunity describes collection of lake sediment samples (for diatoms) and water samples (for nutrients and chlorophyll), along with additional water chemistry measurements provided by GLKN to complement the laboratory analyses.
19) Does the opportunity mention permit requirements?
Yes. The field collection responsibilities include obtaining any necessary permits.
20) How does this project support long-term lake monitoring and management?
By aligning with GLKN monitoring protocols and integrating biological indicators (diatoms) with environmental measures (nutrients and chlorophyll), the project is intended to improve interpretation of lake conditions, track changes over time, and strengthen the scientific basis for monitoring and management decisions.
21) What public benefits or stewardship outcomes are emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes three public-value outcomes: engaging recipients/partners/communities/visitors in shared environmental stewardship, benefiting the wider scientific community by generating and disseminating new knowledge about natural resources, and supporting public understanding through interpretation and education about natural areas (including parks and ecological conservation areas).
22) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
23) Was this opportunity open to universities or other institutions of higher education?
No. Institutions of higher education were explicitly excluded from eligibility, even if otherwise nonprofit.
24) When was the notice created?
The notice was created on March 23, 2020.
25) What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date was April 2, 2020.
26) What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $195,393.
27) How many awards were expected?
One award was expected, indicating a single, focused partnership intended to deliver the defined monitoring and reporting products tied to GLKN priorities.
28) What deliverables are explicitly mentioned?
Deliverables mentioned include diatom species identification results from sediment samples, nutrient and chlorophyll analysis results from water samples, interpretation of findings, reporting, and uploading diatom data to the Neotoma database. The opportunity also notes collaboration on data analysis and report writing between GLKN and partners.
29) How does the cooperative agreement model show up in the project structure?
The opportunity describes a shared division of labor: NPS/GLKN and park staff provide field access, sampling, coordination, and permitting within the NPS monitoring framework, while the partner (Science Museum of Minnesota) provides specialized analytical expertise, interpretation, reporting, and data publication to Neotoma.
30) What geographic or programmatic focus does the project have?
The focus is on Great Lakes national parks and the monitoring framework of the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN).
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