Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (2026-2029) | D25AS00214

Opportunity Information: Apply for D25AS00214

The Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (FRMP) (2026-2029) is a federal funding opportunity built around Section 812 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which calls for federal, state, and local entities to work together to research and monitor subsistence use of fish (and wildlife) on federal public lands and waters in Alaska, with a clear expectation that local knowledge is part of the process. After the federal government took over responsibility for subsistence fisheries management on federal public lands and waters in 1999, the goal became not only to improve the quality and consistency of fisheries data used in management decisions, but also to ensure Alaska Native and rural communities have meaningful roles in the work and to strengthen collaboration across agencies and community partners. FRMP is essentially the data and monitoring engine that supports that mission by funding projects that gather, analyze, and share information needed for federal subsistence fisheries management and long-term stewardship.

A central feature of FRMP is that it is needs-driven: proposals are expected to address Priority Information Needs identified by the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils. Those priorities are posted on the program website (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/frmp/funding). Projects that directly respond to those listed needs are prioritized, and if an applicant wants to propose work outside those priorities, they must provide a strong, well-supported justification for why their alternative priority is critical. The program also signals what "good" looks like in funded projects. Reviewers look for strong technical design and scientific rigor, solid project administration and reporting, reasonable and efficient budgets, and clear incorporation of Indigenous Knowledges/Traditional Ecological Knowledges (IK/TEK). Just as important, FRMP emphasizes active and substantive roles for rural community partners, not token participation, and it favors efforts that build long-term local and Tribal capacity to monitor fisheries and contribute to management conversations.

FRMP projects are framed geographically around six Alaska regions; applicants must identify which region the work supports, and projects spanning more than one region are categorized as multi-regional. The program supports three primary types of information (and a single project can cover more than one): (1) harvest monitoring (for example, documenting what is harvested, when, where, by whom, and how harvest patterns change), (2) traditional ecological knowledge (systematically documenting observations, place-based understanding, and long-term community knowledge relevant to fisheries), and (3) stock status and trends (biological monitoring that helps managers understand abundance, productivity, run timing, age/size structure, or other indicators over time). The intent is to produce a more complete picture for subsistence fisheries management by pairing community-centered knowledge and harvest information with biological assessment where appropriate.

Eligibility is broad, and the opportunity is open to any applicant that can demonstrate the technical expertise, administrative capacity, and resources needed to successfully complete the project. That said, Alaska Native Organizations, rural nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Tribal Governments are specifically encouraged to apply, reflecting the program's emphasis on partnerships and community capacity building. A key gatekeeping requirement is that every proposal must show a direct linkage to federal subsistence fishery management in Alaska. In practical terms, that means the fishery or fish stocks being studied must occur in, or pass through waters within and adjacent to federal public lands in Alaska, such as National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, National Parks and Preserves, National Conservation Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, the National Petroleum Reserve, National Trails, designated Wilderness areas, and National Recreation Areas. If a proposal does not clearly establish this federal subsistence management connection, it will not be considered for FRMP funding.

Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.636, administered through the Interior Business Center. Projects may last up to four years. Budgets are constrained in a very specific way: proposals requesting more than $235,000 in any single year are not eligible, even if the overall project period is multiple years. The listing identifies an award ceiling of $940,000, which aligns with the idea of multi-year projects that remain under the annual cap. The opportunity number is D25AS00214, and the original closing date is May 16, 2025.

The program is also explicit about what it will not fund, largely to avoid duplicating work that other agencies and programs are already responsible for. Ineligible activities include habitat protection, mitigation, restoration, or enhancement; hatchery propagation and fish stocking or supplementation; and contaminant assessment or monitoring. In addition, projects that are primarily outreach and education (such as science camps, student training initiatives, or intern programs) are not eligible if they do not have information collection as the main objective. Those outreach-focused efforts may fit better under a different funding stream, the Partners for Fisheries Monitoring Program, also run through the Office of Subsistence Management (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/partners/funding). Applicants whose proposals fall outside FRMP eligibility will be notified in writing.

Overall, FRMP is best understood as a targeted, management-linked monitoring program for Alaska subsistence fisheries on or connected to federal public lands and waters. It funds practical, decision-relevant data collection efforts that align with regionally defined information needs, expects strong methods and responsible budgeting, and places real weight on Tribal and rural community partnership, including the respectful and meaningful use of IK/TEK alongside other monitoring approaches.

• The Interior Business Center in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (2026-2029)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.636.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-03-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-16. (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 $940,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses.

Apply for D25AS00214

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