Support for Research and Monitoring of Endangered Species, Migratory Bird Species and At-Risk Pollinators at Fort Hood, Texas | W81EWF20SOI0010

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF20SOI0010

This funding opportunity (W81EWF20SOI0010) is a Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cooperative agreement intended to support applied research, long-term monitoring, and on-the-ground survey work for sensitive wildlife at Fort Hood, Texas. Fort Hood is both one of the Army's busiest training installations and an ecologically important landscape that provides habitat for federally protected species and other at-risk wildlife. The grant is framed around helping the installation meet conservation and compliance obligations while sustaining military training capabilities, particularly under the Sikes Act, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

The core purpose of the project is to improve understanding of where key species occur on the installation, how many there are, and how their populations are doing over time. The work emphasizes endangered and at-risk migratory birds, with special focus on the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo, a species that has been recently delisted but still requires careful tracking and management attention. In addition to these focal birds, the effort extends to broader migratory bird communities, at-risk pollinators tied to native plant systems, and other sensitive natural resources that intersect with training-land management.

The scope described in the notice is broad and operationally practical. It includes summarizing and analyzing previously collected datasets to assess distribution, abundance, and overall population status for endangered and migratory birds, rather than starting from scratch. It also calls for continued demographic monitoring of golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos, meaning work that can estimate parameters such as survival, reproduction, occupancy, or other indicators that reveal whether populations are stable, increasing, or declining. Beyond the two flagship songbirds, the awardee is expected to survey and monitor other migratory bird species present at Fort Hood to support compliance and inform habitat and training-area decisions.

A major additional component is surveying and monitoring at-risk pollinators, reflecting the increasing management importance of pollinator declines and their role in sustaining native plant communities. The opportunity also explicitly includes invasive species work, particularly surveying and managing invasive feral hogs, which can cause extensive habitat disturbance and indirectly affect sensitive species through vegetation damage and soil disruption. Another specialized task area is monitoring for pathogens associated with sensitive karst species, indicating that the installation has vulnerable cave or karst-dependent organisms where disease surveillance or biosecurity considerations may be relevant. Finally, the project includes support for natural resources outreach activities at Fort Hood, suggesting an expectation for communication products, stakeholder engagement, or educational support that helps integrate conservation priorities with the installation mission.

Deliverables are geared toward usable management products, not just academic outputs. The announcement highlights that the objective is to conduct surveys and demographic monitoring to track population distribution over time, and it specifies that final products will include GIS data, photographs, and maps. In other words, the award is meant to produce spatially explicit information that Fort Hood natural resources staff can use for planning, compliance documentation, and day-to-day decision-making around training activities and habitat management.

Administratively, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning the government anticipates substantial involvement or coordination during performance rather than a hands-off grant. The activity category is research and development (science and technology), the CFDA number listed is 12.630, and the agency is the Department of Defense with the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers as the issuing entity. The award ceiling is $1,084,000, with one award expected. The opportunity was created February 10, 2020, with an original closing date of March 10, 2020. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with clarification referenced in the full notice, which usually indicates that specific non-federal partners (often universities, nonprofit research organizations, or other qualified entities) may be targeted depending on the detailed eligibility language.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to fund a single partner to provide coordinated technical support that blends field surveys, population and demographic monitoring, data synthesis, invasive species attention, disease/pathogen surveillance tied to karst resources, and outreach support, with a strong emphasis on producing mapped, GIS-ready results that help Fort Hood balance intensive military training with legal and stewardship responsibilities for high-profile endangered species and other at-risk wildlife.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Support for Research and Monitoring of Endangered Species, Migratory Bird Species and At-Risk Pollinators at Fort Hood, Texas" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 10, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 10, 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 $1,084,000.00 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).

Apply for W81EWF20SOI0010

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: