NOFO: Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species 2025 (US)

Response efforts must target an aquatic invasive species, defined as non-native plants or animals that reside in fresh, wetland, estuarine, or marine waters.

Goals

• This funding opportunity request proposals that support the rapid response to a new species introduction within freshwater, estuarine, or marine waters of the United States, including the U.S. territories. The ability to respond rapidly to new detections of potential invasive species is critical to prevent further spread and avoid harmful impacts to the environment, economy, human health, and cultural resources. Once a new non-native species is detected, there is a short window of opportunity to respond in attempt to eradicate or contain the species. Such activities are often undertaken by state agencies with funds either taken out of budgets that were developed without allocations for such activities or provided on an emergency basis. However, too often funding is absent, resulting in delayed or lack of action. Rapid response funding is needed ensure timely and more effective responses to aquatic invasive species (AIS) and avoid the need for costly long-term and wide-spread control efforts.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $960,000
• Award Ceiling: $960,000
• Award Floor: $50,000

Eligible Activities

• Eligible activities for the Rapid Response Fund are those that support or lead up to achieving this goal, including:
  • Planning and site delineation:
    • Delineation to determine the spatial extent and abundance of an isolated AIS population.
    • Analysis and assessment of potential response measures.
    • Planning, environmental documentation and/or permit acquisition.
    • Measures to contain the population during the species assessment or while a long-  term response plan is formulated.
  • Deployment of response action:
    • Implement actions on site that support or lead up to eradication of the targeted species.
    • Survey surrounding areas.
    • Monitor the population and effectiveness of applied response measures.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for Rapid Response funding:
  • Prior to submitting a proposal, the identity of the targeted species must be confirmed and reported to the U.S Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database.
  • The applicant must either have an existing Rapid Response Plan that is suitable to the situation or agree that a Rapid Response Plan will be completed within 60 days from the date of award. A Rapid Response Plan template is currently under development by the ANSTF and is expected to be approved in November 2024. Should an applicant need to develop a plan before this document is finalized, the Review Team will identify alternative guidance to assist plan development.
• While drafting these components, please note the following:
  • Within the project narrative the applicant must clearly articulate the management goal. In most circumstances, the goal should be eradication of the targeted species from the defined location.
  • The project narrative must also include a statement that describes, and provides evidence for, the level of confidence in accomplishing the management goal. In doing so the applicant should consider:
    • the size and spatial extent of the target population and the certainty of those factors,
    • the connectivity of the waterbody containing the target population to other waters,
    • the long-term survival, fecundity, and dispersive capabilities of the target species,
    • the difficulty of finding all individuals in the target population or effectively exposing them to the control method, and
    • the effectiveness of the response measures applied.
  • The applicant must indicate its ability to ensure all environmental compliance reviews and permitting requirements are completed prior to implementing response measures.
  • The applicant should also demonstrate a commitment to conduct post-rapid response activities. Such activities are not eligible for funding from the Rapid Response Fund but will be considered in the evaluation process. Such activities may include:
    • restoration and mitigation measures for any adverse impacts from the response measures,
    • long term, follow-up surveys or monitoring, and
    • biosecurity protocols or measures to prevent any re-invasion of the site.
  • To focus on the highest priority rapid response needs and expedite award selection, applicants are encouraged to limit their number of applications to one per quarter.

Application Requirements

• Activities to be performed,
• Expected deliverables or outcomes,
• Intended beneficiaries,
• Project Narrative
• Budget Narrative
• Pre-Award Costs Statement: If applicable. The applicant must demonstrate in the application that the pre-award activities were necessary and reasonable for accomplishing the overall program objectives and would have been approved had they occurred within the project period
• Single Audit Reporting Statements: Applicant must state if it was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website
• Overlap or Duplication Statement: Application must state if there is or is not any overlap between the application and any other Federal application or funded project in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel.
• Indirect Cost Rate Statement: Application should contain a statement that identifies how indirect costs will be charged if requested. If indirect costs are not requested statement should indicate that all costs will be charged directly.
• Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission
• Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)

For more information, visit Grants.gov.