FY2026 GLFWRA Pre-Proposal Application Final.docx

Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Restoration and Research Pre-proposal FY 2026 Pre-proposals must be submitted in GrantSolutions at https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/ by

Monday, August 3, 2026, by 11:59 pm ET Instructions:

1. Pre-proposal length is 2 pages only. No exceptions allowed. This is a pre-proposal, be concise.

2. Use 11-point Times New Roman font for the pre-proposal text. Do not change fonts, heading or subheadings. Leave header on first page and no header on second page. Allowable margins (inches) are: top = 0.5, bottom = 0.5, left side = 0.5, right side = 0.5.

3. Do not submit endorsement or support letters or budget sheets with your pre-proposal.

4. Non-federal match may be provided during the 2-year period preceding January 1 of the year in which the Service receives the restoration and/or research pre-proposal.

5. Be sure to address the review criteria found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) attachments.

6. If you have questions, please contact: Justin Chiotti at 248-891-0087 or by email: justin_chiotti@fws.gov

7. Delete text from “Pre-Proposals must be submitted in GrantSolutions (above) through these instructions (1-7)”, and instructions after each section heading below.

Title:

Use a short, descriptive title that captures the proposal’s purpose or goal.

Proposal applicant(s):

For Principal applicant (bold name) provide agency, address, phone number, and e-mail. List name, e-mail, and agency of other applicants.

Brief proposal description:

In 50 words or less, briefly describe the proposed proposal.

Management implication or application:

In 400 words or less, describe the management implications/applications of the proposal. Describe what your proposal will accomplish including the issue, question, or opportunity that will be addressed by the restoration or research proposal.

GLFWRA funds requested:

Non-federal partner match:

Total proposal cost:

(See NOFO for more information on indirect cost rate. Contact Justin Chiotti to discuss indirect cost rate options. Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network indirect rate cannot be used for research and restoration pre-proposals.) A non-federal match (cash and/or in-kind support) of a least 25% of the total proposal cost is required. See the NOFO for more details on sources of allowable non-federal match and time period.

Example, if the request for federal funding is $75,000, the minimum required non-federal match is $25,000 and the total proposal funding, federal plus non-federal, is $100,000. ($75,000 / 0.75 = $100,000 - 75,000.00 = $25,000).

Proposal dates:

Provide start and completion dates. Start dates must be after January 1, 2027. Grant funds may be used for proposal activities that occur after January 1, 2027; however, costs will NOT be reimbursed if the proposal is not approved for funding. Activities before January 1, 2027, are ineligible as a grant activity and will not be reimbursed with grant funds.

GPS coordinates and watershed name:

Provide the latitude/longitude(s) in degree decimal format for your proposal. Provide the watershed name and the appropriate HUC (e.g. 8, 10, or 12).

Rationale and objectives:

· Explain why this proposal should be conducted and why the proposed work is significant.

· Identify the single primary target species to benefit from this proposal? Identify the secondary species if there are any to benefit from the proposal.

· Describe the specific management objective or task identified in a State, Tribal, or Federal management plan or how your proposal addresses a critically important emerging need in the Great Lakes Basin.

· Habitat Restoration Proposals: CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE AMOUNT OF HABITAT TO BE CREATED OR RESTORED (for example the number of in-stream miles restored, stream miles reconnected, wetland or upland acres restored, or barriers removed) and the amount of any contiguous restoration work already completed or underway in this locale or region. Hyperlinks to maps or photos are encouraged.

· Research Proposals: STATE THE HYPOTHESES OR RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO BE EXPLORED. A good research question should be narrow enough to address specific issues but not so narrow that it can be addressed with a yes or no answer or the gathering of a few statistics. A well-thought-out and focused research question leads directly into hypotheses. Hypotheses are more specific predictions about the nature and direction of the relationship between two or more variables. Predictions are what you expect to occur if the hypothesis is correct. Once research questions and hypotheses are formulated, research objectives can be developed.

· List objectives numerically in the sequence they will be completed. Objectives are statements that are related to scientific understanding based on interpretation of data analysis; objectives are not methodological steps (e.g., collect data, conduct experiments, analyze data, write report). Objectives identify a pattern, process, or relationship among variables to be described, and can be used to evaluate progress of a proposal. Objectives should be worded to reflect the research questions to be answered, the hypotheses to be tested, and the processes to be described. A set of objectives are ideally related to each other. When little information exists to formulate questions and hypotheses then research objectives focused on description are appropriate.

· All Proposals: Clearly explain how you plan to address any potential negative impacts related to the spread of invasive species, diseases, contaminants and/or other potential adverse impacts that may result from completion of this proposal.

Methods:

Provide a brief description of proposed methods as they relate to each objective. For Habitat restoration proposals identify the major steps involved; any required permits or compliance issues that need to be addressed; plans for pre-and post-proposal evaluation monitoring, reporting and time frames. For Research proposals include study design, data collection procedures, analytical methods, reporting, and time frame.

Deliverables/Products:

Provide a concise description of the report types, investigation data/information, and products (journal pubs, databases, workshop reports, electronic files) that will be provided upon proposal completion.

Relevance:

Briefly describe how the proposal addresses Great Lakes fish and/or wildlife restoration needs and how the proposal is consistent with: the goals of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2022 and the recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration’s “Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes”. If appropriate, also briefly describe how the proposal is consistent with the following plans: the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV; the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; the Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act as reauthorized by the National Invasive Species Act; the fish community objectives identified by lake committees and the Council of Lake Committees; the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries; the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries; and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan; and research and/or monitoring priorities of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture 2007 Implementation Plan; Applicable State Wildlife Action Plans; and any other/additional step down plan(s) that further specify the implementation of the goals and objectives of the above plans at the state, tribal, watershed or local level.

Resume/Curriculum vitae:

Include 1 page resume or curriculum vitae (CV) for each applicant(s) listed above that focus on relevant and recent work. The resume or CV should illustrate the applicant(s) capabilities to complete the proposal. The resume or CV must not contain the pre-proposal header or page numbers. Resumes can be added to this file below or submitted in a separate file.