nofa-ceacf12.pdf

OMB No. 1018-0123 Expiration: 09/30/2014

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of International Conservation Wildlife Without Borders Programs

Notice of Funding Availability & Application Instructions Fiscal Year 2012

Funding Opportunity Title: Wildlife Without Borders Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund

Announcement Type: New Application Funding Opportunity Number: F12AS00005

Submission Deadline: April 1st

Wildlife Without Borders – Critically Endangered Animals

Conservation Fund Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA):15.673

Failure to provide complete information, as outlined below, may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of a grant application.

Agency Contact

Dr, Matthew Muir

Division of International Conservation 4401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1622 Tel: 703-358-2061 Fax: 703-358-2115 E-mail: matt_muir@fws.gov

I. DESCRIPTION OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The Wildlife Without Borders - Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund will fund projects that conserve the world’s most endangered species. Species eligible for funding are those that face a very high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Species should meet the criteria to be listed as “Critically Endangered” or “Endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Species listed as “Data Deficient” on the IUCN Red List are also eligible if the applicant can provide information that suggests a similar urgency for conservation action.

Species listed as “Extinct in Wild” are eligible if the applicant is proposing a reintroduction attempt.

The following species are NOT eligible for funding:

Species with natural habitat range located primarily within the United States, territories of the United States, Canada, and the high income economies of Europe;

Species that are eligible for funding under one of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund programs, including: Asian elephant, African elephant, rhinoceros (all species), tiger (all sub-species), gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, gibbons (all species) and marine turtles (all species); and

Amphibian species that are eligible for funding through the Wildlife Without Borders - Amphibians in Decline program, including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians.

The goal of this grants program is to reduce threats to highly endangered wildlife in their natural habitat. Proposals should identify specific conservation actions that have a high likelihood of creating durable benefits. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action, and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past. Proposals that do not identify how actions will reduce threats, or do not demonstrate a strong link between data collection and management action, have a lower likelihood of being selected.

Proposed project work should occur within the species range, or, if work is to be conducted outside of the range, the proposal should show a clear relevance to its conservation. Proposals that emphasize ex-situ conservation and captive management have a lower likelihood of being selected.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

This program uses grant and cooperative agreements as assistance instruments. The type of assistance instrument to be used is the decision of USFWS.

Grant Awards Due to the limited funds available, proposals requesting less than $25,000 USD and demonstrating in-kind or financial matching support have a higher likelihood of being selected. Although the period of performance for projects funded under this program is typically one year, there are no restrictions on funding proposals for activities exceeding one year.

The period of performance for all funded projects begins on the date the award is signed by the USFWS. Past and present recipients of awards under this Fund are eligible but must submit new proposals to compete for funding each year.

Cooperative Agreements The criteria for funding levels, matching in-kind or financial support, period of performance, and the requirement for new proposal for past and present recipients of awards are the same as under Grant Awards. For cooperative agreements, substantive involvement by the USFWS should be expected and may include collaborating jointly with the recipient partner in carrying out the scope of work, drafting the proposal and offering technical assistance. To submit a proposal for consideration as a cooperative agreement, provide a justification statement in the project proposal as to the type and duration of assistance requested of the USFWS and a rationale for why involvement of USFWS is needed to fulfill project objectives.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants: Applicants under this program can be: individuals; multi-national secretariats federal, state and local government agencies; non-profit, non-governmental organizations; and public and private institutions of higher education.

U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must submit documentary evidence of their Section 501(c) (3) non-profit status.

Ineligible Activities: The Division of International Conservation will not fund:

the purchase of firearms or ammunitions;

buying intelligence information or paying informants;

gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity;

law enforcement operations that, to arrest suspects, prompt them to carry out illegal activities (entrapment);

any activity that would circumvent sanctions, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country of proposed activity;

material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that the U.S. Department of

State has identified as state sponsors of terrorism. These countries are: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. (Exceptions may be allowed with clearance from U.S. Department of State)

Applicant and Partner Contributions: Applicants and/or other project partners must contribute funds to the project, which may include cash or in-kind contributions. Applicant and partner contributions cannot be included as contributions for any other federally assisted project or program. Funds provided by another U.S. Federal Government agency or another USFWS award cannot be reported as matching contributions but should be noted and explained in detail. Only verifiable contributions should be included as match. A match shown during one year may not be repeated as a match in a subsequent proposal.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Failure to provide complete information, as outlined below, may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of a grant application.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 1st is the annual deadline for applications. A confirmation email will be sent out to applicants once their submission has been received.

1. APPLICATION FORMAT AND CONTENT

You must submit your proposal in English. Proposals submitted in Spanish will not be accepted. Proposals should not exceed ten pages. Figures, tables, maps, and required forms do not count toward the ten-page limit.

Your proposal should include these elements:

A. Application Cover Page Complete the Application Cover Page located at http://www.fws.gov/international/dic/pdf/Cover_Page.pdf according to the instructions on page 3 of the form.

B. Project Summary

BRIEFLY summarize your project in one page or less. This section should be a stand-alone summary of your project.

It may or may not be shared with the public. Include the title of the project, geographic location, and a brief overview of the need for the project. The following table format is recommended to be included as a summary of the species’ status:

Common name

Latin name

IUCN

Red List Assessment

Existing estimates of range, population size, or abundance

Threats to the species that the project is working to reduce, eliminate, or mitigate [Common name] [Genus species] [IUCN Category]

[estimated # of individuals, or occupied range (km2)]

[Threat text]

C. Project Narrative

1. Map: This section should answer the question, “Where is this project located?” Provide a map showing the location of your project site at the regional or national level. Ensure that the sites that you have referred to in the proposal are labeled on the map.

Provide the latitude and longitude coordinates of a representative geographic location of your project in decimal degrees format (NOT degree-minute-seconds format). For example, USFWS in Arlington, Virginia, USA, would be provided as 38.8825, -77.1145 (latitude, longitude). Please remember to correctly enter north and east coordinates as positive values, and south and west coordinates as negative values.

2. Statement of Need: This section should answer the question, “Why is this project necessary?” In three pages of text or less, the statement of need should clearly identify the targeted species and any existing estimates of population size, geographic range, or abundance, a description of the direct threats that affect the targeted species at the project site, and the specific threats that the project will address.

Explain how your proposal differs from past work or builds upon it. Explain the success or failures of past efforts by yourself or others, and how your proposal build upon those efforts and lessons learned.

3. Project Goals, Objectives, and Activities: This section should answer the question, “What do you want to achieve and how are you going to do it?” As an example, the following format is recommended:

GOAL:

Objective 1.

Activity 1.1 Activity 1.2

Objective 2.

Activity 2.1

Objective 3.

Activity 3.1 Activity 3.2 Activity 3.3

A goal is the long-term outcome that you want to achieve in order to successfully conserve the target species.

Objectives are the specific outcomes that you want to achieve in order to reach your stated goal(s), and should reflect a desired change in capacity, threat, or species status. Your objectives must be attainable within the project period and should be specific, capable of being measured, realistic, and results-orientated.

Objectives should form the basis for the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation section. A recommended reference for identifying and developing appropriate objectives and measures of success is the Conservation Measures Partnership website (Internet link: http://www.conservationmeasures.org/initiatives/standards-for-project-management).

Activities are the specific actions that you undertake to fulfill your objectives and reach your goal. Provide a detailed description of the method(s) for each activity. The equipment used/requested and personnel conducting the work should be clearly articulated in this section, and proposed activities should correspond with the budget request. Identify all anticipated outputs or products that will result from project activities (e.g., management plans, training manuals, educational materials).

Activities that meet one or more of the following conditions will strengthen your proposal: (a) activities that are feasible and likely to be successfully implemented as stated; (b) activities that address a conservation need identified by a specialist group or by a regional, national or global strategy; (c) activities that apply the best scientific and technical information and methods available; (d) activities that include the participation of local partners in project activities, including meaningful involvement of government, community or civil society stakeholders; and (e) activities that provide benefits that have the potential to be sustaining beyond the period of performance of the grant, including development of local capacity to implement or manage conservation projects.

4. Project Monitoring and Evaluation: This section should answer the question, “How will we know that the project is working successfully?” From your list of Project Objectives in the previous section, choose one objective that you consider the most important to achieve in order to effectively conserve the target species.

To track your progress toward achievement of this key objective, identify what you will measure (i.e., indicators), and how will you will measure it (i.e., monitoring methods, sample sizes, survey tools).

Note that outputs (or products) should generally NOT be used as indicators, including USFWS performance reports. Indicators should reflect a change in capacity, human behavior, threat, or status of the target species.

If the current status of the indicator is known, and the applicant identifies the indicator’s desired status or qualitative condition, providing this information will strengthen the proposal.

The USFWS values projects that report both the success and failures of efforts as a means by which an applicant can improve their performance and provide lessons learned to improve our efforts to conserve wildlife. Projects have a higher likelihood of being selected that advance the practice of conservation by being designed and implemented in a way that the effectiveness of activities can be credibly assessed and shared.

The following table format is recommended:

Objective

Indicator (i.e., what you will measure to track your progress toward achieving the objective)

Monitoring Method (i.e., how you will measure the indicator)

Current Status, if known

Desired Status

5. Project Timetable: This section should answer the question, “Over what time period will project activities be implemented?” Provide a timetable indicating when activities or project milestones will be accomplished.

Include any tables, spreadsheets or flowcharts within the body of the narrative (DO NOT include separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates, but rather list activities described in Section 3, for each month over a 12-month period. To view a sample project timetable go to:

http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/Sample_timetable.pdf

6. Description of Organization(s) Undertaking the Project: This section should answer the question, “Who are you, and who are you going to be working with?” Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all cooperating or coordinating organizations and agencies. State the activities for which each group or individual is responsible. Provide brief (1-2 pages) curricula vitae for key personnel, identifying their qualifications to meet the project objectives. DO NOT include Social Security numbers, the names of family members, or any other personal or sensitive information including marital status, religion or physical characteristics.

Where multiple groups are working in the same site, or are listed as stakeholders in the proposal, letters of endorsement specifically referring to this proposal, and to the proposed collaboration from each partner organization, will strengthen your proposal, and may be requested by reviewers. If activities to collect data are proposed, and the project can demonstrate a strong partnership with the wildlife authority that will use the data to manage the species more effectively, providing this information will strengthen the proposal.

7. Project Budget Table

Things to consider when developing your Budget Table:

Federally Funded Equipment: If the U.S. Federal Government has paid for equipment for another award, applicants cannot claim it to be a matching or in-kind contribution and SHOULD NOT include it in the budget table. Instead, provide a separate list of any equipment paid for by the U.S. Federal Government that will be used for the project, including the name of the Federal agency that paid for the equipment.

Indirect Costs: We encourage applicants to keep indirect costs to a minimum. Applicants with

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements (NICRA) must include a copy with their proposal. If they so choose, applicants with NICRA rates may request less than their negotiated rate and/or contribute indirect costs as a match.

Program Income: Your project may include activities that will generate program income. Program income earned as a result of activities supported with Federal funding includes, but is not limited to the following: income from fees for services, the use or rental of property, the sale of commodities or fabricated items, license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights, and interest on loans. Program income does not include interest earned on advances of Federal funds. Under this Fund, income earned during the project period of an approved award shall be retained by the recipient and used in at least one of the following ways:

1. added to the funds requested from the USFWS for the project in addition to those committed by the recipient/other partners, and later used to conduct additional activities that will further the project objectives; OR

2. used to finance the non-Federal share of the project.

If your project will generate program income, provide: (1) a description of how the income will be generated, (2) an estimate of how much income will be made during the project duration, and (3) a description of how the funds will be used. If the income is to be used to conduct additional activities, you must include a Program Income column in your budget table and include all cost categories/items and associated amounts that the program income will cover.

Instructions for Budget Table:

Begin your project budget table on a new page. The budget table should include a column for all cost categories/items for the project, one column to show the cost calculation, a column for the total costs, one column for the requested USFWS funding, one or more columns for applicant and partner contributions, and, if applicable, a column for any program income that will be used to conduct project activities, as demonstrated here:

Category/ Budget Item**

Cost Calculation*

TOTAL

COST

USFWS [insert Applicant name here]

[insert Partner X name here]

[insert Partner Y name here]

Program Income (if applicable)

Totals

*Present all amounts in U.S. dollars **We cannot accept the term “contingencies” in the budget as a line item

Go to http://www.fws.gov/international/dicprograms/Sample%20Budget.pdf to view a sample project budget table.

The budget table should provide enough information for reviewers to be able to understand the cost basis and calculation at a glance. For example, a $3,300 line item for lodging costs should include the formula for how the cost was calculated: Lodging for 20 nights x 11 people x $15/night = $3,300. Wherever possible, cost calculations should be included in the Project Budget Table, but where necessary, additional description should be provided in the Budget Justifications. If the budget table requires more than one page, verify that the column headings and row titles appear on all pages.

8. Budget Justifications: Justify or explain all requested budget items/costs. Demonstrate a clear connection to project activities, and show how line item amounts were determined. For expensive items or large single purchases, provide detailed technical specifications or a pro-forma invoice. Requests for personnel salary should be well documented, including the base-line salary figure and the estimate of time (percent) to be directly charged to the project. Assistance to cover personnel salaries is generally given a lower priority.

9. Governmental Endorsement: Non-governmental applicants must include a RECENT letter of support (no older than two years) from the appropriate local, regional, or national government wildlife or conservation authority. Endorsement letters should make specific reference to the project by its title, as submitted on the applicant’s proposal.

2. PROPOSAL APPLICATION CHECKLIST

ALL PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE:

□ Signed Grant Application Cover Page (MUST be signed by authorized representative)

□ DUNS Number

□ Project Summary (1 page)

□ Project Narrative

□ Timetable

□ Budget Table

□ Budget Justification

□ Curricula vitae (1-2 pages) for key personnel

□ Recent Letter of Governmental Endorsement

□ Map

□ Audit Report (Only necessary if your organization has expended more than $500,000 of Federal assistance per year. For more information go to: http://harvester.census.gov/sac/)

□ Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (India only)

PROPOSALS FROM U.S. APPLICANTS MUST ALSO INCLUDE:

□ A complete, signed Standard Form 424-Application for Federal Assistance http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424.pdf

□ A complete Standard Form 424b-Assurances http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424b.pdf

□ Documentary evidence of Section 501(c)(3) non-profit status, if applicable

□ A copy of your organization’s Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable

3. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. REGISTRATION: Before submitting a proposal, you must be registered in the following databases:

Dun and Bradstreet Number System (DUNS) Central Contractor Registration Database (CCR) Grants.gov (Domestic applicants only)

Dun & Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS): U.S. Government-wide policy requires that all applicants, organizations and individuals, both domestic and non-domestic, apply for, and include, a nine-digit Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) on their proposal. Applicants without a DUNS number should go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Applicants who already have a DUNS number are responsible for updating changes to their address or business name with Dun and Bradstreet directly. The organizational address (Grant Administrator) must match the address in Dun & Bradstreet’s system.

Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database: All domestic and most foreign applicants MUST be registered in the CCR database to apply for funding. Exceptions are: 1) all individuals; 2) all Federal agencies; 3) foreign applicants submitting a proposal for less than $25,000. CCR is used by the U.S. government as the repository for standard information about applicants and recipients of federal funds. Recipients must maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times during the project period. Domestic registrants go to:

http://www.ccr.gov (click on “What you need to Register”) Non-Domestic registrants go to:

https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/international.aspx

Grants.gov:

Domestic Applicants: MUST apply through Grants.gov. If you do not have an account, you must register. Go to:

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. It may take up to three weeks to complete the Grants.gov registration.

B. SUBMISSION

Domestic Applicants: You must apply through Grants.gov. Your entire proposal including the cover page MUST be uploaded as a SINGLE .pdf file. Attach your file on the Attachment Form. For further instructions, see above.

Non-Domestic Applicants: May submit through Grants.gov or e-mail

Grants.gov: See above E-mail: All documents must be printable on letter paper (8 ½” x 11”). Format all pages to display and print page numbers. We prefer to receive the entire proposal as a SINGLE file attachment. If you need to submit separate attachments please try to send them all together in a single e-mail message. If your files are too big for a single e-mail, please number your e-mails and attachments so that we know the order of your submissions. E-mail your proposal to the USFWS at FW9_WWB_CEACF@fws.gov

V. APPLICATION REVIEW

The USFWS may solicit advice from qualified experts to conduct a technical review of your proposed project. The USFWS may also discuss your proposal with known past and present partners to reduce the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse and to encourage coordination and collaboration among projects on the ground.

Review Criteria: To be considered for funding, proposals must specify a conservation action for an eligible species, listed above in the Description of Funding Opportunity. The Division of International Conservation ranks proposals by scoring how well each addresses the program priority areas and the requested elements listed in the Application and Format section above. High priority, well-justified and feasible projects that address all of the requested proposal elements will receive higher scores. These scores are not the sole determining factor for final funding decisions. Other review criteria include considering the degree to which a project:

Demonstrates clear conservation benefits for the target species and reduces threats to highly endangered wildlife in their natural habitat;

Identifies the high extinction risk experienced by the target species, including meeting the criteria to be listed as “Critically Endangered” or “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List;

Maintains a positive track record with USFWS based on previous grant support, if applicable, including timely submission of financial and performance reports and a summary of major activities and accomplishments of previous USFWS support in the Statement of Need section;

Emphasizes conservation action rather than data collection, and if data collection is proposed, that the project demonstrates a sufficient link between data collection and management action;

Is a good fit for the Critically Endangered Animal Conservation Fund, including meeting proposal content and formatting requirements; and

Demonstrates that the applicant, or project team, has the capacity to implement the proposed activities successfully, including by identifying qualifications in the curricula vitae of key personnel and by explaining the success or failures of past efforts;

These considerations are not listed in order of importance. All considerations listed do not necessarily apply to every proposal. The Division of International Conservation occasionally receives and funds proposals outside of the announced submission deadlines that are of such a critical nature that they warrant immediate consideration. (e.g., projects resulting from a natural disaster, disease outbreak, other imminent threats or population crash, among others.)

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

Award Notices: Successful applicants will be e-mailed written notice in the form of an Assistance Award document, along with an enrollment form for the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) for their banking information. Applicants whose projects are not selected for funding will receive an e-mail notice within 180 days of their proposal submission.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Go to http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/aag.pdf to review the Division of International Conservation’s Assistance Award Guidelines, which details the policies, terms and conditions applicable to awards made under this program.

Domestic registrants: Payments will be issued through U.S. Department of Treasury via the self-initiated electronic drawdown system, Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). To view instructions and initiate ASAP enrollment, go to: http://www.fws.gov/fbms/

Non-Domestic registrants: Payments to non-domestic grantees are transferred electronically through the U.S. Treasury’s International Treasury Services (ITS) system. To receive funding, you must submit a signed Standard Form-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement (SF-270.) This form is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf270.pdf You must also complete an ITS Payment Cover Sheet which will be included in your award notification email. Be sure your account numbers and banking information is accurate. Email both your completed ITS Payment Cover Sheet and your signed SF-270 to the appropriate FWS program located in Section 4 of the ITS Payment Cover Sheet.

Reporting: Grantees are required to submit a mid-term and a final report that conform to USFWS reporting requirements as described in detail in the Assistance Award Guidelines http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/aag.pdf

Branding: All materials (presentations, reports, large equipment purchases, infrastructure, awards, and other items as deemed relevant) produced under any award intended for distribution must acknowledge the support of USFWS by showing the USFWS logo. Photo-ready and vector format logos are available upon request from the USFWS Program Officer.

VII. AGENCY CONTACT

Dr. Matthew Muir

Division of International Conservation 4401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1622 Tel: 703-358-2061 Fax: 703-358-2115 E-mail: matt_muir@fws.gov

VIII. RELATED PROGRAMS

CFDA 15.635 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund CFDA 15.640 Wildlife Without Borders-Latin America and Caribbean Program CFDA 15.641 Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico Program CFDA 15.645 Marine Turtle Conservation Fund

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. Your response is required to receive funding. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We estimate that it will take an average of 22 hours to complete the application and 40 hours to complete a report. These burden estimates include time for reviewing instructions and gathering data.

OMB has approved this collection and assigned OMB Control No. 1018-0123, which expires 05/31/2011. The burden estimates do not include the time needed to complete Standard Forms associated with the application and financial reports. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mailstop 222, Arlington, VA 22203.