Adaptive Science
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.670
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 297 $163,017,723 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-1611-0-1-302
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses CFDA 15.670 to fund applied science addressing fish and wildlife conservation through adaptive management, with the most recent award disbursed July 1, 2025. The program supports strategic habitat conservation by integrating population and habitat data, ecological models, and focused monitoring to develop measurable conservation strategies responding to environmental change and species-specific threats.
USFWS has distributed 297 grants since 2011 across habitat conservation projects, species monitoring, landscape-scale planning, pollinator conservation, and restoration coordination. Annual awards have averaged 19–33 per year over the past five years, with funding activity remaining consistent through mid-2025. The program operates predominantly through Cooperative Agreements (65 percent of awards) with a smaller Project Grant component (35 percent), allowing USFWS to work alongside universities, nonprofits, state agencies, and conservation collaboratives as active project partners. Recent awards span species surveys (Eastern regal fritillaries, federally threatened bats, secretive marsh birds, endangered turtles), watershed restoration (Delaware River Basin, Chesapeake Bay), pollinator habitat assessment and monitoring, remote sensing for invasive species management, and capacity-building for state and tribal wildlife coordination.
Funding concentrates sharply in USFWS Region 5, which obligated $118.2 million of the portfolio's $163 million in federal dollars across 38 awards. Combined federal and non-federal share totals $225.4 million, indicating substantial matching and cost-share contribution from recipients. USFWS Region 9 Headquarters, the national office, and three additional regions account for the remaining concentration. Ten distinct federal agencies participate in the program.
Recent representative awards include $12.6 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund competitive grant program (July 2025), $7.36 million to NFWF for the Chesapeake Wild Program restoration across the Chesapeake Bay watershed (July 2025), and $947 thousand to Temple University and USFWS for Eastern regal fritillary recovery and prairie restoration at a military installation in Pennsylvania (April 2025). Smaller awards support discrete monitoring projects, workshops, and coordination efforts—ranging from $25 thousand for a pollinator status assessment to $578 thousand for bat habitat use research during controlled burning at military installations.
Grant opportunities have not been posted recently. The most recent open solicitation in the source material dates to June 2023 (F23AS00356, closed June 30, 2023). Historical opportunities indicate USFWS issues Adaptive Science solicitations on an ad hoc basis, often as single-source awards to regional collaboratives, state wildlife agencies, and established conservation partners rather than through broad competitive announcements. Applicant eligibility typically includes nonprofits, state governments, higher education institutions, and tribal entities. The program explicitly prohibits use of funds for training federal employees or purchase of real property.
Objective and description
- Objective
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses a science-based, adaptive framework for setting and achieving broad-scale conservation objectives that strategically address the problems fish and wildlife will face in the future. This framework, calle
- Description
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses a science-based, adaptive framework for setting and achieving broad-scale conservation objectives that strategically address the problems fish and wildlife will face in the future. This framework, called Strategic Habitat Conservation, is based on the principles of adaptive management and uses population and habitat data, ecological models, and focused monitoring and assessment efforts to develop and implement strategies that result in measurable fish and wildlife population outcomes. This process uses the best available scientific information to predict how fish and wildlife populations will respond to changes in the environment, thus enabling the USFWS to focus habitat conservation and other management activities where they will be most effective. In addition, the USFWS needs focused, applied science directed at high impact questions surrounding threats to fish and wildlife resources for which management and/or mitigation is required to maintain species at healthy, sustainable, desired levels. USFWS must base its decisions on the best science available, in order to defend its regulatory decisions, biological opinions and species conservation recommendations to land managers.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Support will be provided to communicate science information, tools, assessments, and other products. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel or purchase of real property. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Support will be provided to communicate science information, tools, assessments, and other products. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel or purchase of real property. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Uses of assistance
Support will be provided for science projects: to include species risk and vulnerability assessments, inventory and monitoring, population and habitat assessments, biological planning and conservation design, ecosystem services, indigenous knowledge management evaluation and research, decision support, data management, and conservation genetics; to identify and implement landscape-scale conservation solutions to such issues as adaptation, land use change, invasive species spread, and fire frequency changes; and to address high impact questions surrounding threats to fish wildlife, and plants, providing answers needed to manage species to healthy, sustainable, desired levels. Support will provided for science projects and collaborative partnerships that identify and address shared conservation priorities and science needs; inform landscape-scale planning and tools that support decision-making for at-risk and listed fish and wildlife species and their habitats; and link science to coordinated, efficient resource management actions. Support will be provided to communicate science information, tools, assessments, and other products. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel or purchase of real property. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Use restrictions
Support will be provided to communicate science information, tools, assessments, and other products. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel or purchase of real property. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Assistance is available after program funds are appropriated and allocated to program. Funding must be spent during the award period of performance, which is specific to each project.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Proposed projects will be selected on the basis of how well they meet the program and/or project-specific criteria detailed in individual Adaptive Science funding opportunity postings. Criteria will vary depending on the scope of the program or project for which applications are being accepted.
- Award procedure
The USFWS Directorate identifies priority needs. Applications for funding will be reviewed and approved by USFWS staff based on the project-specific review criteria to be detailed in the funding opportunity posting. USFWS staff will notify applicants of review results by either issuing a fully executed Award either electronically or through the mail, or by sending written notification to the applicant that the application will not be funded.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Typically within 180 days of proposal receipt.
- Renewals
At the request of the recipient and as approved by USFWS, active awards may be amended (e.g., time extensions or budget changes).
Grant opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 297 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Fish And Wildlife Foundation | $115,462,927 | 71% |
| 2 | Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies | $4,248,015 | 3% |
| 3 | Wildlife Management Institute, Incorporated | $3,344,368 | 2% |
| 4 | Western Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies, Inc. | $3,077,621 | 2% |
| 5 | Mississippi State University | $2,359,115 | 1% |
| 6 | Ncasi Foundation | $1,589,238 | 1% |
| 7 | Nevada Department Of Wildlife | $1,114,343 | 1% |
| 8 | Midwest Association Of Fish & Wild Life Agencies | $1,078,534 | 1% |
| 9 | Natureserve | $971,606 | 1% |
| 10 | Temple University-Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education | $947,501 | 1% |
10 of 149 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$34,153 |
| FY2025 | $24,585,976 |
| FY2024 | $26,564,822 |
| FY2023 | $27,899,384 |
| FY2022 | $23,010,720 |
| FY2021 | $14,445,039 |
| FY2020 | $16,614,376 |
| FY2019 | $4,428,298 |
| FY2018 | $2,141,181 |
| FY2017 | $1,061,236 |
| FY2016 | $2,807,430 |
| FY2015 | $3,073,808 |
| FY2014 | $3,111,021 |
| FY2013 | $2,526,187 |
| FY2012 | $538,415 |
Show all 15
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.670?
Assistance Listing 15.670 is Adaptive Science, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Adaptive Science?
Its CFDA number is 15.670: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.670 awarded?
297 grant awards under 15.670 have obligated $163,017,723 in federal funds to 149 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.670?
The recipients obligated the most under Adaptive Science are National Fish And Wildlife Foundation ($115,462,927), Association Of Fish And Wildlife Agencies ($4,248,015) and Wildlife Management Institute, Incorporated ($3,344,368).
How much did 15.670 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.670 obligated $24,585,976 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.670?
None of the latest 50 opportunities under 15.670 is open now. The latest, F23AS00356- Conservation Science and Innovation in the Southeast, was posted on May 1, 2023.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this program