Park Oriented Biological Support (POBS)

The focus of POBS is on "technical assistance" and "exploratory research". The main objectives are to provide seed money for new research on emerging issues that may become significant to the parks, and to develop products useful to the parks. Successful proposals are chosen by a panel of BRD and NPS reviewers. Projects must be feasible, and focused on short-term goals that can be completed within 3 years.

Technical assistance studies must result in a tangible product (e.g., a paper, mathematical model, report, or other product presenting or describing the results of research focused on a need identified by the NPS). Technical assistance includes data gathering, data analysis, technical support, and technology transfer. Exploratory research examines issues that are emerging in significance and are of a pilot or short-term nature. Exploratory research is typically "tactical," in that the results might solve a particular problem or lead to future long-term research that is broader in scope.

Shared funding from both the USGS and NPS is awarded every two years on a competitive basis. USGS/BRD develops the request for proposals, manages the peer review process, and makes the annual allocation of POBS funds to appropriate USGS field locations. The following budgetary rules apply to study tasks:
• Tasks may receive funding for up to 2 fiscal years. A task must be completed within 3 years after funding begins.
• Individual tasks may receive funding of up to $45,000 in one fiscal year, with a maximum of $75,000 available for the entire task. At this rate of funding, it is possible to support up to 15 new tasks each funding cycle.
• Funds may be used for permanent or temporary personnel, logistical support, equipment, contractual services, publication activities, and other temporary, direct and indirect costs generated by the proposed activity.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is continuing a cyclical project for funding research and technical assistance in national parks in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS). This project is called Park-Oriented Biological Support (POBS). It is a two-year funding opportunity open to all scientists and technical specialists in the USGS working in the biological sciences who are permanent employees. NPS resource management specialists and other technical specialists are eligible to participate as formally identified partners. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis.

The project is national in scope. Its goal is to open broader perspectives on meeting research and technical needs on lands administered by the NPS, and to encourage USGS scientists to meet those needs. Shared money is available specifically for this purpose. POBS is an opportunity for USGS biologists to respond to research and information needs they identify in national parks. In this way, it differs from the Natural Resource Preservation Program (NRPP), which responds to needs brought to the attention of USGS by NPS personnel. For more information about the POBS project, visit the USGS Status and Trends of Biological Resources Program webpage (http://www.fort.usgs.gov/brdscience/POBS.aspx).

POBS focuses on “technical assistance” and “exploratory research” tasks. The main objective of this project is to provide seed money for new research on emerging issues that may become significant to the parks, and to develop products useful to the parks. Successful proposals will be chosen by a panel of BRD and NPS reviewers. Tasks must be feasible, and focused on short-term goals that can be completed within 3 years.

Technical assistance must result in a tangible product (e.g., a paper, mathematical model, report, GIS layer, or other product presenting or describing the results of a task focused on an NPS/park need). The term “technical assistance” includes such activities as data gathering, data analysis, and “technical support.”

Exploratory research relates to issues that are emerging in significance and require studies of a pilot or short-term nature. Exploratory research is typically “tactical,” in that the results might solve a particular problem or might lead to future long-term research. Future research would be “strategic” and would investigate an issue of broader scope. Strategic research proposals resulting from POBS tasks would be candidates for funding from other sources such as NRPP funds, Park Monitoring, or Science Center base funds.

Proposal requirements. Proposals must clearly demonstrate both important scientific or management value and also the benefit of the activity to the participating parks or NPS offices. Technical assistance proposals must address a recognized, high priority management need as described in park Resource Management or Resource Stewardship Plans, in NPS synthesis documents, or in processes sponsored by USGS to identify NPS research needs. Exploratory research proposals do not need to be based on issues already identified in NPS documents, since these proposals are addressing new concepts or emerging issues.

Proposals must demonstrate cooperation and coordination with NPS natural resource managers or other technical specialists who are permanent NPS employees. These personnel will be the ones who implement the findings of USGS technical assistance or exploratory research or who will cooperate in partnership for further strategic research by USGS scientists. In some cases, a proposal might address the need to supplement, augment, or extend research or technical assistance efforts that are already funded. In such an event, the proposal must show explicitly what work is being conducted under other funding sources, and what additional specific work is proposed to be funded under POBS.

All proposals must include a letter of support from the manager of the relevant NPS park or office. The letter should document the ability and willingness of the NPS staff to apply the results of the work quickly and effectively. Because park managers are encouraged to provide appropriate support to USGS scientists who are conducting funded activities, the letter also should describe any personnel, logistics, in-kind, and other support the NPS partner will contribute. The importance and value of the proposed study to the NPS should be reflected in the letter.

Budget rules. USGS will manage the combined annual funding of about $610,000 (FY2010 funds from both USGS and NPS are subject to final appropriations) for the task and distribute it to appropriate USGS field locations annually. The five-year (FY 05-09) interagency agreement is the instrument that facilitates the transfer and guides the use of reimbursable funding from the NPS.

Metadata. Any database or information that is the focus of the task should be documented by standard metadata descriptions. These resulting metadata should be provided to the NBII Metadata Clearinghouse (see http://mercdev3.ornl.gov/nbii/).

Please use the following standard proposal format. A type size of 10 font or larger must be used. Task descriptions must not exceed 5 pages in length, including literature cited. Budget pages, curricula vitae of principal investigators, appended letters, and other attachments are not counted as part of the 5 pages of task description. Proposals with task descriptions longer than 5 pages will be disqualified from consideration.

Abstract. Please provide a short abstract that gives a concise overview of what the proposed activity seeks to do and what it plans to achieve.

USGS principal investigator. Name, title, address, cost center, phone number(s), and e-mail address.

Problem statement/justification.
Need: explain what resource management information need the proposal addresses. Clearly state the significance and priority of the issue to the park or the NPS.
Background: discuss the scientific or technical issues involved, and place the task in the context of existing knowledge, related ongoing activities, scientific problems to be addressed, and scientific value of anticipated results.

Procedures/methods. Describe the procedures and methods to be followed in sufficient detail that peer reviewers are able to evaluate the merit and likely success of the task. For example, explain the hypothesis to be tested, methods for sampling or surveying, data management (collection, storage, and dissemination), statistical analysis, etc. Clearly demonstrate feasibility of methods, in terms of both scientific procedures and park operations, as appropriate.

Expected outcomes or products. If the proposal is exploratory research, discuss expected outcomes and various alternative outcomes that might result from the activity. Discuss the significance of the expected and possible alternative outcomes for possible future research, and for addressing park, NPS, and USGS information needs. If the task involves technical assistance, describe the products to be generated from the task (e.g., models, data sets, written reports, maps, etc.), and discuss the usefulness and significance of the products for the park, the NPS, and, if appropriate, USGS.

Technology/information transfer. Identify the partner park and other users of task outcomes or products, describe how, in what formats, and when these products will be made available, and discuss how and by whom the findings likely will be used.

Work schedule. Provide a timetable for achievement and delivery of task outcomes or products.

Personnel. List task personnel and include curricula vitae of principal investigators or principal personnel.

Budget. Identify total and annual budgets corresponding with the descriptions provided in the “Procedures/Methods” section. Year-by year budgets should include itemized costs for activities and purchases (e.g., personnel, equipment, consumables, sampling, travel, fieldwork, laboratory costs, costs for preparing and cataloging specimens, publication costs, etc.). Include any non-USGS contributed or in-kind funds. Include also: duration of the task, start and finish dates, and total (including non-USGS/NPS) funding requested. Please separate all applicable cost center and bureau indirect costs and facilities costs. Cooperative Research Unit proposals may include university overhead charges in their budget.

Letter of support from NPS. Obtain the letter of support directly from the NPS. The letter, which will be used by reviewers to measure NPS interest in and support for the proposed activity, should document the ability and willingness of the NPS staff to apply the results of the work quickly and effectively, and identify mechanisms by which the NPS plans to apply the results. The letter should describe any personnel, logistical, or other support the NPS will contribute. Incorporate the letter into the proposal, and transmit it as part of the package to BRD Headquarters. DO NOT request that the NPS send the support letter directly to Dan James or John Dennis.

Please send (do NOT fax) your entire proposal (including NPS support letter) by email as a Microsoft Word Document (request a return receipt for verification it has been received) to:
dan_james@usgs.gov

If you have any questions or need additional information about your proposal or this RFP, please contact either Dan James in USGS (phone: 703.648.4253) or John Dennis (email: john_dennis@nps.gov; phone: 202.513.7174).

Successful proposals will be recommended by a peer review panel composed of qualified scientists and natural resource specialists employed by USGS and NPS. Peer reviewers are objective, scientifically trained personnel, who have sufficient technical expertise in the general subject area to enable critical and statistical evaluation of the proposal design and analysis. They are not involved in the preparation, development, execution, or management oversight of POBS proposals, and are not the first-line managers of the principal investigators.

USGS will be responsible for managing the joint NPS/USGS peer review panel, including: developing guidelines for the selection process and identifying panel participants (with involvement of NPS representatives), scheduling any meetings of the panel, and providing staff to assist in other duties such as maintaining records.

There are 6 ongoing POBS tasks scheduled for completion at the end of FY 10. Total funding for these tasks is $209K. Therefore, the lowest ranked 5-6 ranked tasks selected for funding through this RFP process will be asked to delay the start of their task until FY 11. If a PI is unable to accept a delayed start, funding will be offered to the next highest ranked task according to the review panel results.

Selection criteria. The peer review panel will evaluate proposals on the basis of several criteria:

Priority of the issue. Does the proposal address a stated high-priority known or emerging need of the park or the NPS? Will the products from the task directly relate to a significant NPS natural resource management issue? Is the NPS partner contributing to the proposed activity?

Usefulness of the product. How immediately useful will the product be to the park or the NPS? Also, if pilot research, how useful will it be in determining whether future, longer-term research will be needed and, if so, in catalyzing development of a sound research proposal?

Scientific merit. Are the objectives of the task likely to advance scientific understanding, promote technological advances in the subject area, or improve the technical effectiveness of management application of scientific information?

Feasibility. Is the technical approach adequate to achieve the objectives? Is the schedule realistic? Are the task personnel well-qualified to accomplish the activities? Is the budget reasonable and realistic for accomplishing the stated objectives and producing the products? Is the park willing and able to accommodate the required activities?

Potential for success. Does the task demonstrate a high potential for successful accomplishment of the objectives? Does it identify the consultations, reports, and other products that demonstrate how the results will be provided to NPS as usable knowledge? Does the NPS letter of support identify how NPS expects to apply the information produced by the task?

Feedback. All PIs submitting POBS proposals will receive a copy of the reviewers’ numerical scores for each of the above Selection criteria, and their relative ranking amongst all of the proposals submitted.

Concurrent with the initial receipt of funds, successful principal investigators will receive notification that a task has been created for them under BASIS+ Project #3210BG4 POBS, with instructions to enter the required information into this database. PIs must also enter their task’s information into the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System (http://science.nature.nps.gov/research/ac/ResearchIndex).

PIs must submit NPS Investigator's Annual Reports to the Research Permit and Reporting System, and provide short, end-of-fiscal-year reports annually to both Dan James and John Dennis. They must also submit in a timely manner any progress reports or other materials the park may require. The final report is due to the NPS partner no later than 3 years from the start date of funding. PIs who fail to deliver promised products to the NPS within this timeframe will be ineligible for future POBS funding awards.

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.fort.usgs.gov/brdscience/pobs.aspx Page Contact Information: Paul_Geissler@usgs.gov

• Call for proposals	March 24
• Proposal deadline	July 24
• Review deadline	September 4
• Announce initial awards	September 25
• Allocate FY 10 funds as soon as final appropriations Bills for USGS and NPS are signed into law and NPS is able to transfer funds.