Framework for Addressing Culture Resource Vulnerabilities in the NPS IMR Region | P18AS00328

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00328

The grant opportunity titled "Framework for Addressing Culture Resource Vulnerabilities in the NPS IMR Region" is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on helping the agency better understand and respond to the risks that environmental stresses and weathering pose to cultural resources. The work is centered on the NPS Intermountain Region (IMR), which includes parks and heritage sites that can be exposed to issues like temperature extremes, precipitation changes, wind, flooding, erosion, and other weather-driven deterioration processes. The overall intent is not simply to document damage, but to create a practical framework the NPS can use to consistently identify vulnerabilities and decide what actions to take to protect cultural resources over time.

This opportunity is part of a larger, multi-year effort structured into three phases. Phase I, called Impacts Analysis, was already underway at the time of this announcement and was funded in FY18 under a related effort (referenced as Impacts Analysis P16AC01463). Phase I produced the underlying information the rest of the project depends on, such as baseline data, initial assessments, and analysis of how environmental conditions are affecting cultural resources in the region. Phase II, the focus of this particular task agreement and the main purpose of this funding, is titled Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy Development. In other words, the project moves from identifying and analyzing impacts to designing realistic strategies that parks can use to reduce vulnerability, slow deterioration, and manage risk. Phase III, planned for FY19, is Scenario Planning, which would use plausible future conditions to test decisions and help parks plan under uncertainty.

The specific objective for this grant is to complete Phase II: developing adaptation and mitigation strategies based on what was learned in Phase I. That typically means translating impact findings into actionable guidance, prioritization approaches, and decision-support tools that can be applied by NPS cultural resource managers. The output is meant to be an NPS-ready framework rather than a purely academic study, so the emphasis is on usable methods and recommendations that can be implemented across multiple parks and resource types within the Intermountain Region.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which usually indicates substantial involvement or collaboration with NPS staff during the project, such as joint planning, iterative review of products, coordination with parks, and shared development of deliverables. The funding activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA number listed is 15.945. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, signaling that the NPS was seeking a university partner with the technical background to support applied research, synthesis, and framework development.

In terms of scale and competition details, the opportunity number is P18AS00328, it was created on June 14, 2018, and originally closed on June 23, 2018, which suggests a short application window consistent with a targeted or time-sensitive cooperative effort. The award ceiling was $99,700, and the NPS expected to make one award, implying the agency likely intended to fund a single partner to carry Phase II through to completion and maintain continuity with the earlier Phase I work.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Framework for Addressing Culture Resource Vulnerabilities in the NPS IMR Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 14, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $99,700.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for P18AS00328

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: