Wolf-Moose Cataloging Project | NPS NOIP18AC00331

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP18AC00331

The Wolf-Moose Cataloging Project (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP18AC00331) is a National Park Service discretionary grant offered through a cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior. It focuses on natural resources work tied to Isle Royale National Park and its long-running wolf-moose research program. The opportunity was created on July 23, 2018, with an original closing date of August 2, 2018, and it anticipated making a single award with a funding ceiling of $120,000. The CFDA listing associated with the opportunity is 15.945. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice.

At its core, the project is designed to bring long-term order, preservation, and public/research access to a major natural history collection that has been built over roughly 60 years of wolf-moose interaction studies conducted in partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU). Because MTU researchers have collaborated with Isle Royale National Park for decades and the physical materials are already housed and stored at MTU, the university is described as uniquely positioned to carry out the work. The collection includes biological specimens, especially bones, as well as the supporting documentation that gives the specimens scientific value, such as field notes, records, and other associated data generated during the study.

The cooperative project outlines several concrete goals that together function like a full museum-collections stewardship upgrade. First, it will establish baseline documentation for a significant National Park Service natural history collection, essentially creating a clear, standardized record of what exists and what condition it is in. Second, it will complete accessioning and cataloging in the NPS Interior Collections Management System (ICMS), covering both the specimens and the related paper and data records so that the collection is formally brought under consistent NPS museum accountability practices. Third, it will involve cleaning and preserving the bone collections, which is important both for long-term stability and for keeping specimens usable for future research. Fourth, it will ensure the collection is stored in appropriate environmental and physical conditions that support long-term preservation, reducing risks from improper housing, handling, or deterioration.

A major emphasis of the project is access and transparency. By getting the materials fully entered into ICMS, the collection becomes easier to discover, reference, and use by qualified researchers and, where appropriate, by the public. This step also strengthens institutional accountability by tying decades of specimens and information to standardized records, reducing the chance that items become separated from their documentation or lost within informal storage. Beyond the technical work, the project is also intended to reinforce and extend the existing partnership between the National Park Service and MTU, ensuring that the specimens and the associated data from more than six decades of wolf-moose research are cared for responsibly over the long term.

Most of the hands-on work is expected to take place on the MTU campus, which is practical given that the materials are already located there. The effort will be carried out under the direction of an NPS museum technician, signaling that NPS museum standards and procedures will guide the documentation, cataloging, preservation actions, and storage decisions throughout the project.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wolf-Moose Cataloging Project" 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 Jul 23, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 02, 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 $120,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NPS NOIP18AC00331

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