Communicating Marine Science to Alaskan Communities through Discovery Labs

The summary for the Communicating Marine Science to Alaskan Communities through Discovery Labs grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the National Park Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Communicating Marine Science to Alaskan Communities through Discovery Labs:

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition.
ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement P15AS01000
Project Title Communicating Marine Science to Alaskan Communities through Discovery Labs

Recipient University of Alaska Anchorage
Total Anticipated Award Amount $20,000
Cost Share 0
Anticipated Length of Agreement 1.5 years
Anticipated Period of Performance 1.5 years
Award Instrument Task Agreement
Statutory Authority 54 USC 100703
CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System

Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Unique Qualifications
Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro


OVERVIEW


This is a collaborative project between University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) and the National Park Service (NPS) to effectively communicate current marine science and research issues to Alaska Native communities that have both current and ancestral ties to the land that now comprises national park units in the Cook Inlet area (e.g. Kenai Fjords National Park, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Aniakchak National Monument). In addition, communities on the Kenai Peninsula, which consist of residents who regularly visit and view the park resources from their towns, will also be served. These communications will take the form of educational programs, called "Discovery Labs," and they will be developed jointly by UAA staff based at the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve (KBRR) and NPS staff. The educational programs will be delivered by UAA staff to the various communities.

UAA will take the lead in developing the Discovery Labs. They will also be responsible for coordinating all of the logistics in transporting and delivering the Discovery Labs to the three remote communities.

NPS will be substantially involved in the project in several ways. NPS staff, coordinated by the Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center based at Kenai Fjords National Park, will help in the development of the educational programs by participating in a series of meetings to determine the appropriate topics, content, and educational techniques and activities employed in the Discovery Labs. They will also provide information and data on recent park research projects and ensure that this is integrated into the Discovery Labs. NPS staff will also accompany UAA staff on as many trips as possible to the villages to deliver the Discovery Labs.

This project is designed to result in interactive public education products and presentations about current science and research in National Parks and adjacent public lands as described in Attachment A.


STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
UAA agrees to:
1. Collaboratively undertake a project entitled “Communicating Marine Science to Alaskan Communities through Discovery Labs” as described in Attachment I and throughout this document.
2. Develop and present Discovery Labs.
3. In consultation with NPS staff, the labs shall contain recent research and findings related to marine resources.
4. Provide all logistical arrangements for transporting the Discovery Labs to remote communities.
5. Provide a final report which will include details describing the content and activities of each Discovery Lab, images of the labs being presented to the public, and an accounting of how many people were contacted at each Discovery Lab.
6. Collaborate with NPS, as appropriate, in a 60-day wrap-up period following the due date of the last project product.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT
1. Participate in the planning and development of the Discovery Labs including selection of topics, identification of appropriate themes, and development of content, and identification appropriate techniques for delivery of this content.
2. Provide content for Discovery Labs where appropriate, including but not limited to video clips, images, data sets, reports and other publications.
3. Ensure that reports and other formal materials resulting from this collaborative project reference the Task Agreement number and acknowledge that the project was conducted through the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
4. Make photographs with captions of project activities available to the NPS PNW-CESU Research Coordinator and others for use in presentations and reports.
5. Fully acknowledge UAA in any published or formally presented material developed or derived from this Task Agreement.
6. Collaborate with UAA, as appropriate, in a 60-day wrap-up period following the due date of the last project product.




SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.


In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal – The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2) Continuation – The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3) Legislative intent – The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress’ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4) Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5) Emergencies – Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.


NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:
Unique qualifications – This is a continuation of the Discovery Labs project of which UAA has already been active in cooperating with the NPS.