Alpine Monitoring and Research in Western National Parks | P24AS00330

Opportunity Information: Apply for P24AS00330

Alpine Monitoring and Research in Western National Parks (Funding Opportunity Number P24AS00330) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement aimed at expanding long-term, science-based monitoring of alpine and high-elevation ecosystems across western US national parks. The core purpose is to strengthen collaboration between the NPS and an established research partner to track how mountaintop plant communities and related alpine conditions are changing over time, especially as climate change accelerates. The opportunity emphasizes that alpine zones are among the most vulnerable ecosystems, with the NPS describing an urgent need to understand ongoing ecological shifts and support adaptive, science-informed management decisions even as staffing and access constraints make remote, high-elevation monitoring difficult to sustain through normal park operations.

A central feature of the work is implementing standardized botanical surveys using the international GLORIA protocol (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments), which is designed to detect changes in alpine vegetation through repeat measurements that are comparable across regions and decades. The project is meant to operate on the timescales that ecological change actually occurs, building on a long-running effort that has been active since 2004 in the western US. Beyond simply collecting field observations, the agreement supports the full pipeline of monitoring: maintaining permanent plots, ensuring consistent methods, organizing and managing data, and producing analyses that can inform both park-level stewardship and broader regional and international assessments.

The funded activities combine field science, coordination, and public engagement. On the field side, the recipient is expected to monitor alpine vegetation in both forested and non-forested high-elevation settings, including GLORIA summit sites and other alpine-related monitoring targets such as forested systems like whitebark pine where relevant. The work spans multiple western states and parks (including sites in CA, NV, NM, CO, MT, ID, and WY) and is intended to be coordinated with the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division and associated monitoring networks. A significant operational component is also built in: the recipient coordinates the practical logistics required to run safe, effective field campaigns in remote terrain, including transportation, lodging, meals, and sampling supplies.

The opportunity also places strong emphasis on recruiting, training, and leading a diverse field workforce made up of students and citizen scientists, with a specific focus on expanding participation from BIPOC communities. Rather than treating volunteer participation as incidental, the agreement frames it as a structured citizen-science program that should be safe, educational, and genuinely meaningful for participants working in demanding backcountry settings. Recruitment is expected to draw from a mix of communities and institutions, including academic partners, nonprofits, and state and federal agencies, creating a broader pipeline of experience and engagement in alpine science and conservation.

Data stewardship and dissemination are explicit deliverables. The recipient is expected to collect and organize GLORIA survey data for submission to GLORIA headquarters in Vienna so the results can contribute to international, cross-site analyses. In parallel, the project calls for regional-scale analysis of the western US dataset, plus integration of data from other alpine monitoring or research programs using established NPS protocols and data management guidance. The NPS also expects responsiveness to management needs, including providing data or summarized products upon request for forest plan monitoring or other related park projects.

Communication of results is another key component. The project includes outreach through talks and seminars aimed at audiences ranging from local groups to national stakeholders, and it supports multiple publication formats, including annual reports, newsletters, popular press, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Overall, the agreement is designed to produce both actionable management information for parks and durable scientific outputs that advance understanding of alpine and montane ecosystem change.

From an eligibility and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the National Park Service under CFDA 15.954, using a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument (reflecting ongoing collaboration with NPS rather than a hands-off grant). Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status. The posting lists an original closing date of 2024-05-01 and an award ceiling shown as 0 (which commonly indicates funding details may be set through negotiation, a separate agreement structure, or are not specified in the public synopsis). The opportunity reflects a larger, unusual multi-agency collaboration involving universities and land management agencies such as the NPS, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management, intended to pool expertise and capacity to sustain rigorous monitoring in extreme, hard-to-access alpine environments.

• The National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alpine Monitoring and Research in Western National Parks" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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