Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program | F21AS00249

Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00249

The Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (FRMP) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding opportunity that supports research and monitoring projects aimed at sustaining subsistence fisheries on Federal public lands in Alaska for rural Alaskans. The program stems from Section 812 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), which directs the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, working with other federal agencies, the State of Alaska, and Alaska Native and rural organizations, to study and track subsistence uses of fish and wildlife and to actively seek out, consult with, and use knowledge held by local residents who rely on subsistence. After the federal government took over management responsibility for subsistence fisheries on Federal public lands in Alaska in 1999, the Department of the Interior emphasized improving the amount and quality of information used for management decisions, strengthening meaningful involvement by Alaska Native and rural partners, and expanding collaboration across federal, state, and local entities. FRMP is designed to put those commitments into practice through a multidisciplinary, cooperative approach.

At its core, FRMP primarily funds projects that collect, share, and apply information directly used in federal subsistence fisheries management in Alaska. That includes monitoring, assessment, and research that can inform regulatory decisions, in-season management, conservation measures, and long-term sustainability planning for subsistence fisheries. Just as important, the program explicitly encourages partnership-building and capacity building in rural Alaska, meaning proposals are expected to do more than just produce data. Applicants are encouraged to design projects that create practical, durable collaboration with communities and regional organizations and that expand local ability to participate in fisheries work over time, whether through training, hiring local technicians, co-management style coordination, shared fieldwork, or local involvement in project planning and decision-making. The program expects investigators to show that collaboration is already underway during proposal development (at least at the communication or partnership formation stage) and, when feasible and desired by local partners, to outline a plan to deepen that involvement. Proposals must include letters of support from the communities or organizations that will partner on the work, reinforcing that local participation is not meant to be symbolic but genuine and documented.

FRMP is also strongly guided by management priorities identified by Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils. The Office of Subsistence Management targets this funding toward projects that address specific Priority Information Needs, which are published and made available through the program website. Applicants proposing work outside those identified priority needs are not automatically excluded, but they must provide a clear and compelling case for why the work is strategically important and how it would be applied to federal subsistence management. In other words, the program is looking for projects with a direct line of sight from data collection to real-world management use, especially where councils have already identified information gaps that are limiting effective decision-making.

Proposals are evaluated using five equally weighted criteria: strategic priority (how well the project matches priority needs and management relevance), technical and scientific merit (sound methods and credible design), investigator ability and resources (capacity to deliver), partnership and capacity building (quality and depth of collaboration and local involvement), and cost/benefit (whether the budget is reasonable for the expected outcomes). The program signals that successful projects are technically rigorous and administratively well managed, with clear, achievable objectives and sampling or research designs strong enough to produce reliable, actionable results. It also emphasizes incorporating traditional knowledge and local methods where appropriate, and it values proposals that give rural residents meaningful roles such as fieldwork, data collection, project management support, or other substantive responsibilities rather than peripheral participation. Overall, FRMP is looking for work that is scientifically credible, cost-effective, locally grounded, and clearly useful for federal subsistence fisheries management.

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement, reflecting an expectation of active involvement and coordination between the recipient and the federal agency during the project. The opportunity is listed under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 15.636, within the Natural Resources activity category. The funding opportunity number is F21AS00249, and the original closing date shown is March 15, 2021, with a listed award ceiling of $215,000. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, and the program accepts proposals from a wide range of entity types, including universities, non-profits, state and local governments, federally recognized Tribes and tribal organizations, individuals, commercial and foreign entities, hospitals, members of the CESU Network, and federal entities. Nonprofit, non-governmental organizations based in the United States must provide documentation of IRS 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status, and eligible recipients must appear in the appropriate SAM.gov Assistance Listing profile.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.636.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-15. (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 $215,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for F21AS00249

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