Spatial Ecology and Chronic Wasting Disease Dynamics of Wild White-tailed and Mule Deer in Northern Colorado

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, through Wildlife Services and its National Wildlife Research Center, is offering a competitive cooperative agreement for Spatial Ecology and Chronic Wasting Disease Dynamics of Wild White-tailed and Mule Deer in Northern Colorado. The National Wildlife Research Center anticipates providing 413380 dollars in fiscal year 2026 funding for one project. The cooperative agreement is intended to support a collaborative research effort between the awardee and the National Wildlife Research Center Chronic Wasting Disease Project, with substantial APHIS involvement in completing the project goals and objectives. The research is intended to improve understanding of wild deer survival, chronic wasting disease epidemiology, and population health in Northern Colorado and contribute standardized information to a broader multistate research effort. The primary purpose is to investigate chronic wasting disease as a population-limiting factor in Northern Colorado mule deer and white-tailed deer and to examine relationships among chronic wasting disease, other pathogens, and other causes of mortality. The work will also support development and optimization of live tests for chronic wasting disease. Supported activities include capturing wild deer, deploying GPS collars, collecting antemortem samples, monitoring deer and responding to mortality events, cleaning and sharing GPS collar data, analyzing samples from live and dead animals, conducting spatial analyses, and preparing reports, white papers, manuscripts, and presentations. The cooperator is expected to capture, collar, sample, and monitor approximately 30 to 40 mule deer and approximately 30 to 40 white-tailed deer from the same population and collect tissue biopsies, swabs, blood, feces, and hair following the National Wildlife Research Center sampling protocol. Award funds may support reasonable, allocable, and necessary activities, equipment, supplies, services, personnel, information technology, travel, and other approved costs needed to accomplish program activities. The award may also provide access to facilities or equipment required for the awardee's research. Prohibited costs include land acquisition, compensation or travel for Federal employees, Federal subawards paid from the APHIS share, construction or major building rehabilitation, bonuses or commissions, fundraising, honoraria, vehicle purchases or leases, international travel, certain activities already funded through annual APHIS cooperative agreements, and promotional or giveaway items. The announcement also lists unmanned aircraft as an unallowable use of project funds. Higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations may assess indirect costs at no more than 10 percent of total direct costs or their approved negotiated indirect cost rate, whichever is less. Cost sharing is not required, although voluntary non-Federal contributions may be considered during evaluation and may serve as a tie-breaking factor. Any voluntary cost share incorporated into the finalized agreement becomes legally binding. Eligible applicants are public and private colleges and universities and State and tribal governments. Applicant organizations must have the required ezFedGrants users, including a Grants Administrative Officer and a Signatory Official, and applicants must satisfy applicable System for Award Management and Unique Entity Identifier requirements. The proposal package includes the SF-424, SF-424A, applicable lobbying certification and disclosure forms, an applicable State Single Point of Contact waiver or approval response letter, an applicable current signed Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or exemption letter, a Work Plan, a Financial Plan, and applicable letters of collaboration. A separate Financial Plan is required for a proposed subaward over 10000 dollars. ezFedGrants attachments must be PDF files, cannot be digitally signed or fillable PDFs, and all attachments combined cannot exceed 20 MB. Applications must be submitted electronically through ezFedGrants. Hard-copy submissions and submissions through Grants.gov are not accepted. The announcement was published August 21, 2026, and applications are due August 31, 2026. The announcement contains conflicting time-zone references for the same deadline, stating 5:00 PM MST in the Basic Information section and 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time in the Submission Dates and Times section. The application date itself is consistently August 31, 2026. Applicants needing help locating materials or experiencing technical difficulties are instructed to contact NWRC.Agreements@usda.gov at least 72 hours before the deadline, with ezFedGrants technical assistance also available through USDA contacts identified in the announcement. Proposals first undergo administrative screening for timely submission, applicant eligibility, alignment with required project activities, completeness of required documents, compliance with allowable-cost guidance, a reasonable project timeline, and demonstrated principal investigator expertise. Weighted evaluation criteria include requirements in the announcement at 20 percent, performance parameters at approximately 14 percent, qualifications and skills at approximately 33 percent, and cost effectiveness at approximately 33 percent. The Project Manager or Principal Investigator should have wildlife ecology expertise, particularly animal movement, and expertise in capturing, marking, and monitoring wild ungulates and collecting biological samples. Cost effectiveness considers detailed budget justification, reasonable costs, cost-saving measures, existing resources and partnerships, and voluntary cost sharing. APHIS will use internal and external subject-matter experts as appropriate, has final funding authority, and may select specific objectives or activities for partial funding. APHIS states that proposals will be reviewed within 90 days after the application deadline and applicants will be notified by email of award status. Selected applicants receive an Award Face Sheet through ezFedGrants, and only a fully signed Award Face Sheet officially obligates funds and authorizes project performance. The performance period must begin on or before September 30, 2026. The announcement describes an initial project period generally expected to be completed within 12 months and permits a one-year no-cost extension, while other sections describe completion no later than 24 months after the start date and a possible one-time extension request. Applicants should therefore follow the approved Award Face Sheet and final project schedule. Recipients must provide annual performance reports and annual Federal Financial Reports through ezFedGrants, as well as a final report containing a summary of outcomes and lessons learned. Recipient performance will be evaluated based on adherence to schedule and budget, delivery of required results and outcomes, and periodic discussion of project progress with the APHIS Program Manager.

Submit early and ensure every required document is complete because late or significantly incomplete packages will not be reviewed. Align proposed activities directly with Section C.2. Clearly demonstrate the Principal Investigator's expertise in wildlife ecology animal movement wild ungulate capture marking monitoring and biological sample collection. Provide specific detailed justification for every budget item and ensure costs are reasonable necessary and well organized. Identify potential project problems and practical risk-reduction solutions. Describe cost-saving measures existing resources partnerships and voluntary non-Federal contributions where applicable. Ensure the proposed schedule can accomplish all objectives within the approved performance period.