The next round of proposals will be for Segment 31, award year 2025.
Proposals will be due November 22, 2024
PLEASE NOTE:
- The portal will be open for submissions on October 8 and close on November 22, 2024. Early submissions are very welcome but will not affect the review process.
- This reflects a very short review window this year, due to the schedule set at the federal level. Please be available for questions in the two weeks following the proposal deadline. We frequently reach out to researchers to confirm, among other things, that the processes to acquire permission to access lands and/or permits for conducting the research have been initiated. This can be avoided by providing as much detail as possible in the proposal.
- The list of plants for which research can be funded is more restricted than in previous years. Please see the following table to review allowed taxa. Reach out as soon as you can, if you are considering submitting a proposal. We look forward to working with you and supporting your research on rare plants in Arizona.
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Introduction
The Herbarium at the University of Arizona is collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Arizona Department of Agriculture to manage and allocate the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 6 funding for plants in Arizona. Proposals for studies on threats, demography, monitoring, systematics, status reviews, etc. of threatened and endangered plant species, or plant species of other special concern, are solicited. (This grant no longer supports publication costs.) Plants that are listed as threatened, endangered, or have candidate status will rank higher than sensitive or rare plants (see FWS' list here; Arizona is in Region 2).
If you are interested in serving as a rotating member of the review committee for one year, please reach out. Reviewers are generally drawn from the community of rare plant researchers who have not been supported by the program for three years and do not anticipate submitting any proposals for the next three years. We'd appreciate your support for a robust Section 6 program for Arizona.
Previous awards
Please see our lists of previously funded projects, organized by year.
Funding targets
The Section 6 program is funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through the FY 2025 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund Traditional Conservation Grants Program Region 2.
The FY2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity published by USFWS has not announced the total amount of funds Arizona will receive. We project that approximately $125,000.00 will be available for this funding cycle.
We anticipate supporting three to eight projects per year at levels of approximately $5,000 to $20,000 per project. Projects may be one or two years in duration, but note that two-year projects are subject to the same $20,000 per-project limit.
Proposal review
Proposals are reviewed by a committee for the importance of the species to Fish and Wildlife Service planned work, intellectual merit, feasibility of the proposed research, appropriateness of the budget, and clarity of the proposal. Projects that are recommended for funding are ranked and funded as funds allow.
Project procedures
Contracts are sent to the selected researchers by the Arizona Department of Agriculture within four months of the award notification (usually early fall) and will indicate actual start and end dates. Please note that reimbursable work may not begin until the contract is signed, which is often in late September. Awardee must be in a position to sign a standard contract with the State of Arizona. For questions in this regard, contact Ashley Estes, aestes@azda.gov, (602) 542-0972, Arizona Department of Agriculture. Contracts must be signed and returned within 30 days of receipt. Funds are only distributed on a reimbursable basis (funds will no longer be sent in advance under any circumstance). Researchers are welcome to submit expense reports and invoices up to once quarterly. Brief interim reports will be due semiannually, and the final project report will be due at the end of year two; interim and final report deadlines will be provided by the Dept. of Agriculture when the contract is awarded.
Project completion
The final report is an expected deliverable of this research and should include introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and literature cited sections. Prior to approval and release of funding, reports will be reviewed by the section 6 grant committee and FWS species leads for completeness, clarity, and usefulness to the FWS for species management and recovery. Insufficient final reports will be returned with comments, and researchers will be expected to remedy the report prior to final approval. Draft final reports are welcome at any time.
PROPOSAL PREPARATION
General guidelines:
- Researchers may submit, as PI, up to three proposals in a single competition. Proposals must be completed in the provided Section 6 Application Template which includes budget and match information, using font no smaller than 11 point with 1 inch margins.
- Each proposal must include a 2-page CV for the PI as well as a Resource List from IPaC.
- Projects should be designed to be complete within two years. Funding beyond two years will require submission of additional competitive proposals.
- Proposals should be prepared using the provided Section 6 Application Template. If an item is not applicable to this project, write "N/A" for that item.
- Questions on grant preparation should be directed to the Section 6 committee (Mima Falk, UA Herbarium liaison. email: section6@cals.arizona.edu).
- Questions regarding the application template and eCivis Portal submission should be directed to the Arizona Department of Agriculture (Ashley Estes, Grant Program Coordinator: Phone: 602-542-0972; email: aestes0926@azda.gov)
- Required content: All required content is now in the Section 6 Application Template. Download and complete the Application Template (Word document). If you have trouble downloading, please email section6@cals.arizona.edu for a copy of the template.
Application Evaluation and Ranking Criteria
The Evaluation Team will be made up of at least three individuals, including the USFWS Plant Ecologist, with the appropriate background and expertise necessary to evaluate project proposals and make recommendations for funding to the AZDA Director.
Evaluation Team will use the criteria listed below to rate the applications:
- PI - number of times funded in the past 3 years (max 10 Pts)
- Target species - number of times funded in the past 3 years (max 10 Pts)
- Listing status (max 20 Pts)
- Technical/scientific merit (max 20 Pts)
- Funding record (Section 6 or other) of the PI (max 5 Pts)
- Project costs (max 10 Pts)
- Will the project accomplish tasks in RP, strategy, or management plan? (max 10 Pts)
- Importance/relevance and applicability of the proposal to the program goals (max 30 Pts)
- Upcoming FWS work (RP, SSA, Listing, Etc) (max 5 Pts)
The Section 6 Evaluation Team may adjust an application packet’s project proposal, scope of work and/or project budget. The Evaluation Team may disallow certain expenses in the best interest of the Section 6 Program and the State.
How to submit:
Applications are submitted through the eCivis Portal; access and instructions for using the portal are below under Quicklinks.
The following documents must be submitted in your application package. Please upload each document separately. You will not be able to submit the application without all required information.
- Project Profile – Section 6 Application Template: This must be completed in the provided word document. The acceptable font size for the narrative is 11 pitch, single spaced with all margins at 1 inch. If you have trouble formatting text or pictures in a particular field right click on the text box and select “Remove Content Control”.
- Two Page CV for the PI: A two page CV for the PI must be submitted.
- Resource List from IPAC: Please visit the IPaC website and follow the steps to create a polygon for the area of the proposed study. Please print the Resource List, save as a PDF and include the document with your submission.
- Instructions are provided below on how to navigate the eCivis Portal and how to submit your application. Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your application as someone may not be available to answer any questions you may have. We recommend you familiarize yourself with the eCivis Portal as soon as possible.
Application Deadline: Friday November 22, 2024 no later than 11:59:59 p.m.
All eligible proposals will be reviewed. Successful proposals will be chosen on the merits of the project as they relate to the published criteria and will be included in the AZDA’s application, which will be submitted to USFW. Applicants will be notified in writing whether or not their project is selected for inclusion in the AZDA’s application. Funding is not guaranteed if the project is included in the AZDA’s application. Following approval of the AZDA’s application by USFW, applicants will be notified and sent a Grant Award Agreement to sign. AZDA anticipates that grant awards and notifications will be made in mid to late 2025.
Grant applications submitted by the Final Deadline will be publicly opened, read, and recorded beginning at 8:00 a.m. (MST) on the next business day after the Final Deadline at 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450, Phoenix, Arizona.
Quicklinks
Upcoming reporting deadlines
Segment 28 (award year 2022): Submit reports to section6@cals.arizona.edu
- Draft final report: September 30, 2024 (this will replace interim report 4)
- Approved final report: October 31, 2024
Segment 29 (award year 2023): Submit reports to section6@cals.arizona.edu
- Interim report 1: March 31, 2024
- Interim report 2: September 30, 2024
- Interim report 3: March 31, 2025
- Draft final report: August 1, 2025
- Approved final report: September 1, 2025
Segment 30 (award year 2024): Submit reports through the eCIVIS system
- Interim report 1: March 31, 2025
- Interim report 2: September 30, 2025
- Interim report 3: March 31, 2026
- Draft final report: August 31, 2026
- Approved final report: September 30, 2026