Environmental DNA Sampling Eastern Indigo Snake | HQ003423NFOEASD08

Opportunity Information: Apply for HQ003423NFOEASD08

The Department of Defense, through Washington Headquarters Services, posted a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Environmental DNA Sampling Eastern Indigo Snake" under Funding Opportunity Number HQ003423NFOEASD08. The assistance listing is tied to CFDA (now commonly referenced as ALN) 12.632, and the activity area is Natural Resources. The agency is offering support through a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal government expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordinating on study design details, access to sites, review of deliverables, or integration of results into agency natural resource management decisions), rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation.

The opportunity is focused on environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling related to the Eastern Indigo Snake, a federally protected species in the southeastern United States. While the public-facing synopsis provided here states "See the NFO" for program details, the title and structure indicate the intent is to fund a targeted field and laboratory effort to detect the species using genetic material shed into the environment (such as soil or water), a method often used when traditional surveys are difficult, disruptive, or less efficient. In practical terms, projects like this typically involve selecting sampling locations, collecting environmental samples under a consistent protocol, processing those samples to extract DNA, running species-specific assays, and then interpreting and reporting detection results in a way that can inform conservation planning, compliance, or habitat management on or near Department of Defense lands.

Only one award was expected, with an award ceiling of $153,117, signaling a single, comparatively small, focused project rather than a broad multi-award program. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with direction to consult the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) for the exact eligibility clarification, meaning applicants likely needed to meet specific criteria described in the full announcement (often this includes certain nonprofit organizations, universities, research institutions, or other qualified entities with demonstrated technical capacity). The opportunity was created on May 24, 2023, and had an original application closing date of July 28, 2023.

Because the synopsis does not include the full narrative requirements, performance period, deliverables, or evaluation criteria, the definitive scope, methods, and submission instructions would be contained in the NFO itself. However, based on the funding instrument type and the topic, applicants would typically be expected to propose a clear sampling and quality assurance plan, appropriate genetic assay methodology, a data management approach, and final reporting products suitable for DoD natural resource decision-making, all within the stated budget cap.

• The Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental DNA Sampling Eastern Indigo Snake" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.632.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 24, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 28, 2023. (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 $153,117.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HQ003423NFOEASD08

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: