Assessing Species Sensitivity to Contaminants of Emerging Concern by Trans-Activation Assay | F18AS00148

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00148

The grant opportunity titled "Assessing Species Sensitivity to Contaminants of Emerging Concern by Trans-Activation Assay" (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00148) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) research effort aimed at improving how scientists and resource managers evaluate the biological impacts of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) on aquatic species. CECs generally refer to newer or increasingly detected chemicals, such as certain pharmaceuticals, personal care product ingredients, industrial compounds, and other pollutants that may affect fish and wildlife but are not always fully covered by traditional monitoring and toxicity testing frameworks. The central goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a multi-species trans-activation assay, which is a lab-based method used to measure how specific chemical exposures can activate or interfere with biological signaling pathways (often through receptors involved in hormone or stress response systems). By using multiple species in the assay, the project is designed to identify and compare differences in sensitivity among species, rather than relying on a single surrogate species that may not represent the responses of the animals USFWS is most concerned about.

A key feature of the project is its close integration with an ongoing CEC investigation. The recipient is expected to coordinate directly with USFWS personnel to identify which species are highest priority for inclusion in the assay based on management needs and conservation concerns. The work is also meant to leverage existing information: data from prior and current studies on how CECs affect aquatic resources will be used to guide assay development and interpretation. In practice, that means the trans-activation assay is not being built in isolation as a purely academic exercise; it is intended to produce results that can be mapped back to real-world exposure questions and to the agency's ongoing laboratory exposure analyses. One of the stated outcomes is that results generated from earlier and current lab exposure work can be extended to species that are more relevant to USFWS priorities, even if those species are difficult to test directly using traditional whole-organism studies.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which signals that USFWS expects substantial involvement during the project rather than simply issuing funds and receiving a final report. The recipient must be able to collaborate effectively with multiple parties, including other university collaborators, USFWS staff, and potentially other federal agencies, so that the assay and resulting data products are aligned with current research directions and operational needs. The project sits within several activity areas, including environment, natural resources, and science and technology research and development, and it is associated with CFDA number 15.662.

Administratively, this notice is not an open competition. It is a notice of intent to make a single-source award to St. Cloud State University, justified under DOI policy (505 DM 2.14B, paragraphs 2 and 4). Because it is single-source, the announcement explicitly states there is no application process. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $95,050. The notice was created on May 24, 2018, with an original closing date listed as June 1, 2018, which in this context functions more as a formal posting timeline than an invitation for applicants to submit proposals.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted funding to build and validate a practical, multi-species molecular screening tool that helps USFWS compare species-level sensitivity to emerging contaminants. The emphasis on multi-species capability, alignment with existing investigations, and direct coordination with agency scientists reflects a management-driven research approach: producing assay outputs that can be used to interpret contaminant risks for species that matter most to USFWS, while making better use of previous and ongoing laboratory exposure datasets.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, information and statistics, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessing Species Sensitivity to Contaminants of Emerging Concern by Trans-Activation Assay" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.662.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 24, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2018 There is not an application process for this funding opportunity. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the St. Cloud State University under justification 505DM 2.14B 2 and 4.. (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 $95,050.00 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).

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