Assessing the Impacts of Different Contact Points on Predation-Related Mortality of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta | BOR MP 18 N029

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 18 N029

The grant opportunity titled "Assessing the Impacts of Different Contact Points on Predation-Related Mortality of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta" is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) funding action focused on environmental research in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The core purpose is to better understand how "contact points" in the Delta influence predation-related mortality for juvenile Chinook salmon, a life stage and species of major management concern because survival through the Delta can strongly affect overall population outcomes. In practical terms, the project is aimed at identifying where and how young salmon become more vulnerable to predators as they move through a complex network of channels and engineered water infrastructure, and then using targeted experiments and analysis to quantify those effects.

This is a discretionary grant under CFDA 15.512 (Central Valley Project Improvement Act), authorized through Public Law 102-575, specifically Sections 3406(b)(1) and 3407(e). Reclamation states it intends to issue the grant agreement to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the notice functions as a "Notice of Intent to Award" rather than a call for competing proposals. That point is made explicitly: the agency indicates the decision not to compete the financial assistance is based on Departmental Manual 505 DM 2, paragraph 2.14(B)(4), and that this determination is entirely within the government's discretion. Because of that structure, the announcement is informational and administrative in nature, not an open solicitation where multiple applicants submit proposals for review.

Funding details show an estimated total agreement value of $2,291,630, with Reclamation providing $392,819 in Fiscal Year 2018. The opportunity anticipates a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) and lists an award ceiling matching the total estimated amount, indicating the project is conceived as a defined, multi-year effort with a planned budget scale rather than a small pilot. The eligible applicant category is "Public and State controlled institutions of higher education," which aligns with the intended recipient, UC Santa Cruz.

The work is organized around four stated objectives. Objective 1, Contact Point and Study Site Selection, covers choosing the specific Delta locations and the types of "contact points" to be evaluated. In this context, contact points typically refer to junctions or transitions in the system where juvenile salmon may encounter different hydraulic conditions, altered flow paths, or structures that can concentrate fish and predators, increasing the chance of predation. This objective implies an upfront phase of identifying the most relevant sites, likely using existing telemetry data, hydrodynamic knowledge, and prior studies to select where experiments and monitoring will be most informative.

Objective 2, Field-Based Experiments, is the implementation phase. This signals that the project will not be purely modeling or literature-based; it will involve on-the-ground (and on-water) experiments to measure predation-related mortality associated with different contact points. While the announcement does not spell out methods, field-based studies in this arena commonly involve tracking juvenile salmon movements and survival, monitoring predator presence and behavior, and pairing observations with environmental and operational variables such as flow, turbidity, temperature, or channel configuration. The emphasis on experiments suggests the project aims to produce evidence that can distinguish correlation from causation at key locations in the Delta.

Objective 3, Analysis and Synthesis, covers the step where data collected from site selection and field experiments are analyzed, integrated, and turned into findings that can guide management. "Synthesis" indicates the project is expected to go beyond isolated results from individual sites and instead develop a broader interpretation of how different contact points function across the Delta, potentially identifying patterns or conditions that consistently elevate predation risk. The output from this phase is typically what resource agencies and water managers use to prioritize interventions, refine operations, or design habitat and infrastructure changes.

Objective 4, Project Management, is the administrative and coordination backbone of the grant. This generally includes planning and scheduling, coordination among field teams and partners, budget tracking, required reporting to Reclamation, and ensuring the project meets milestones and deliverables. Given the scale of the agreement and the complexity of Delta field work, this objective is important for keeping the research on track and ensuring the results are usable for decision-making tied to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act's fish and wildlife goals.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number BOR MP 18 N029, with a creation date of August 10, 2018, and an original closing date of August 24, 2018. Even though a closing date is listed, the text makes clear the notice is not seeking competitive proposals; the date functions more as an announcement timeline marker within the grants process rather than a deadline for applicant submissions. Anyone with questions is directed to the grants management specialist, Megan Bryant, reachable by email at mbryant@usbr.gov, which reinforces that the notice is about a planned award action and related grants administration rather than an open competition.

Overall, this grant opportunity describes a targeted, research-driven effort funded by Reclamation to evaluate how specific locations and transitions within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta affect predator-driven losses of juvenile Chinook salmon, with the intention of producing field-tested, synthesized findings that can inform management actions under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act framework.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessing the Impacts of Different Contact Points on Predation-Related Mortality of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.512.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 10, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 2018. (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 $2,291,630.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for BOR MP 18 N029

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