Predictive 3-Dimensional Model Using Avian Radar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota | W9126G 21 2 SOI 4440

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 4440

This grant opportunity is a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) for a cooperative agreement project titled "Natural Resources Support - Predictive 3-Dimensional Model Using Avian Radar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota." The work is funded by the US Air Force and administered through the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with the intent of providing professional and technical support to Ellsworth Air Force Base (EAFB) to help the installation meet its obligations under the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1), which guides natural resources management on military lands. The government is not asking for a full technical proposal or detailed budget at this stage; instead, it is using submitted statements of interest to identify qualified investigators who may later be invited to submit full proposals.

The core purpose of the project is to turn avian radar data already collected at EAFB into a predictive, three-dimensional model that identifies Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) risk in and around the base's primary flight patterns and designated clear zones. In practical terms, the project is meant to help the installation understand when, where, and at what altitudes birds are most likely to create operational risk to aircraft, and then translate that understanding into usable products for planning and day-to-day decision-making. A secondary goal is to quantify and evaluate how attractive local habitats are for birds, linking bird activity detected by radar with habitat features and conditions that influence bird use and behavior.

The anticipated work includes several specific deliverables and analyses. The project is expected to produce visual representations that communicate varying levels of risk, rather than a single static map. It should evaluate risk not only within the main flight paths but also in areas adjacent to those paths, where bird movement could still affect aircraft. The modeling and displays should account for time-of-day and seasonal variability, reflecting that bird movement patterns shift across daily cycles and migration or breeding seasons. The radar detections will also be used to identify high-use and low-use wildlife areas across the landscape. A key technical expectation is the development of a discriminatory model that can be used to program the base's Bird Detection Radar (BDR) software so it can display birds at the lowest feasible taxonomic classification, meaning the system should move beyond generic "bird" targets where possible and differentiate among categories more precisely, within the limits of radar-derived information and any supporting data sources.

Eligibility is restricted: applicants must be non-federal partners affiliated with a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), specifically within the Great Plains or Rocky Mountains CESU units referenced in the opportunity. While the posting lists "Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted" in the source fields, the narrative requirement is clear that CESU non-federal partnership is required for consideration. The government also signals strong evaluation preferences. Statements of interest will be more competitive if they show experience building models from bird-detecting radar systems, and especially if they demonstrate past work developing software displays for analyzing and visualizing BDR data. Additional preferred qualifications include experience with landscape-scale wildlife modeling, long-term wildlife monitoring study design and analysis, analysis of avian space use, and three-dimensional modeling work in South Dakota, which suggests familiarity with local species assemblages, habitats, and seasonal movement patterns will be viewed as a practical advantage.

Funding for the base period is expected to be about $206,000. The period of performance is structured as an anticipated 18-month base period plus a 6-month administrative period from the date of award, and the agreement may include up to two additional one-year option periods if funding is available. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number W9126G-21-2-SOI-4440, with a cooperative agreement as the instrument type and a science and technology/research and development focus (CFDA 12.005). Although an award ceiling of $750,000 is shown in the source data, the narrative emphasizes the approximately $206,000 expected during the base period, with additional work contingent on future funds through options.

The submission deadline for statements of interest was 5:00 PM Central Time on 2 AUG 2021, with the notice indicating the RSOI must remain posted for at least 30 days before the government makes selection decisions and requests full proposals. Points of contact are Sandy Justman (Grants Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and Kali Evans (Project Manager, USACE Omaha District), with email and phone details provided for questions and submission coordination.

• The Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Predictive 3-Dimensional Model Using Avian Radar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-08-02. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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