Assessing Implication of Low-level Psudogymnoascus destructans | P19AS00041

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00041

The grant opportunity titled "Assessing Implication of Low-level Psudogymnoascus destructans" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00041) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on early warning surveillance and impact assessment related to white-nose syndrome (WNS) in the U.S. Southwest. The project is driven by reports of low-level detections of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (P. destructans), the fungal pathogen responsible for WNS, at three National Park Service units identified as ELMA, CAVE, and GRCA. GRCA is noted as being less than 300 miles from ELMA and is therefore considered at high risk for soon showing similar low-level detections. Together, these park units include more than 1,000 known caves, many of which function as bat hibernacula, making them important sites for tracking whether the pathogen is present, whether disease is emerging, and what the potential consequences could be for vulnerable bat populations.

A key reason this opportunity exists is that the Southwest has sometimes been viewed as less suitable for P. destructans because many cave systems are thought to be comparatively warm and arid. However, ongoing cave microclimate work cited in the opportunity (Buecher et al., in preparation) suggests that at least some caves in these park units may still provide environmental conditions capable of supporting the fungus. That makes the low-level signals especially important to interpret correctly: they could represent a true early-stage presence of the pathogen, intermittent or localized contamination, or detection artifacts that need additional investigation. The proposal also emphasizes that the low-level detections in multiple areas across New Mexico were produced by Northern Arizona Universitys Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (Foster lab), while the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) could not confirm those results. That mismatch is central to the projects purpose, because it creates uncertainty about whether the pathogen is truly established, present at very low levels, unevenly distributed, or being detected differently depending on sampling methods, timing, or laboratory workflows.

Within that context, the project aims to bring together the expertise and capacity of park staff to expand and strengthen surveillance for P. destructans, monitor bats for signs of WNS, and assess any emerging impacts. In practical terms, this implies coordinated field sampling across multiple cave sites, repeated monitoring to detect changes over time, and integrating disease surveillance with ecological observations of bat populations that use these caves for hibernation. The opportunity also highlights a specific scientific question: understanding the meaning of low-level detections in the Southwest and determining whether detection patterns vary based on bat behavior (for example, where bats roost, how densely they cluster, seasonal movement among caves) or cave microclimates (temperature, humidity, airflow, and other conditions that could favor or limit fungal persistence and growth). In other words, the work is not only about finding the pathogen, but also about interpreting why it appears in some places or samples and not others, and what that implies for near-term disease risk.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates a more collaborative relationship between the federal agency and the award recipient than a standard grant. The agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and the activity category is Natural Resources under CFDA 15.945. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the research and monitoring focus and the need for technical laboratory and field expertise. The opportunity was created on March 4, 2019, with an original closing date of March 13, 2019, indicating a short application window. Funding is modest, with an award ceiling of $29,999 and an expectation of a single award, suggesting a targeted project intended to answer specific near-term questions and improve on-the-ground surveillance rather than fund a large multi-year research program.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a rapid, focused effort to clarify whether early signals of P. destructans in Southwest park caves represent a meaningful emerging threat, to improve confidence in detection through coordinated surveillance, and to connect pathogen detection with ecological and environmental drivers that could explain where and when the fungus is found. The underlying management value is straightforward: if P. destructans is present and conditions can support it, then early detection, better monitoring, and a clearer understanding of risk factors can help park managers and partners respond sooner and more effectively to protect bat populations and the cave ecosystems they depend on.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessing Implication of Low-level Psudogymnoascus destructans" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 04, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 13, 2019. (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 $29,999.00 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.

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