F23AS00307 Aquatic Invasive Grass Research | F23AS00307

Opportunity Information: Apply for F23AS00307

F23AS00307 Aquatic Invasive Grass Research is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.608) focused on improving prevention, understanding, and management of submerged aquatic invasive plants in Alaska, specifically Hydrilla, Milfoil, and Elodea. Congress provided the funding for the express purpose of advancing management and knowledge around these invasive aquatic grasses, and the Service's Alaska Region is administering a total of $250,000 in FY23. The overall intent is to fund projects that close key information gaps and strengthen the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership's ability to keep these species from becoming established in new waters or spreading further where they already occur. Collaborative proposals are encouraged, reflecting the need for coordinated work across agencies, researchers, and local stakeholders to address prevention and response challenges in Alaska's varied and often remote aquatic environments.

The program priorities are organized into four main research and development areas. The first is vector and pathway assessment, with an emphasis on figuring out how these invasive plants move between waterbodies and what can realistically stop that movement. This includes applied research on lethal desiccation rates (how long plant fragments need to dry out to ensure they die), building on existing analyses of seaplanes and watercraft as transport vectors. It also explicitly calls for social science research that can identify what motivates or prevents compliance and how outreach, incentives, or messaging can drive behavior changes that reduce spread, such as improved cleaning practices for boats and gear.

The second priority area is prevention and surveillance prioritization and tool development. Projects in this category are expected to improve early prevention by identifying habitat conditions that either favor establishment or lead to die-offs after a period of time, helping managers understand where invasions are most likely to succeed. Another key element is prioritizing surveillance by identifying high-value waterbodies based on their ecological services, while factoring in both current conditions and expected future climate conditions. The opportunity also seeks development or feasibility testing of non-traditional early detection methods. Examples mentioned include simple approaches like rake throws as well as more advanced tools such as trained detection dogs, aerial or satellite imagery, and eDNA sampling, all aimed at finding infestations earlier when eradication is more feasible and less costly.

The third priority area looks at impacts on native fish and wildlife and the effects of management techniques on ecosystems. This includes studying how aquatic communities recover after herbicide treatments, particularly with diquat and/or fluridone, which are commonly used aquatic herbicides. The Service is seeking research that assesses potential non-target impacts when treating Elodea, Milfoil, or Hydrilla, so managers can better weigh tradeoffs and select approaches that protect native species and habitats. Another specific need is improving understanding of how long fluridone persists in different Alaskan aquatic environments, which matters for both effectiveness against invasive plants and potential exposure risks for non-target organisms, fisheries resources, and downstream users.

The fourth priority area is the development of innovative control techniques suited to both remote and road-accessible waterbodies, acknowledging the logistical constraints of working in Alaska. The call highlights the need for practical, effective, low-cost equipment designs for eradication and control applications. This points toward applied engineering and field-ready implementation work, not just conceptual studies, with the goal of giving managers tools that can be deployed in challenging settings where traditional methods may be too expensive, too slow, or impractical.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered as a grant, with unrestricted eligibility (meaning applicants are not limited to a narrow set of institution types). The funding opportunity number and title are F23AS00307 Aquatic Invasive Grass Research. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $250,000 and an original closing date of May 1, 2023, with the opportunity created on March 16, 2023. Overall, the funding is aimed at producing actionable results: better understanding of how these plants spread, improved prevention and detection strategies, clearer knowledge of ecological impacts and herbicide behavior in Alaska, and more workable control solutions that can be used across the state.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F23AS00307 Aquatic Invasive Grass Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-01. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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