F24AS00018 Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species | F24AS00018

Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00018

F24AS00018, titled Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species, is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.608 in the natural resources category. The program sits under the broader work of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF), which was created by the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (NANPCA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 4721-4728). The ANSTF is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and it functions as a national coordination body that brings together federal agencies, ex-officio members, six regional panels, and issue-specific subcommittees. Its overall mission is to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species (also referred to as aquatic invasive species, AIS), support monitoring and control, advance research and study, and share information to help managers act effectively across U.S. waters.

The core purpose of this funding is to strengthen Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) for aquatic invasive species, recognizing that while prevention is usually the most cost-effective strategy, it does not always work or may not be available in time. In that context, EDRR acts as the practical backstop: when a new aquatic invader is detected, the window to contain or eradicate it can be extremely short, and delays often make long-term management dramatically more expensive and less successful. This opportunity ties directly to the Department of the Interior’s 2016 national report, “Safeguarding America’s Lands and Waters from Invasive Species - A National Framework for Early Detection and Rapid Response,” which emphasized three big needs: better coordination and partnerships, better science and technology to find invaders quickly (including modern detection approaches such as molecular tools), and decisive on-the-ground action to remove new invaders before they establish and spread. With implementation funding support associated with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOI elevated the National EDRR Framework as a priority and began investing in the institutional pieces needed to make rapid response more consistent nationwide.

Within that larger national push, the Rapid Response Fund is meant to solve a specific and common bottleneck: the lack of immediately available money to evaluate a new detection and take swift action. The Fund is designed to support quick assessments and rapid response efforts aimed at containment or eradication of newly detected aquatic invasive species. In practice, the intent is to help resource managers move fast enough to prevent an incident from turning into a permanent, spreading infestation that causes ecological damage, economic losses, and long-term management burdens. The Fund is also explicitly connected to the ANSTF Strategic Plan for 2020-2025, particularly Objective 3.3, which identifies rapid response capacity and mechanisms as a priority national need. To guide how this should work, the ANSTF Rapid Response Fund Working Group produced “The Model Process Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species” in 2023, and the Notice of Funding Opportunity is structured to follow that model process. Additional background materials and frequently asked questions are maintained by the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the public-facing Rapid Response Fund information.

Eligibility is limited to governmental and similarly situated public entities positioned to act quickly and responsibly in an incident response context. Eligible applicants include state governments, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territory agencies, federal agencies, interstate organizations (as defined at 16 USC 4702(10)), and Native American organizations authorized by Indian tribal governments (as identified in the Federal Register list of entities recognized and eligible to receive services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs). The opportunity is offered as a grant, with an award ceiling listed at 960,000. The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2023-10-18 and a creation date of 2023-08-17. Overall, the program is best understood as a targeted funding mechanism meant to speed up real-world action during the earliest stage of an aquatic invasion, when containment or eradication is still feasible and when a quick financial trigger can make the difference between a short, successful response and a long-term, costly problem.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F24AS00018 Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species" 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 2023-08-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-10-18. (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 $960,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

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