Unraveling Pathways and Sources of Selenium Exposure in Sacramento Splittail | F17AS00361

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00361

The grant opportunity titled "Unraveling Pathways and Sources of Selenium Exposure in Sacramento Splittail" is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service funding announcement focused on understanding how, when, and from where Sacramento Splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) are exposed to selenium. It is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit program under CFDA 15.678, meaning the agency expects substantial involvement or collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off award. The work is positioned within the broader environmental science and research and development space, with an emphasis on a targeted analytical task that supports fish and wildlife conservation and management decisions.

The project centers on preparing and analyzing fish otoliths, which are ear stones that grow in layers over a fish's lifetime and can record chemical information tied to the environments the fish experiences. The goal is to use otolith-based chemical patterning to evaluate selenium exposure histories and infer potential sources or pathways of contamination affecting Sacramento Splittail. By examining how selenium signals vary across otolith growth increments, researchers can potentially link exposure to particular life stages (for example, early juvenile versus adult periods), time windows, or habitat use patterns, helping clarify whether exposure is chronic, episodic, or associated with specific environments.

Methodologically, the announcement specifies established otolith preparation approaches drawn from prior peer-reviewed work (including Barnett-Johnson et al. 2005; Woodson et al. 2013; Sturrock et al. 2015). Otoliths are to be cleaned, mounted in Crystalbond resin, and then carefully polished until the primordia (the earliest growth region) and daily increments are visible and exposed. Once prepared, the otoliths will be examined using X-ray fluorescence microscopy to evaluate selenium patterns across the structure. This technique is intended to map or quantify selenium distribution within the otolith, enabling a fine-scale look at spatial patterns that correspond to growth and time, which is critical for reconstructing exposure pathways.

Administratively, the opportunity number is F17AS00361, created on September 12, 2017, with an original closing date of November 1, 2017. The award ceiling is $75,727, and the agency anticipated making one award, indicating a small, focused project rather than a broad multi-recipient program. Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which typically includes state universities and similar public academic entities capable of carrying out specialized lab preparation and advanced microscopy or partnering to access those capabilities.

The funding is supported by several longstanding federal conservation and coordination statutes that provide the legal authority for the Fish and Wildlife Service to fund this type of work. These include the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (as amended), the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Collectively, these authorities reflect the government purpose behind the project: generating applied scientific information that can inform conservation planning, contaminant risk understanding, and interagency coordination related to fish and aquatic ecosystems.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Unraveling Pathways and Sources of Selenium Exposure in Sacramento Splittail" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 12, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 01, 2017. (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 $75,727.00 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 F17AS00361

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