Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00031
The Transportation Fellow Program is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiative designed to improve how visitors get to, move through, and experience national wildlife refuges and other USFWS-managed sites. USFWS oversees the National Wildlife Refuge System, a vast network of protected lands and waters totaling roughly 855.6 million acres across 566 refuges, 38 wetland management districts, 50 coordination areas, and seven national monuments. With more than 53 million visitors each year, these places face real transportation challenges, from road access and parking to visitor circulation, safety, transit options, and resource protection. This program targets those needs by pairing transportation talent with on-the-ground refuge priorities.
At the core of the opportunity is a 10-month fellowship for outstanding recent graduates in transportation-related fields. Fellows are embedded directly with USFWS staff and placed at a national wildlife refuge or another USFWS office location. Their role is hands-on and project-driven: each fellow works on a specific transportation issue that supports transportation planning or implementation at the site. The intent is practical problem-solving that helps field stations develop transportation solutions that both protect sensitive natural and cultural resources and improve the visitor experience. Projects may include planning for alternative transportation, improving visitor flow, evaluating access strategies, or developing implementation-ready concepts that a refuge can carry forward.
The program is guided by three main goals. First, it aims to encourage early-career transportation professionals to consider and pursue careers serving federal public lands. Second, it provides transportation expertise that many refuges and regional offices need but may not have in-house, helping them address pressing transportation and visitor-access issues. Third, it supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of viable alternative transportation options for visitors, reflecting a broader interest in reducing congestion, limiting environmental impacts, and offering safer or more sustainable ways for the public to access refuge destinations.
This particular grant notice is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, with an activity category focused on natural resources (CFDA 15.678). The eligible applicant type listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. However, the notice is explicitly a Notification of Intent to make a single-source award to Montana State University (MSU), meaning the recipient had already been selected and it was not an open competition at the time of posting. Under the agreement, the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at MSU is expected to assist USFWS by supporting and mentoring Transportation Fellows assigned to refuge complexes and locations across the United States, essentially serving as a technical and programmatic backbone for the fellowship experience.
Key administrative details include an opportunity number of F18AS00031, with the announcement created on February 9, 2018, and an original closing date of February 15, 2018. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $332,000. The period of performance listed runs from March 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, covering multiple fellowship cycles or placements during that window depending on program structure and staffing plans.
The program is authorized under a broad set of federal conservation and public lands statutes that collectively support wildlife conservation, habitat protection, visitor access, and stewardship. These include, among others, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Fish and Wildlife Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, and the Public Lands Corps Act. Taken together, these authorities reinforce the program rationale: transportation decisions on refuges are not just operational concerns, but part of how USFWS carries out its conservation mission while accommodating millions of visitors in a way that is safe, sustainable, and compatible with resource protection.Apply for F18AS00031
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Transportation Fellow Program" 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 Feb 09, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 15, 2018 This is a Notification of Intent to award a single source Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit cooperative agreement to Montana State University. The recipient has already been selected.. (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 $332,000.00 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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Transportation Fellow Program (USFWS) Grant Opportunity: FAQs
What is the Transportation Fellow Program?
The Transportation Fellow Program is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiative focused on improving how visitors get to, move through, and experience national wildlife refuges and other USFWS-managed sites. It addresses practical transportation challenges such as access roads, parking, on-site circulation, visitor safety, transit options, congestion, and protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources.
Why is USFWS focusing on transportation at refuges?
USFWS manages the National Wildlife Refuge System, which spans roughly 855.6 million acres across 566 refuges, 38 wetland management districts, 50 coordination areas, and seven national monuments. With more than 53 million visitors each year, many sites face real, on-the-ground transportation and visitor-access pressures. The program is intended to help sites plan and implement transportation solutions that support both visitor experience and resource stewardship.
What does the fellowship involve?
At the center of the program is a 10-month, project-based fellowship for outstanding recent graduates in transportation-related fields. Fellows are embedded with USFWS staff and placed at a national wildlife refuge or another USFWS office location, where they work hands-on on a defined transportation issue tied to planning or implementation needs at that site.
What kinds of projects might Transportation Fellows work on?
Based on the description provided, projects can include planning for alternative transportation, improving visitor flow and circulation, evaluating access strategies, and developing implementation-ready concepts that a refuge can carry forward. The emphasis is on practical problem-solving that protects resources while improving visitor access and experience.
Where are fellows placed?
Fellows are placed at a national wildlife refuge or at another USFWS office location. The notice indicates placements can occur across the United States, aligned with refuge complexes and other USFWS-managed locations.
What are the main goals of the Transportation Fellow Program?
The program is guided by three main goals: (1) encourage early-career transportation professionals to pursue careers serving federal public lands; (2) provide transportation expertise to refuges and regional offices that may not have that capacity in-house; and (3) support the development, implementation, and evaluation of viable alternative transportation options for visitors to reduce congestion, limit environmental impacts, and improve safety and sustainability.
What is the grant mechanism for this notice?
This notice is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, with an activity category focused on natural resources.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The notice lists CFDA 15.678.
Who is eligible to apply, according to the notice?
The eligible applicant type listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Is this an open, competitive funding opportunity?
No. The notice is explicitly described as a Notification of Intent to make a single-source award to Montana State University (MSU). That means the recipient had already been selected and the posting was not an open competition at the time it was announced.
Who is the intended recipient named in the notice?
The notice states an intent to make a single-source award to Montana State University (MSU).
What role does Montana State University play under this agreement?
Under the agreement, the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University is expected to assist USFWS by supporting and mentoring Transportation Fellows assigned to refuge complexes and locations across the United States. In practical terms, WTI serves as technical and programmatic support for the fellowship experience.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number listed is F18AS00031.
When was the announcement created, and when did it close?
The announcement was created on February 9, 2018, and the original closing date listed is February 15, 2018.
How many awards are expected?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the maximum (ceiling) amount for the award?
The award ceiling listed is $332,000.
What is the period of performance for the cooperative agreement?
The period of performance is listed as March 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019.
Does the period of performance suggest multiple fellow placements or cycles?
The notice states the period of performance runs from March 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, and notes that this window could cover multiple fellowship cycles or placements depending on program structure and staffing plans.
What transportation problems is the program trying to solve at refuges?
The description highlights challenges including road access, parking, visitor circulation, safety, transit options, congestion, and the need to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources while accommodating large numbers of visitors.
How does the program connect transportation work to conservation and resource protection?
The program frames transportation decisions as part of how USFWS carries out its conservation mission. Projects are intended to help field stations develop transportation solutions that are compatible with protecting sensitive resources while improving visitor access and experience.
What federal authorities are cited as supporting this program?
The notice indicates the program is authorized under a broad set of federal conservation and public lands statutes. Examples listed include the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, Endangered Species Act, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, Fish and Wildlife Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Coastal Barrier Resources Act, and Public Lands Corps Act.
Which agency is overseeing this opportunity?
The opportunity is under the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
How does the fellowship benefit USFWS field stations and regional offices?
The fellowship provides transportation expertise and hands-on support for specific site priorities, helping locations that may not have in-house transportation staff address pressing access, circulation, safety, and alternative transportation needs.
How does the fellowship benefit early-career professionals?
The program is designed to encourage early-career transportation professionals to consider and pursue careers serving federal public lands by placing them directly into practical, mission-driven projects alongside USFWS staff.
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