Work-based Research Learning for Youth- MISS | NPS NOIP19AC00345

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP19AC00345

Work-based Research Learning for Youth - MISS is a National Park Service (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement opportunity designed to give young people paid, hands-on work experience by involving them directly in field research and related restoration work at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS). The core idea is to place 1 to 2 youth in a structured work-research role where they learn practical conservation and research skills while contributing data the park needs to make better management decisions. The project is closely tied to building a Forest Management Plan and strengthening the park's ability to prioritize natural resource restoration and preservation work over time.

The project responds to a real and urgent management problem: the loss of nearly 100 ash trees in the park, which increases risks like erosion, reduced forest canopy, and invasive species pressures. To help address these impacts, the park is partnering with the Mississippi Park Connection (MPC) to hire youth who will work alongside experts to expand the park's vegetation data. A major deliverable is the establishment and survey of 500 new vegetation plots (also described as 500 points) within forested areas of the 72-mile corridor that makes up MISS. Using existing vegetation monitoring methods, these surveys will capture information across all forest layers, from ground-level plants through the canopy. Because of that, youth participants are expected to build competence in plant identification and learn how to recognize species at different heights and growth forms. They will be trained and supported by knowledgeable contractors and/or volunteers while they complete the fieldwork, and then they will enter collected information into the park's vegetation database.

The data collected is not just for recordkeeping; it is intended to enable the park to reanalyze vegetation conditions and pinpoint which sites most need protection, reforestation, and restoration. The selection of survey locations is also meant to be practical and partnership-driven, focusing both on filling gaps in existing vegetation data and on meeting partner needs to better understand ecological conditions on their lands. In addition to research and data management, youth may take part in on-the-ground restoration activities to replace ash with other appropriate species, helping the park adapt to Emerald Ash Borer impacts and broader climate stressors.

Beyond research plots, the work can extend into community-facing and collaborative conservation tasks. Youth may support the park's volunteer habitat restoration program, including helping coordinate volunteer work days and potentially helping lead volunteers in the field. The project mentions the possibility of planting up to 5,000 trees and shrubs across MISS forests with volunteers, MPC staff, and park staff. Youth may also work with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota crew to quantify and document the impacts of restoration work along the corridor, help communicate to the general public about Emerald Ash Borer and climate change effects on the Mississippi River, and assist partners in identifying planting locations for trees grown previously in gravel bed nurseries (2018 and 2019 stock). Alongside technical skills like data selection, data collection, and data entry, the program also emphasizes professional development, including training in job-seeking skills. Youth receive orientation and training through both MISS and MPC to support longer-term career growth in conservation, research, and related fields.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered under Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP19AC00345 and CFDA 15.954, with an award ceiling of $48,000 and an expectation of one award. The eligible applicants are nonprofits with IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity was posted May 22, 2019, with an original closing date of June 7, 2019. Overall, the grant blends youth workforce development with practical conservation science, using structured training and real field outputs to strengthen forest management decisions and accelerate restoration efforts across the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Work-based Research Learning for Youth- MISS" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 07, 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 $48,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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