THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS- Resource Management Internships at Hot Springs National Park- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS | NPS NOIP17AC00390

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP17AC00390

This notice describes a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary cooperative agreement tied to an existing master partnership with The Student Conservation Association (SCA) under Cooperative Agreement Number P15AC00031. It is explicitly labeled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS," meaning it is not an open call for proposals; instead, it documents a specific task agreement issued under the broader cooperative framework. The overall intent is workforce and stewardship development: engaging young people in hands-on conservation service, building outdoor and professional skills, and helping cultivate the next generation of conservation leaders while advancing real resource-management work at Hot Springs National Park.

The project, titled "Resource Management Internships at Hot Springs National Park," focuses on using interns to support both natural and cultural resource priorities, alongside public interpretation. On the natural resources side, the work includes digitizing and summarizing historic scientific research records (many of which currently exist only in paper archives), entering historic and current natural-resource information into NPS database systems, and supporting basic analysis so the park can more easily use the information for management decisions. A related interpretive component supports the park's need for natural-resource content for new trail wayside exhibits, including drafting wording and contributing to signage content that helps visitors understand the park's natural features. Because Hot Springs National Park's foundational resources include its thermal waters, visitor interaction with geothermal water and the surrounding environment, and its cultural landscape, the internship work is meant to directly support those core values and make resource information more accessible to both managers and the public.

On the cultural resources side, the internships address major museum and archival needs. Hot Springs National Park maintains a very large museum collection (noted as more than 700,000 items), and the notice highlights a substantial backlog in administrative documentation. Internship tasks therefore include accessioning and cataloging objects and records, organizing and rehousing items (such as slides and three-dimensional artifacts), monitoring environmental conditions, and performing preventive conservation activities aimed at reducing risk of deterioration or loss due to past storage issues. In addition to behind-the-scenes collections work, interns may also support visitor-facing education by giving interpretive talks and tours and helping produce printed interpretive materials, tying resource stewardship to public understanding and enjoyment.

The statement of work lays out how responsibilities are divided between the recipient nonprofit and the NPS. The recipient organization (eligible applicants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education) is responsible for supporting youth engagement goals, assisting with recruitment and selection of interns, and handling administrative functions needed to deliver the internship services. NPS retains substantial operational control over the work itself: the park will select and manage interns and their projects, collaborate with the recipient during implementation, and provide orientation to NPS and Hot Springs National Park operations. NPS also commits to job-specific training, including safety training, training on natural and cultural resources, and instruction on relevant NPS digital database systems. The agency will provide technical staff support as needed, require staged review and approval (with the ability to stop work if performance specifications are not met), and closely monitor recipient activities and management processes during the task agreement. The NPS technical representative is also responsible for collecting end-of-term evaluations and program assessments and forwarding them to the Midwest Regional Financial Assistance Office.

The public-facing grant listing identifies the opportunity number as NPS NOIP17AC00390 and categorizes it as a cooperative agreement within activity areas that include education and workforce training, environment and natural resources, and humanities/cultural affairs (CFDA 15.931). It shows an anticipated single award with a funding ceiling of $30,000. The posting date is April 20, 2017, with an original closing date of April 30, 2017, but the repeated "not a request for applications" language signals that the listing functions primarily as documentation/notification of a planned or existing agreement action under the NPS-SCA cooperative arrangement rather than a competitive application opportunity for the general public.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS- Resource Management Internships at Hot Springs National Park- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 20, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 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 $30,000.00 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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