Opportunity Information: Apply for F22AS00309
The Zoonotic Disease Initiative - States and Territories (Funding Opportunity Number F22AS00309) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant program funded through the American Rescue Plan. Its central purpose is to help prevent wildlife disease events from escalating into broader public health threats by improving early detection, speeding up response, and strengthening science-based management of diseases that can move between wildlife, domestic animals, and people. The program is framed around pandemic prevention and preparedness, with a strong emphasis on building durable, repeatable capability inside fish and wildlife agencies rather than funding one-off efforts.
Funding is intended to establish or expand the ability of Tribal, State, and Territorial fish and wildlife agencies to address health issues in free-ranging wildlife, including terrestrial mammals, birds, and aquatic species. The practical aim is to reduce negative impacts to wildlife populations and ecosystems while also protecting the public by improving surveillance, management, and applied research tied to zoonotic and wildlife health risks. A key theme is that diseases do not respect borders, so the program pushes agencies to coordinate across jurisdictions and operate more like a connected, regional network during both routine monitoring and emergency outbreaks.
Program objectives focus on building a strong foundation for an interjurisdictional, landscape-level wildlife health and disease network. One major objective is ensuring wildlife managers have current, evidence-based wildlife disease plans that cover core elements such as surveillance strategies, diagnostic capacity (including pathology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, toxicology, and biosafety), outbreak response, wildlife population management, regulatory and policy actions, data management, risk assessment and decision support, training, and communications plans that get timely, understandable information to key stakeholders. A second objective is strengthening connections among State, Territorial, and Tribal managers within regions, specifically including ties to public health and veterinary services so that wildlife, agriculture, and human health partners can coordinate effectively. A third objective is improving access to diagnostic services and improving the ability to manage, share, and communicate wildlife health data.
Projects are expected to last one to three years. Awardees must complete a survey at the beginning and end of the project; this is described as a program evaluation tool for the overall American Rescue Plan Zoonotic Disease Initiative and not as a scoring tool for individual proposals. The survey link provided in the notice is hosted on Microsoft Forms.
The opportunity supports a broad set of eligible activities that collectively strengthen readiness and response capacity. On the planning and prevention side, funding can be used to develop best management practices for fish and wildlife diseases (either comprehensive or issue-specific), create or improve biosecurity and biosafety protocols for field staff and facilities, and build internal and external communication systems that can be activated quickly in both routine and emergency situations. It also supports forward-looking work like disease forecasting, horizon scanning, and risk assessments, including assessments related to climate change, pathogen persistence, exposure pathways, spillover hotspots, susceptible species, and even reverse zoonotic transmission (movement of pathogens from humans or domestic animals into wildlife).
On the operational and response side, the program can fund disease management planning and contingency plans, surveillance system design (including environmental surveillance such as aquatic monitoring for waterborne pathogens), and emergency preparedness activities like mutual aid agreements, tabletop and field exercises, and development of all-hazards incident management capacity that includes wildlife disease expertise. It also explicitly includes after-action reviews of disease responses, structured decision-making and adaptive management approaches under uncertainty, and long-term monitoring to detect recurrence or lasting population-level impacts after an event.
Capacity building is a major allowable use of funds. Agencies can hire dedicated wildlife health staff, including biologists, technicians, veterinarians, ecologists, social scientists, and other relevant expertise to improve detection, sampling, processing, data entry, and response capability. The grant also recognizes the importance of human behavior in disease outcomes by supporting human-dimensions work such as risk perception research, message testing, education and outreach strategies, knowledge translation, and conflict resolution with stakeholders when disease interventions are controversial or disruptive.
Additional eligible investments include efforts that reduce disease pressure by increasing ecological resilience and protecting environmental services, such as projects that reduce risky human or domestic animal interactions with wildlife, address invasive or injurious species that may serve as reservoirs, and improve environmental and water quality in ways that reduce disease transmission. Funding can also be used to modernize information management systems, convert legacy records into usable electronic formats, create data management plans, improve reporting and visualization, and develop data-sharing strategies across wildlife, agriculture, and public health agencies.
The program also supports work on governance and authority, such as inventories and gap analyses of statutes and regulations related to wildlife disease response, resolving interjurisdictional issues, and developing policies, regulations, or ordinances that enable sustainable wildlife health programs. Laboratory and diagnostic network strengthening is another major category, including establishing or expanding diagnostic services, joining regional diagnostic efforts, creating agreements with state or national labs, and purchasing logistics and equipment for sample collection, testing, archiving, and storage. Partnership development is encouraged through formal agreements like MOUs, creation or strengthening of networks and communities of practice that include Federal, State, Territorial, and Tribal partners, and even engagement of citizen scientists for detection and response where appropriate.
Public and occupational health elements are also eligible, such as developing biosafety guidance for personnel, volunteers, and visitors, and building working relationships with public health offices for routine coordination and emergency response; proposals can include hiring public health expertise. The initiative allows applied research focused on practical tools for detection and management, and it supports development of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that integrate wildlife health data with climate and environmental information to identify at-risk species and populations. Training is an explicit eligible activity, including didactic and hands-on courses for a wide range of personnel (biologists, veterinarians, law enforcement, volunteers, rehabilitators, and partners) in areas such as disease response, incident management, and PPE and biosecurity practices, with an emphasis on consistent, collaborative training across jurisdictions. Wildlife rehabilitation work is included to the extent it improves biosecurity, strengthens diagnostics for animals entering rehabilitation, and improves release protocols to limit ecological impacts.
Key constraints include that award funds cannot be used for real property acquisition or construction. The notice also indicates eligible applicants include state governments and other eligible entities, with specific mention of U.S. Territorial governments in the text. The listed award ceiling is $775,000, and the original closing date shown for this opportunity was June 27, 2022 (creation date April 13, 2022), indicating this particular posting reflects a specific funding round under the broader initiative.Apply for F22AS00309
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Zoonotic Disease Initiative - States and Territories" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.069.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-13.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-06-27. (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 $775,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Zoonotic Disease Initiative - States and Territories (F22AS00309)?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant program funded through the American Rescue Plan. The program supports Tribal, State, and Territorial fish and wildlife agencies in building durable, repeatable capacity to detect, respond to, and manage wildlife diseases, especially zoonotic diseases (those that can move between wildlife, domestic animals, and people).
What is the central purpose of this grant program?
The central purpose is to help prevent wildlife disease events from escalating into broader public health threats by improving early detection, speeding up response, and strengthening science-based management of diseases at the wildlife-domestic animal-human interface. The program is framed around pandemic prevention and preparedness.
What types of wildlife does the program focus on?
The program supports work related to health issues in free-ranging wildlife, including terrestrial mammals, birds, and aquatic species.
Who is this funding intended to support?
Funding is intended to establish or expand the ability of Tribal, State, and Territorial fish and wildlife agencies to address wildlife health issues. The notice also indicates eligible applicants include state governments and other eligible entities, and it specifically mentions U.S. Territorial governments.
What are the main objectives of the opportunity?
The objectives focus on building a strong foundation for an interjurisdictional, landscape-level wildlife health and disease network. This includes: (1) ensuring wildlife managers have current, evidence-based wildlife disease plans; (2) strengthening connections among State, Territorial, and Tribal managers within regions, including ties to public health and veterinary services; and (3) improving access to diagnostic services and improving the ability to manage, share, and communicate wildlife health data.
What kinds of plans or program elements are emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes evidence-based wildlife disease plans that address core elements such as surveillance strategies, diagnostic capacity (including pathology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, toxicology, and biosafety), outbreak response, wildlife population management, regulatory and policy actions, data management, risk assessment and decision support, training, and communications plans that deliver timely, understandable information to stakeholders.
How long are projects expected to last?
Projects are expected to last one to three years.
Is there a required evaluation or survey component?
Yes. Awardees must complete a survey at the beginning and end of the project. The survey is described as a program evaluation tool for the overall American Rescue Plan Zoonotic Disease Initiative, not as a scoring tool for individual proposals. The survey link provided in the notice is hosted on Microsoft Forms.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $775,000.
What was the closing date for this specific funding round?
The original closing date shown for this opportunity was June 27, 2022. The creation date shown was April 13, 2022. This indicates the posting reflects a specific funding round under the broader initiative.
Does the program encourage cross-border or regional coordination?
Yes. A key theme is that diseases do not respect borders, so the program encourages agencies to coordinate across jurisdictions and operate more like a connected, regional network during both routine monitoring and emergency outbreaks.
What planning and prevention activities are eligible?
Eligible planning and prevention activities include developing best management practices for fish and wildlife diseases (comprehensive or issue-specific), creating or improving biosecurity and biosafety protocols for field staff and facilities, and building internal and external communication systems that can be activated quickly in routine and emergency situations.
Are disease forecasting, horizon scanning, and risk assessments allowed?
Yes. The opportunity supports forward-looking work such as disease forecasting, horizon scanning, and risk assessments. The notice specifically mentions assessments related to climate change, pathogen persistence, exposure pathways, spillover hotspots, susceptible species, and reverse zoonotic transmission (movement of pathogens from humans or domestic animals into wildlife).
What surveillance-related activities can be funded?
The program can fund surveillance system design, including environmental surveillance such as aquatic monitoring for waterborne pathogens, as well as activities that improve detection, sampling, processing, and data entry tied to wildlife health risks.
What emergency preparedness and response activities are eligible?
Eligible activities include disease management planning and contingency plans, mutual aid agreements, tabletop and field exercises, and development of all-hazards incident management capacity that includes wildlife disease expertise.
Are after-action reviews and improvement planning supported?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes after-action reviews of disease responses and also supports structured decision-making and adaptive management approaches under uncertainty.
Can projects include long-term monitoring after a disease event?
Yes. The program supports long-term monitoring to detect recurrence or lasting population-level impacts after an event.
Can grant funds be used to hire staff?
Yes. Capacity building is a major allowable use of funds, including hiring dedicated wildlife health staff such as biologists, technicians, veterinarians, ecologists, social scientists, and other relevant expertise to improve detection and response capability.
Does the program support human-dimensions or public engagement work?
Yes. The grant supports human-dimensions work such as risk perception research, message testing, education and outreach strategies, knowledge translation, and conflict resolution with stakeholders, particularly when disease interventions are controversial or disruptive.
Are projects that reduce disease risk by improving ecological resilience eligible?
Yes. The opportunity includes efforts that reduce disease pressure by increasing ecological resilience and protecting environmental services. Examples mentioned include reducing risky human or domestic animal interactions with wildlife, addressing invasive or injurious species that may serve as reservoirs, and improving environmental and water quality in ways that reduce disease transmission.
Can funding be used for data systems and information management improvements?
Yes. Eligible investments include modernizing information management systems, converting legacy records into usable electronic formats, creating data management plans, improving reporting and visualization, and developing data-sharing strategies across wildlife, agriculture, and public health agencies.
Does the program support governance, authority, and policy development related to wildlife disease response?
Yes. Supported work includes inventories and gap analyses of statutes and regulations related to wildlife disease response, resolving interjurisdictional issues, and developing policies, regulations, or ordinances that enable sustainable wildlife health programs.
Are laboratory and diagnostic services eligible costs?
Yes. Laboratory and diagnostic network strengthening is a major category, including establishing or expanding diagnostic services, joining regional diagnostic efforts, creating agreements with state or national labs, and purchasing logistics and equipment for sample collection, testing, archiving, and storage.
Does the opportunity encourage partnerships and formal agreements?
Yes. Partnership development is encouraged through formal agreements like MOUs, creation or strengthening of networks and communities of practice that include Federal, State, Territorial, and Tribal partners, and engagement of citizen scientists for detection and response where appropriate.
Are public and occupational health elements eligible?
Yes. Eligible elements include developing biosafety guidance for personnel, volunteers, and visitors, building working relationships with public health offices for routine coordination and emergency response, and proposals may include hiring public health expertise.
Is applied research allowed under this funding opportunity?
Yes. The initiative allows applied research focused on practical tools for detection and management.
Can projects integrate wildlife health with climate adaptation and mitigation planning?
Yes. The program supports development of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that integrate wildlife health data with climate and environmental information to identify at-risk species and populations.
Is training an eligible use of funds?
Yes. Training is explicitly eligible, including didactic and hands-on courses for personnel such as biologists, veterinarians, law enforcement, volunteers, rehabilitators, and partners. Training topics include disease response, incident management, and PPE and biosecurity practices, with an emphasis on consistent, collaborative training across jurisdictions.
Is wildlife rehabilitation work eligible?
Yes, to the extent it improves biosecurity, strengthens diagnostics for animals entering rehabilitation, and improves release protocols to limit ecological impacts.
Are there spending restrictions or unallowable costs noted?
Yes. Award funds cannot be used for real property acquisition or construction.
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