Asian Elephant Conservation Fund

 

To provide financial assistance to support the effective long-term conservation of Asian elephants. This program provides support for projects that focus on one or more of the following areas: Applied research, including surveys and monitoring; enhanced compliance with treaties and laws that prohibit the take or trade of Asian elephant or regulate the use and management of their habitat; conservation education and community outreach; development and execution of conservation management plans; enhanced protection of at-risk populations; habitat conservation and management, including protected area and reserve management; local capacity building; reduction of human-elephant conflicts; transfrontier conservation; and wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills.

Active 15.621 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Program received 56 proposals and anticipates issuing 30 awards. The program received 56 applications and issued 27 awards.
Fiscal Year 2018 In FY18 the program received 65 applications and issued 22 awards.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY19 the program received 50 applications and issued 16 awards.
Fiscal Year 2020 In FY20 the program anticipated receiving approximately 50 applications and issuing 15 awards.
Fiscal Year 2021 In FY21 the program received 65 applications, issued 0 new awards, and issued 7 cost modifications.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY22 the program received 0 applications and issued 21 awards.
Fiscal Year 2023 In FY23 the program anticipates receiving 0 applications, issuing 0 new awards, and issuing 15 financial amendments to existing awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 In FY24 the program anticipates receiving 50 applications and issuing 20 awards. Asian Elephant Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §4261 et seq. Applications may be submitted by any Asian government agency responsible for Asian elephant conservation and protection, and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in Asian elephant conservation. Any Asian government agency responsible for Asian elephant conservation and protection, and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in Asian elephant conservation. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. No NOFO will be posted in FY23. The program announcement and application instructions for this program can be found at Grants.gov websitewww.grants.gov. The Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions are also located on this program's website at http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/notice-of-funding-availability-asian-elephant.pdf. If you are unable to access the Internet, hard copies are available upon request from the Branch of Near East, South Asia & Africa, Division of International Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. A proposal will not be considered complete if required elements are not submitted as instructed. U.S. applicants must submit (among other elements) a complete, signed Standard Form 424 "Application for Federal Assistance." Projects are reviewed and competitively selected for funding using criteria developed on the requirements of the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund (16 USC 4261-4266.) Review criteria can be found in the application information at http://www.fws.gov/international/grants-and-reporting/how-to-apply.html. Once a proposal has been selected for funding, an FWS approving official executes an Assistance Award between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Recipient. Fully executed Awards are sent to the Recipient either electronically or through the mail. The Division of International Conservation then administers all other aspects of the Assistance Award. Not applicable. From 120 to 180 days. Not applicable. Not applicable. Proposals will be reviewed based on criteria developed from the requirements of the Asian Elephant Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4261-4266). Additional details on the selection criteria can be found in the Asian Elephant Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions http://www.fws.gov/international/grants-and-reporting/how-to-apply.html. Hard copies of the criteria are available upon request from the Division of International Conservation. Project work should occur within the range of the Asian elephant, or, if work is to be conducted outside of the range, the proposal should show a clear relevance to Asian elephant conservation. Applied research projects should address specific management needs and actions. Funds provided under this program will not be used for: the purchase of firearms or ammunition; buying of intelligence information or paying informants: gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity; law enforcement operations that prompt suspects to carry out illegal activities so they may be arrested (entrapment); or any activity that would circumvent sanctions, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country in which the activity would occur. Funds may not be used to provide material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. The countries currently identified are: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. A final performance report is due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. Not applicable. Recipients will maintain records in accordance with 2 CFR 200. Program-specific legislation/regulation may dictate additional records retention requirements. Program will detail all non-standard records retention requirements in the notice of award. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. To the extent possible, grant funds are matched by nonfederal funds. Cost sharing is not required but priority will be given to projects for which there exists some measure of matching funds.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Assistance is available from the start data of the period of performance to the end date of the period of performance. Funding must be spent within 90 days of the end date of the period of performance. Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation or special award terms. Program will include any special payment terms and conditions in the notice of award. None/Not specified. Chief,
Division of International Conservation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IA

Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 US
mscf_asianelephant@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-1754
Fax: (703) 358-2115. https://www.fws.gov/program/asian-elephant-conservation-fund 14-1652-0-1-302 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$2,877,395.00; FY 23 est $1,999,998.00; FY 24 est $3,000,000.00; - Variable amounts. Generally $50,000 or less. Higher amounts may be requested. Acceptance of a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award. Service Award Terms and Conditions are available at https://www.fws.gov/grants/atc.html. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by the Service. Awards from the Service are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. The Service financial assistance award terms and conditions flow down to subrecipients and contractors, unless a particular award term or condition specifically indicates otherwise. Fiscal Year 2017 Program has not yet selected projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that are effective for the long-term conservation of Asian elephants, and those that are similar in scope to FY 2016. The program supported: 1) A project is to expand the range of an existing community-based Elephant Conservation Unit (ECU) to reach communities recently experiencing human-elephant conflict (HEC) as well as collect Asian elephant behavioral and socioecological data in agricultural landscapes in Sabah, Malaysia; 2) a project to reduce human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Nepal through training of trainers programs in landscapes where humans and wild Asian elephants coexist, targeting educators and local communities; 3) a project to ensure the survival and increase the population of the Critically Endangered Sumatran elephant through a comprehensive elephant management strategy that protects the integrity of habitat and benefits rural communities of Ulu Masen, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Fiscal Year 2018 The program supported: 1) a project to facilitate human-elephant co-existence in Sri Lanka; 2) a project to secure Asian elephant habitats and populations in Kerala, South India through a Government endorsed, comprehensive, landscape-scale conservation plan; 3) a project to develop an elephant conservation action plan and strengthening elephant conservation initiatives focused to Khata and Karnali forest corridors of Bardia, Nepal.
Fiscal Year 2019 The program supported: 1) A project to transform human-elephant interactions through compensation, education, and mitigation around India’s Western Ghats; 2) A cross-border environmental education project in Cambodia and Thailand to protect Asian elephants and combat trafficking of ivory; 3) A project that uses science-based technology to estimate the population of wild Asian elephants and address conservation challenges of human-elephant conflict in Western Nepal.
Fiscal Year 2020 The program anticipates funding projects that promote the conservation of Asian elephants and their habitats.
Fiscal Year 2021 Conservation and monitoring of Sumatran elephants in Bukit Tigapuluh, Indonesia: The purpose of this project is to support and supervise Community-Based Conflict Mitigation (CBCM) in order to decrease both loss and damages to farmers and retaliatory actions towards Critically Endangered Sumatran elephants and to monitor movements of and threats to the resident elephant population of Bukit Tigapuluh, Sumatra, Indonesia. Project activities will include: 1) in-house training of Elephant Conservation and Conflict Mitigation Unit teams; 2) monitoring and tracking GPS-collared elephants and their family groups to safeguard them from poaching and poisoning; 3) the re-capture of collared elephants to replace non-active collars; 4) monitoring and assessment of damages from human-elephant conflict (HEC) incidents; and 5) further strengthening the existing early-warning HEC system by working closely with village leaders and authorities to provide emergency hotline accessibility and quick response of ranger teams. This project will contribute to the peaceful coexistence of people and Sumatran elephants in one of the largest remaining lowland forests in Sumatra.
Fiscal Year 2022 Project that supports initiating a long-term elephant monitoring program in a human-dominated landscape, specifically to assess wild Asian elephant populations, movement, habitat use, and patterns of human-elephant conflict. Specific objectives are to: (1) better understand the elephant populations of the landscape; (2) assess spatiotemporal patterns and local communities’ attitudes and tolerance of HEC; (3) ascertain the drivers of HEC in the landscape; and (4) test and establish elephant detection systems. Project activities are to: (1) conduct a landscape-level elephant sign survey to assess seasonal distribution and habitat use; (2) undertake camera trap surveys to assess population structure; (3) conduct a ground-based assessment of property damage, crop loss, injury, and deaths related to HEC; (4) conduct household surveys to assess attitudes and direct and indirect impacts of HEC and mitigation measures; (5) map all HEC mitigations currently used in the landscape, including investment and maintenance costs; (6) assess the efficacy of HEC mitigation measures by measuring the results of various interventions; (7) conduct dung-based hormone analysis to measure the nutritional stress of elephants; (8) assess and map threats and anthropogenic disturbances to elephant habitat; (9) trial a prototype acoustic-based elephant detection device; (10) deploy the acoustic-detection system in the field; (11) dissemination of results to government officials, policy makers, and social media platforms; (12) community outreach including workshops and focus groups in high-conflict villages; and (13) recommendation of site-specific HEC mitigation measures.
Fiscal Year 2023 Project that supports assessing changes in wild Asian elephant distribution and human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka and correlate them to management actions and land use changes to better conserve elephants and effectively manage HEC. Project objectives are to: (1) map the current distribution of elephants and HEC countrywide; and (2) use the results to guide elephant management and HEC mitigation. Specific project activities are to: (1) conduct a countrywide grid-based questionnaire survey assessing the presence/absence of elephant herds and males, and temporal patterns of occupation; (2) conduct a countrywide grid-based questionnaire survey of HEC distribution and assess the intensity and trends of HEC; and (3) analyze data, prepare, and publish maps of elephant and HEC distribution and make them available for policy makers, managers, developers, and the public.
Fiscal Year 2024 Project that supports creating a comprehensive education and mentoring program for the next generation of policymakers and scientists. This project aims to refine our understanding of personality in wild Asian elephants, investigate how personality traits are associated with HEC, and determine ways that mitigation strategies can be implemented more effectively while accounting for elephant personalities and cognition. Project objectives are to: (1) expand the frequency of observations from watchtowers to monitor elephant interactions with farmers as elephants approach and enter crop fields; (2) optimize collection of videos to gather behavior and elephant population demographic data; (3) assign the personality traits of innovation, neophilia, boldness, and aggression to individual elephants; (4) support farmers and park rangers in their daily work and engagement with the project; (5) compile and share with farmers the personality profiles for elephants observed in village crop fields, using data from observational and experimental approaches; (6) design a ‘mitigation toolkit’ using the elephants identified from one TMN crop field to assess the toolkit’s effectiveness; (7) create strategic toolkits for all other farmers working in and around field sites; (8) implement a novel elephant deterrence technique using olfactory cues and evaluate associations between personality and reactions to olfactory deterrents; (9) implement olfactory cue mitigation surrounding one MPS crop field and assess changes in elephant presence and behavior; (10) collaborate with local University’s conservation biology program to engage and support undergraduates; and (11) conduct workshops with local stakeholders.