USFWS Issues RFP for $1 Million WNS Research
Posted: Oct 21, 2011 5:40 pmThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a Request for Proposals for up to $1 million in WNS research. Deadline for submittals is Dec. 4, with award announcements expected in February, but money not likely to actually hit the streets until May, 2012.
Here are the research priorities USFWS would like addressed:
1. Understanding the timing and/or reservoirs for Gd transmission, and the parameters that correlate with apparent survival and/or susceptibility of bats with/to WNS:
- Which season(s) is the most critical for Gd transmission or movement?
- Are there site characteristics or biological parameters that correlate with increased bat survival and/or infection and observed spread in North America?
2. The general progression of fungal growth or disease expression within a site:
- Can we define a threshold of infection and/or identify differences in fungal load among different species within a hibernaculum?
- Do disease onset and/or prevalence change over time at contaminated sites, and does earlier annual onset correlate with survival/mortality rates?
3. Identification of non-chemical control options to reduce the severity of WNS among wild bats:
- Is there a biological means to disrupt transmission, disrupt/kill Gd, or otherwise decrease infection rates and/or bat mortality?
- Can survival of bats with WNS, or Gd loads within a site, be impacted by environmental manipulations?
We've posted a link to the full pdf on the NSS' WNS website: http://www.caves.org/WNS Click on the top Breaking News item.
Here are the research priorities USFWS would like addressed:
1. Understanding the timing and/or reservoirs for Gd transmission, and the parameters that correlate with apparent survival and/or susceptibility of bats with/to WNS:
- Which season(s) is the most critical for Gd transmission or movement?
- Are there site characteristics or biological parameters that correlate with increased bat survival and/or infection and observed spread in North America?
2. The general progression of fungal growth or disease expression within a site:
- Can we define a threshold of infection and/or identify differences in fungal load among different species within a hibernaculum?
- Do disease onset and/or prevalence change over time at contaminated sites, and does earlier annual onset correlate with survival/mortality rates?
3. Identification of non-chemical control options to reduce the severity of WNS among wild bats:
- Is there a biological means to disrupt transmission, disrupt/kill Gd, or otherwise decrease infection rates and/or bat mortality?
- Can survival of bats with WNS, or Gd loads within a site, be impacted by environmental manipulations?
We've posted a link to the full pdf on the NSS' WNS website: http://www.caves.org/WNS Click on the top Breaking News item.