BLM Joint Fire Science Program Student Travel Assistance | L17AS00166

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00166

The BLM Joint Fire Science Program Student Travel Assistance opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number L17AS00166) is a discretionary federal funding program offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is designed to provide travel support for graduate students who are conducting research related to wildland fire. The core purpose is to help these students attend professional workshops, conferences, and symposia connected to wildland fire science, with a strong emphasis on enabling them to participate and present the results of their research to professional audiences.

This opportunity is issued under the “Science and Technology and other Research and Development” activity category and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically indicates that, beyond simply providing funds, the federal agency may have an active role in the project during the period of performance (for example, through collaboration, coordination, or technical involvement), which can matter for applicants planning project management, reporting, and communication expectations.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is listed as “unrestricted,” meaning it is open to any type of entity, with the caveat that applicants must still pay attention to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full announcement under an “Additional Information on Eligibility” section. In practice, travel support programs like this are often pursued by universities, research institutions, or other eligible organizations that can sponsor or administer funds on behalf of graduate students, especially when the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement rather than a direct-to-student payment.

The award parameters indicate a maximum award amount (award ceiling) of $25,000, and the agency anticipated making one award. This suggests a relatively small, targeted competition intended to support a defined travel-assistance effort rather than a large portfolio of awards. The program is associated with CFDA number 15.232, which is used for federal assistance tracking and can be helpful when applicants are aligning institutional grants administration, internal compliance processes, or reporting.

Key timeline details from the announcement show a creation date of June 15, 2017, and an original closing date of August 19, 2017. Applicants would have needed to prepare and submit materials within that window, including whatever documentation the full notice required to justify the travel, demonstrate the relevance to wildland fire science, and show that the participating graduate students were prepared to contribute to the professional event(s) through presentations or other forms of engagement.

Overall, this grant opportunity focuses on strengthening the wildland fire science community by helping emerging researchers share findings, get feedback, and build professional networks at field-relevant scientific meetings. By underwriting travel costs tied to presenting research outcomes, the program supports both dissemination of fire science and the professional development of graduate students working in the wildland fire arena.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM Joint Fire Science Program Student Travel Assistance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.232.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 15, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 19, 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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for L17AS00166

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: