Opportunity Information: Apply for FA NOFO0027 002
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), administered through the Bureau of Land Management and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), is offering discretionary funding through cooperative agreements for research that helps managers and communities better understand and respond to evolving wildfire and smoke challenges. This primary announcement (Funding Opportunity Number FA NOFO0027 002; CFDA 15.232) is focused on environmental research that produces practical, manager-relevant science, including usable tools, decision support, and monitoring approaches. The program anticipates making about 10 awards, with a maximum award size (ceiling) of $500,000 per project.
The solicitation is organized around two topic areas, and each topic area includes three specific research needs. For a proposal to be considered responsive under a given topic area, it must address all three research needs listed for that topic. A major theme across both topics is applied science co-produced with fire and land managers, meaning proposals are expected to include real collaboration with practitioners to ensure the work is grounded in operational realities and produces outputs that can be implemented.
The first topic area, drivers of changing wildfire regimes and consequences for wildfire risk factors, aims to improve understanding of why wildfire regimes are changing and what those changes mean for ecosystems and highly valued resources such as communities, infrastructure, and municipal watersheds. The intent is to support management and monitoring plans that help agencies and partners adapt more quickly to altered fire regimes in ways that reduce wildfire risk factors. To meet the requirements for this topic, projects must (1) develop or significantly improve models, datasets, or other tools that can more accurately forecast future fire regimes and related consequences; (2) work in collaboration with fire and land managers to use those improved tools to explore plausible future scenarios, identify potential tipping points and feedback mechanisms that could accelerate change, and clarify what conditions might lead to rapid shifts in fire behavior or ecosystem response; and (3) also in collaboration with managers, propose monitoring protocols that can detect emerging tipping points or other early warning indicators of change, so that management can adjust before conditions deteriorate or risks escalate.
The second topic area, smoke impacts from prescribed fire and wildfire, is designed to strengthen the evidence base for how prescribed fire and wildfire affect smoke emissions and the resulting air quality and health outcomes. The program is seeking research that can help inform decisions about when, how often, and how extensively prescribed fire should be used to achieve ecological benefits while limiting adverse air quality impacts on nearby communities. A parallel goal is to advance toward a standardized methodology for tracking prescribed fire emissions, which is often a key gap for consistent planning and accountability. To be responsive under this topic, proposals must (1) use empirical, observational, and/or simulation approaches to document the spatial and temporal scales at which prescribed fire programs influence later wildfire regimes, such as changes in frequency, extent, intensity, or severity, and explain how those relationships vary by region, fuel type, disturbance history, or interactions with mechanical treatments; (2) evaluate and/or validate methods for tracking or predicting emissions from prescribed fire, strengthening confidence in tools or approaches that could be used consistently across programs; and (3) extend the findings from the first two research needs to practical implications for air quality and public health, including examining how mitigation strategies may reduce acute health impacts associated with smoke and degraded air quality.
Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations; public housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the notice). Because the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect substantial federal involvement during the project period, which commonly includes coordination on project direction, products, or engagement with the management community.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the JFSP submission system hosted on the program website (https://www.firescience.gov). Submissions through Grants.gov are not allowed for this opportunity. The deadline is September 17, 2026, at 5:00 pm Mountain Time, and the notice emphasizes that no exceptions will be made for late submissions. The announcement also directs applicants to consult the JFSP database for task-statement-specific requirements, implying that proposal formatting, content expectations, and evaluation details may vary by the specific task statement and should be confirmed directly within the JFSP system before submission.Apply for FA NOFO0027 002
- The Bureau of Land Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Wildland Fire Service BLM-National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Primary Announcement" 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 2026-07-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-17. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), administered through the Bureau of Land Management and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). It will fund environmental research that produces practical, manager-relevant science to help managers and communities understand and respond to evolving wildfire and smoke challenges.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?
Funding Opportunity Number: FA NOFO0027 002. CFDA: 15.232.
What funding instrument will be used?
Awards will be made through cooperative agreements. Because cooperative agreements involve substantial federal involvement, applicants should expect coordination with the federal partners during the project period (for example, coordination on project direction, products, and/or engagement with the management community).
How many awards does the program expect to make?
The program anticipates making about 10 awards.
What is the maximum award size?
The maximum award size (ceiling) is $500,000 per project.
What kind of research is JFSP looking for under this announcement?
The announcement is focused on environmental research that produces practical, manager-relevant science. This includes usable tools, decision support, and monitoring approaches that can be implemented by fire and land managers and that reflect operational realities.
What are the topic areas in this solicitation?
The solicitation includes two topic areas: (1) drivers of changing wildfire regimes and consequences for wildfire risk factors, and (2) smoke impacts from prescribed fire and wildfire.
Do proposals need to address specific research needs within a topic area?
Yes. Each topic area includes three specific research needs. To be considered responsive under a given topic area, a proposal must address all three research needs listed for that topic area.
Is collaboration with managers required?
A major theme across both topics is applied science co-produced with fire and land managers. Proposals are expected to include real collaboration with practitioners so the work is grounded in operational realities and produces outputs that can be implemented.
What is Topic Area 1 about?
Topic Area 1 focuses on drivers of changing wildfire regimes and the consequences for wildfire risk factors. The goal is to improve understanding of why wildfire regimes are changing and what those changes mean for ecosystems and highly valued resources such as communities, infrastructure, and municipal watersheds, and to support management and monitoring plans that help partners adapt more quickly to altered fire regimes in ways that reduce wildfire risk factors.
What are the three required research needs for Topic Area 1?
To be responsive under Topic Area 1, projects must address all three of the following:
- Develop or significantly improve models, datasets, or other tools that can more accurately forecast future fire regimes and related consequences.
- In collaboration with fire and land managers, use the improved tools to explore plausible future scenarios, identify potential tipping points and feedback mechanisms that could accelerate change, and clarify conditions that might lead to rapid shifts in fire behavior or ecosystem response.
- Also in collaboration with managers, propose monitoring protocols that can detect emerging tipping points or other early warning indicators of change so management can adjust before conditions deteriorate or risks escalate.
What is Topic Area 2 about?
Topic Area 2 focuses on smoke impacts from prescribed fire and wildfire. It is intended to strengthen the evidence base for how prescribed fire and wildfire affect smoke emissions and the resulting air quality and health outcomes. It also aims to advance toward a standardized methodology for tracking prescribed fire emissions to support consistent planning and accountability.
What are the three required research needs for Topic Area 2?
To be responsive under Topic Area 2, proposals must address all three of the following:
- Use empirical, observational, and/or simulation approaches to document the spatial and temporal scales at which prescribed fire programs influence later wildfire regimes (for example changes in frequency, extent, intensity, or severity), and explain how these relationships vary by region, fuel type, disturbance history, or interactions with mechanical treatments.
- Evaluate and/or validate methods for tracking or predicting emissions from prescribed fire, strengthening confidence in tools or approaches that could be used consistently across programs.
- Extend findings from the first two needs to practical implications for air quality and public health, including examining how mitigation strategies may reduce acute health impacts associated with smoke and degraded air quality.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include: state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations; public housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the notice).
Are higher education institutions eligible?
Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
Are tribal entities eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible even without 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The notice states nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status may be eligible, as specified in the notice.
How do applicants submit an application?
Applications must be submitted electronically through the JFSP submission system hosted on the program website: https://www.firescience.gov.
Can applications be submitted through Grants.gov?
No. Submissions through Grants.gov are not allowed for this opportunity.
What is the application deadline?
The deadline is September 17, 2026, at 5:00 pm Mountain Time.
Are late submissions accepted?
No. The notice emphasizes that no exceptions will be made for late submissions.
Where can applicants find task-statement-specific requirements?
The announcement directs applicants to consult the JFSP database for task-statement-specific requirements. This suggests proposal formatting, content expectations, and evaluation details may vary by the specific task statement and should be confirmed directly within the JFSP system before submission.
What kinds of outputs does the program want?
The program emphasizes practical, manager-relevant outputs, including usable tools, decision support, and monitoring approaches. It also emphasizes co-production with managers to ensure outputs can be implemented in real operational settings.
What does "co-produced applied science" mean in this context?
In this announcement, co-produced applied science refers to research developed and carried out in real collaboration with fire and land managers and other practitioners, so the work reflects operational constraints and results in products that are directly useful for management decisions.
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