Opportunity Information: Apply for FA NOFO0027 001
The Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management and the National Interagency Fire Center, is offering the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Fire Leaders And Managers, Emerging Scientists (FLAMES) award to support current US-based masters and doctoral students whose work focuses on wildland fire or closely related physical, biological, or social science topics. This opportunity is designed to do more than just fund a student project; it is meant to connect emerging researchers with real-world fire management and policy needs. The program emphasizes practical, career-building experiences that help students understand how their science is used by practitioners, while also building a cohort of peers and mentors across the wildland fire community.
A key feature of FLAMES is that it funds a new, currently unfunded research project that extends or supplements the applicant's existing, advisor-approved thesis or dissertation. In other words, it is not meant to replace the student’s graduate research plan, but to add a focused piece of work that strengthens it and makes it more directly useful to management or policy decisions. To be considered, the proposed research must align with JFSP’s mission and goals, and applicants are encouraged to review the JFSP website and funded-project database to better understand what types of questions and deliverables fit the program.
All proposals must directly address a management- or policy-relevant question within at least one of the specific topic areas identified in the announcement: fuels management and prescribed fire; the changing fire environment; emissions and air quality; fire effects and post-fire recovery; or the human dimensions of fire management. Projects outside these areas will not be reviewed, so applicants need to clearly connect their research aims to one or more of these categories and frame their work around decisions that managers or policymakers actually face (for example, how treatments change fire behavior, how smoke affects communities, what recovery actions work best after fire, or how public attitudes and institutions shape fire outcomes).
The award is structured around a set of required experiences and outputs during the project period. Recipients must complete the supplemental research project, but they also need to gain hands-on exposure to wildland fire practitioners through participation in prescribed fire, wildfire activities, or other fire-management work relevant to their expertise. In addition, students are expected to take part in regular JFSP-organized virtual meetings that build a student cohort, share information, and introduce training and engagement opportunities. Finally, each recipient must participate in at least one in-person practitioner-focused event such as a workshop, training, or field tour, and produce at least one management-relevant product (for example, a webinar or factsheet) that clearly explains how the research matters to on-the-ground management.
From a funding and administrative perspective, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism under CFDA 15.232, with an award ceiling of $40,000 and an anticipated total of about 12 awards. A wide range of entities are listed as eligible applicants (including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, tribal governments and organizations, and state and local governments), but the core intent is to support proposals centered on current masters and PhD students enrolled at US colleges or universities. The administering agency is the Bureau of Land Management.
The deadline is strict: proposals must be submitted by September 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm Mountain Time, and submissions must be made through the electronic process on the JFSP website (firescience.gov). Proposals cannot be submitted through Grants.gov, and the announcement states there are no exceptions to the closing date and time.Apply for FA NOFO0027 001
- The Bureau of Land Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Department of Interior Wildland Fire Service BLM-National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP)Fire Leaders And Managers, Emerging Scientists (FLAMES)" 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 $40,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township 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) - JFSP FLAMES Award
What is the JFSP Fire Leaders And Managers, Emerging Scientists (FLAMES) award?
The FLAMES award is a funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Interagency Fire Center under the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP). It supports current U.S.-based master's and doctoral students whose work focuses on wildland fire or closely related physical, biological, or social science topics, with an emphasis on connecting research to real management and policy needs.
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The purpose goes beyond funding a student project. FLAMES is designed to connect emerging researchers with wildland fire management and policy realities, provide practical and career-building experiences, and build a cohort of peers and mentors across the wildland fire community.
Who is this opportunity intended to support?
The core intent is to support proposals centered on current master's and PhD students enrolled at U.S. colleges or universities (U.S.-based students).
What kinds of research topics are eligible?
Proposals must directly address a management- or policy-relevant question within at least one of these topic areas listed in the announcement:
- Fuels management and prescribed fire
- The changing fire environment
- Emissions and air quality
- Fire effects and post-fire recovery
- The human dimensions of fire management
What happens if a project does not fit one of the listed topic areas?
Projects outside the specified topic areas will not be reviewed. Applicants need to clearly connect their research aims to one or more of the categories and frame the work around decisions that managers or policymakers face.
Does the proposed research need to be management- or policy-relevant?
Yes. All proposals must directly address a management- or policy-relevant question. The announcement emphasizes research framed around real decisions (for example, how treatments change fire behavior, how smoke affects communities, what post-fire recovery actions work, or how institutions and public attitudes shape fire outcomes).
Is FLAMES meant to fund a student's entire thesis or dissertation?
No. A key feature of FLAMES is that it funds a new, currently unfunded supplemental research project that extends or supplements the applicant's existing, advisor-approved thesis or dissertation. It is not meant to replace the student's graduate research plan.
Does the supplemental project have to be new and currently unfunded?
Yes. The program is described as funding a new, currently unfunded research project that extends or supplements the existing thesis/dissertation work.
What is JFSP looking for in terms of alignment?
The proposed research must align with JFSP's mission and goals. The announcement encourages applicants to review the JFSP website and funded-project database to understand what kinds of questions and deliverables fit the program.
What are the required experiences or activities for FLAMES recipients?
The award is structured around required experiences and outputs during the project period, including:
- Completing the supplemental research project
- Gaining hands-on exposure to wildland fire practitioners through participation in prescribed fire, wildfire activities, or other fire-management work relevant to the recipient's expertise
- Participating in regular JFSP-organized virtual meetings that build a student cohort and share information, training, and engagement opportunities
- Participating in at least one in-person practitioner-focused event (such as a workshop, training, or field tour)
- Producing at least one management-relevant product (such as a webinar or factsheet) explaining how the research matters to on-the-ground management
Is participation in practitioner activities required?
Yes. Recipients are required to gain hands-on exposure to wildland fire practitioners by participating in prescribed fire, wildfire activities, or other relevant fire-management work tied to their expertise.
Are virtual meetings required as part of the award?
Yes. Students are expected to take part in regular JFSP-organized virtual meetings that help build a cohort and introduce training and engagement opportunities.
Is an in-person event required?
Yes. Each recipient must participate in at least one in-person practitioner-focused event such as a workshop, training, or field tour.
Do recipients have to produce a deliverable for managers or practitioners?
Yes. Each recipient must produce at least one management-relevant product (for example, a webinar or factsheet) that clearly explains how the research matters to on-the-ground management.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism.
What CFDA number is associated with this program?
The announcement lists CFDA 15.232.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $40,000.
How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates approximately 12 awards.
Who is the administering agency?
The administering agency is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Which federal organizations are offering the opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management and the National Interagency Fire Center as part of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP).
Who is eligible to apply?
The announcement lists a wide range of eligible applicants, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, tribal governments and organizations, and state and local governments. However, the core intent is to support proposals centered on current master's and PhD students enrolled at U.S. colleges or universities.
Where must proposals be submitted?
Proposals must be submitted through the electronic process on the JFSP website at firescience.gov.
Can proposals be submitted through Grants.gov?
No. The announcement states proposals cannot be submitted through Grants.gov.
What is the submission deadline?
Proposals must be submitted by September 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm Mountain Time.
Is the deadline strict?
Yes. The announcement states there are no exceptions to the closing date and time.
What should applicants do to better understand what fits the program?
Applicants are encouraged to review the JFSP website and the funded-project database to understand the types of questions and deliverables that fit JFSP's mission and goals.
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| U.S. Wildland Fire Service BLM-National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Primary Announcement Apply for FA NOFO0027 002 Funding Number: FA NOFO0027 002 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Environment Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| U.S Wildland Fire Service BLM-National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Regional Fire Science Exchange Announcement Apply for FA NOFO0027 003 Funding Number: FA NOFO0027 003 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Environment Funding Amount: $262,000 |
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| Seabed Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization in the Pacific Apply for DFOP0019432 Funding Number: DFOP0019432 Agency: Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental - Scientific Category: Environment Funding Amount: $7,000,000 |
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