Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) on caribou/forestry related projects
The Alberta Regional Caribou Knowledge Partnership (ARCKP) is accepting Expressions of Interest for woodland caribou/forestry related project ideas and funding until September 5, 2025 at 5:00pm mountain standard time.
ARCKP Background
The ARCKP is a collaborative partnership between the Alberta Forest Industry and the Government of Alberta (GoA) and is working to address region-specific knowledge gaps in/between woodland caribou conservation and forest management activities. The ARCKP is governed by a Steering Committee of government and industry representatives who, with the support from a Technical Subcommittee and Program Manager, oversee the allocation of ARCKP funds and guide the operation of the partnership. The ARCKP works collaboratively with a broad stakeholder network to help identify key knowledge gaps and information needs that exist in Alberta relative to the intersection of forestry operations and caribou conservation. The ARCKP is funded by the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) through the support of 12 forestry companies in Alberta with support from the GoA.
Previously funded research, and the project objectives and outcomes, can be found on the ARCKP website. A summary of that work and funding provided by the ARCKP is provided below.
Past Projects
| Review of Alberta’s Integrated Land Management policies, practices and legislation | $130 000 |
| Reducing the effects of non-permanent forestry roads on woodland caribou in Alberta. | $100 000 |
| Understanding options for, and value of, alternative harvesting and silvicultural approaches for promoting woodland caribou habitat within coniferous forests and deciduous/mixed wood forests | $85 000 |
| The application of quantitative metrics in forest management and caribou recovery: a jurisdictional scan of quantitative approaches to classifying ‘undisturbed’ caribou habitat. | $50 000 |
| Exploring the implementation of aggregated harvest in woodland caribou ranges compared to current and other potential harvesting approaches on: ecological outcomes for woodland caribou, other species/values and socio-economic and operational considerations | $81 000 |
Ongoing Projects
| Reconciling pre-industrial patterns, caribou habitat and management reality | $315 000 |
| Study to advance harvest system and silviculture practices for improved woodland caribou and fibre outcomes. | $ 1.2 M |
| An evaluation of the feasibility of terrestrial lichen seeding and/or transplantation | $300 000 |
The ARCKP aims to advance collaborative, solution-focused research and knowledge exchange and communication activities related to woodland caribou conservation and working forest landscapes. It seeks to provide Alberta’s forestry industry and the Government of Alberta with on-the-ground solutions that will help promote positive caribou conservation outcomes in working forest landscapes. The ARCKP’s vision and mission that help guide the work of the partnership are:
Vision: A collaboration promoting self-sustaining caribou populations and a viable forest sector.
Mission: We support the development and sharing of innovative tools, techniques, strategies, and understandable scientific knowledge to enhance sustainable forest management and caribou recovery efforts.
Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) on caribou/forestry related projects
The ARCKP is seeking expressions of interest in projects that support their Vision by providing research and knowledge transfer and implementation ideas that further the Mission outlined above. The ARCKP is specifically interested in research and implementation projects that offer practical solutions to current challenges within the domain of forestry and woodland caribou ecology in Alberta that lend themselves well to being communicated through a variety of knowledge exchange products such as research notes, webinars and infographics.
This call for EOIs is seeking research ideas that will further on-the-ground solutions to help partners innovate current forest industry practices and policies towards more sustainable woodland caribou populations. This REOI is currently open to accept any proposals that align with the overall ARCKP Vision and Mission statement. These projects can include research projects, synthesis documents, implementation tools and guidebooks. EOIs will be assessed for alignment. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a full proposal.
Funding Available
The ARCKP currently has up to $4 Million available in project funding to allocate for projects of interest. The ARCKP is open to funding small (under $50,000), medium ($50,000 to $300,000) or large- scale projects ($300,00+) that span 1-5 years.
Evaluation Criteria
In order for projects to be considered, they will be evaluated on the following components:
- Alignment: The project demonstrates clear alignment with the ARCKP Vision and Mission and will promote the development of alternative practices or refined management strategies to address challenges associated with caribou populations in the working landscape of Alberta.
- Planning: The project demonstrates leadership, competency and capacity to do the work, providing support for sound investment of ARCKP funding. The project shows planning for success by outlining key objectives and impactful on-the-ground deliverables that can be easily communicated through knowledge exchange products.
- Openness and Transparency: The research team will be working with the ARCKP and must demonstrate an understanding that collaboration with the ARCKP is a key component of the project process and is designed to enhance implementation of research results.
- Readiness: The scope of the project is such that it could start within 6 months of receiving funding.
EOI Requirements
Submit a 2-page overview of the research project:
- Provide a clear problem statement.
- Describe the basic methods / research process to be used to address the problem statement and how this methodology will add value to the ARCKP.
- Demonstrate how the project reflects the priorities of the ARCKP.
- Indication of whether it is a small, medium or large-scale project (see above criteria for project size) and what time frame it is expected to occupy.
- EOIs over 2 pages will not be considered.
EOIs can be sent to the ARCKP Director, Terra Lottermoser, at terra@fuseconsulting.ca. Final determination of successful EOIs will be made by September 22, 2025.
Next Steps for Chosen EOIs:
Successful EOIs will be asked to provide a complete and robust project proposal, expanding on the elements of the EOI and will be asked to include a detailed work plan and budget. Submission of detailed proposals will be October 20, 2025 and will need to include elements such as:
- Detailed project methodology
- Cost and duration of project
- Research team and credentials
- Data requirements for project success
This level of detail is not being requested at the EOI stage.
Requested proposals will be scored with a detailed ranking criteria created by the ARCKP. More details on the proposal requirements and ranking criteria will be provided to those who are asked to submit a proposal. Funding allocation decisions will be made in November 2025.
Download a PDF of this REOI to print or read offline