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Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian- Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program (ANNH)

Fiscal Year 2015 Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 27, 2015

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

ALASKA NATIVE-SERVING AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN-SERVING INSTITUTIONS

EDUCATION COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.228.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 27, 2015.

Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding (see Part IV, C. of this RFA). Comments regarding this request for applications (RFA) are requested within six months from the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

STAKEHOLDER INPUT: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks your comments about this RFA. We will consider the comments when we develop the next RFA for this program, if applicable, and we’ll use them to meet the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)).

Submit written stakeholder comments by the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this Notice via e-mail to: Policy@nifa.usda.gov. (This e-mail address is intended only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not requesting information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program (ANNH) for fiscal year (FY) 2015 to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs. Pursuant to H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, the amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $3,000,000.

This notice identifies the objectives for ANNH projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for an ANNH grant.

mailto:Policy@nifa.usda.gov

Table of Contents

PART I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background B. Purpose and Priorities C. Program Area Description

PART II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project Types D. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

PART III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package B. Content and Form of Application Submission C. Submission Date and Time D. Funding Restrictions E. Other Submission Requirements

PART V – APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. General B. Evaluation Criteria C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI – AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Award Notice C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII – AGENCY CONTACT

PART VIII—OTHER INFORMATION

A. Access to Review Information B. Use of Funds and Changes C. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards D. Regulatory Information E. Definitions F. Stakeholder Input

PART I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

Legislative Authority This program is administered under the provisions of section 759 of Public Law 106-78 (7 U.S.C. 3242) which was amended and re-designated as section 1419B of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act (NARETPA) of 1977 (7 U.S.C.

3156) by Section 7112 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) (Pub. L. 110- 246). As legislatively reauthorized by Section 7107 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642;

Pub. L. 113-79), the purpose of this program continues to promote and strengthen the ability of eligible Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs within a broadly defined area of food and agricultural sciences and related disciplines. In FY 2015, the Secretary will make competitive grant awards to individual eligible institutions or consortia of eligible institutions in Alaska and in Hawaii, with funds awarded equally to each of the states of Alaska and Hawaii.

For information about stakeholder input and how it was utilized in the development of this RFA see Part VIII, F.

B. Purpose and Priorities

In efforts to carry out education, applied research, and related community developments, the ANNH Program aligns its purpose and priorities with recommendations from the following reports: “New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Revolution” https://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=48967, 2008);

National Academy of Sciences’ Report on Agricultural Education, Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) Whitepaper on Human Capacity Development (http://www.aplu.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=1639), and “Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World” (http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Transforming-Agricultural- Education-Changing/12602, 2009. Furthermore, in 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report attested: “At the baccalaureate level, a comprehensive array of undergraduate programs relevant to agriculture and the food industry, as well as applied social and natural sciences, must remain strong and well-supported”. The full PCAST report is available at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast_agriculture_20121207.pdf

The ANNH grants program is soliciting applications that will align to the mission and goals of the USDA Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan (REE) and NIFA. The ANNH Program directly aligns with the USDA REE Action Plan (http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf ), and specifically addresses Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy, by recruiting, cultivating, and developing the next generation of scientists, leaders, and a highly-skilled workforce for food, agriculture, natural resources, forestry, environmental systems, and life sciences to out-educate our global competitors.

https://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=48967 http://www.aplu.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=1639 http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Transforming-Agricultural-Education-Changing/12602 http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Transforming-Agricultural-Education-Changing/12602 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast_agriculture_20121207.pdf http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf

The program contributes to the USDA NIFA Strategic Goal #1 “Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education and extension programs,” (http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf.) and Sub-Goal #1.7: “Ensure the development of human capital, communities, and a diverse workforce through research, education, extension and engagement programs in food and agricultural sciences to support a sustainable agricultural system.”

The FY 2015 ANNH grant opportunity should be aligned with the six Farm Bill Priority Areas:

• Agricultural & Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change

• Food Security and Hunger

• Food Safety

• Water for Agriculture

• Childhood Obesity Prevention; and,

• Sustainable Bioenergy.

In addition, legislatively, the purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within a broadly defined area of food and agricultural sciences and related disciplines.

Grants shall be used:

(1) To support the activities of consortia of Alaska Native-Serving or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to enhance educational equity for under-represented students;

(2) To strengthen institutional education capacities, including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, in order to respond to identified State, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agriculture sciences;

(3) To attract and support undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented groups in order to prepare them for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States, beginning with the mentoring of students from K-12, and continuing with the provision of financial support for students through their attainment of a doctoral degree; and

(4) To facilitate cooperative initiatives between at least two or more Alaska Native-Serving or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, which may work in cooperation with one or more other entities including units of State government and private sector organizations, to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications that will result in building linkages with other institutions (including other colleges and universities, units of State government, and private http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf sector entities) having a significant, ongoing commitment to the food and agricultural sciences generally, and to the specific Need Area(s) for which a grant is requested (see below). The goals of such joint initiatives should include maximizing the development and use of limited resources (including faculty, facilities, and equipment) by generating a critical mass of expertise and activity focused on a targeted Need Area(s); increasing cost-effectiveness through achieving economies of scale; strengthening the scope and quality of a project’s impact; and promoting coalition building likely to transcend the project’s lifetime and lead to future ventures.

NIFA encourages the applicant’s consideration of the recommendations in the “New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Revolution; National Academy of Sciences’ Report on Agricultural Education; Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) Whitepaper on Human Capacity Development, “Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World”; and, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report to the President on Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research Enterprise in developing the application.

Priority will be given to those projects that: enhance educational equity for under-represented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and, maximize the development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.

Leadership Skills Development

All projects are required to provide leadership skills opportunities. The development of leadership skills, knowledge and qualities are necessary for preparing students for agricultural related careers in private sector, government and academia. ANNH-funded projects must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to ensure that students are equipped with both technical and leadership abilities upon graduation. Specific activities may include:

• Developing practical applications to increase understanding of leadership roles, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, ethics and professionalism, and working in teams;

• Connecting the academic classroom experience with daily leadership roles and organizational activities;

• Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and

• Organizing leadership academies, workshops, trainings, etc.

ANNH encourages projects that develop content suitable for delivery through the Cooperative Extension System’s eXtension Initiative. Funds may be used to contribute to existing Communities of Practice (COPs) or form new COPs that focus on Stakeholder/Land Grant Institutions Partnership: Integrated Research, Extension and Education. Projects must align with the eXtension vision, mission, and values. A letter of acknowledgement from eXtension is required, and a letter of support may be required form one or more of the

Communities of Practice. For detailed guidance on how to partner with eXtension, go to http://create.extension.org/node/2057.

C. Program Area Description

A proposed project may address one or more Educational Need Areas and/or be an Applied Project that address research, outreach and capacity building to benefit the communities they serve, especially their students.

1. Educational Need Areas ANNH projects should focus on one or more of the Need Areas listed below. Please note that at least one of these Need Areas must be indicated on the Project Summary (See Part IV, B. 3).

Need Areas for FY 2015 are defined below:

a. Curricula Design, Materials Development, and Library Resources The purpose of this initiative is: to promote the development of courses of study and degree programs, new and improved curricula, and instructional materials and technology; to promote the acquisition of library resources including books and journals relating to the food and agricultural sciences; and to stimulate the use of new approaches to the study of traditional subjects, new research on teaching and learning theory, and new applications of knowledge. The overall objective is to increase the quality of, and continuously renew, the academic programs of Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions in the food and agricultural sciences.

b. Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching The purpose of this initiative is to advance faculty development in the areas of teaching competency and leadership, subject matter expertise, or student recruitment and advising skills.

Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: obtaining experience with recent developments and new applications in a field; expanding competence in innovative technologies and new methods of instruction delivery; developing new skills in a field of science or education including student advising skills; or pursuing graduate-level study in a field related to the food and agricultural sciences.

Each faculty recipient of support for developmental activities must be an “eligible participant” as defined in Part VIII, E. Definitions

c. Instruction Delivery Systems The purpose of this initiative is to encourage the use of alternative methods of delivering instruction to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of teaching programs.

Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: incorporating alternative instructional methodologies that respond to differences in student learning styles; inter-institutional collaborations that deliver instruction in ways that maximize program quality and reduce unnecessary duplication; and consideration and implementation of innovative instructional techniques, methodologies, and delivery systems in response to advances in knowledge and technology.

http://create.extension.org/node/2057

d. Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching and Research The purpose of this initiative is to provide students and faculty in science-oriented courses with suitable, up-to-date equipment in order to involve them in work central to scientific understanding and progress. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to acquiring new, state-of-the-art instructional, laboratory, classroom, and research scientific equipment to help assure the achievement and maintenance of outstanding food and agricultural sciences education programs, upgrading existing equipment, or replacing non-functional or clearly obsolete equipment.

e. Student Experiential Learning The purpose of this initiative is to further the development of student scientific and professional competencies through experiential learning programs that provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real-world situations. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: preparing future graduates to advance knowledge and technology, enhancing quality of life, conserve resources, and addressing community and economic development issues. Projects should focus on advancing student decision-making and communication skills, and improving real-life technological expertise. Activities may include, but are not limited to, internships, practicum experiences, study abroad opportunities, and participation with faculty on applied research and related community development projects.

f. Student Recruitment, Retention, and Educational Equity (including the provision of student financial assistance) The purpose of this initiative is to enhance educational equity for under-represented students, and to strengthen student recruitment and retention programs in order to promote the future strength of the Nation's scientific, professional, and technical work force in the food and agricultural sciences. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: initiating new projects or supplementing current efforts to attract increased numbers of students from under-represented groups to attend college in order to prepare them for careers as food and agricultural scientists, professionals, and technicians; promoting opportunities for students from under-represented groups, their families, and communities to engage in a robust exchange of ideas on more effective use of the full breadth of the Nation's intellectual resources; agricultural and science literacy programs at the high school level to attract students to college and careers in the food and agricultural sciences; mentoring programs and other initiatives for student retention; and the provision of student financial support to attend college.

Each student recipient of monetary support for education costs or developmental purposes must be enrolled at an eligible institution and meet the requirement of an "eligible participant" as defined in Part VIII, E. Definitions.

2. Applied Projects

In addition to the Educational Need Areas, applications may choose to develop studies that have relevancy and application within the communities that these institutions serve.

a. Applied Studies in the Food and Agricultural Sciences

The purpose of this initiative is to apply the body of knowledge in those natural and social sciences that comprise the food and agricultural sciences to address real-world problems, including applied research activities focusing on community and economic development issues related to food, nutrition, conservation, and renewable natural resources. Illustrative examples include, but are not limited to:

(i) Conduct plant or animal breeding programs to develop better crops, forests, or livestock (e.g., more disease resistant, more productive, yielding higher quality products);

(ii) Conceive, design, and evaluate new bio-processing techniques for eliminating undesirable constituents from, or adding desirable ones to, food products;

(iii) Propose and evaluate ways to enhance utilization of the capabilities and resources of ANNH institutions to promote rural development (e.g., exploitation of new technologies by small rural businesses);

(iv) Identify control factors influencing consumer demand for agricultural products;

(v) Analyze social, economic, and physiological aspects of nutrition, housing, and life-style choices, and of community strategies for meeting the changing needs of different population groups; and,

(vi) Study other identified State, regional, community, national and global problems such as human nutrition and obesity prevention, sustainable agriculture, bio-energy, climate change, food safety, food security, biotechnology, agribusiness management and marketing, and aquaculture (see Part I. B on areas of priorities).

b. Applied Research Support Systems The purpose of this initiative is to establish centralized support systems to meet State, regional, or community needs, or serve clientele that cannot otherwise afford or do not have ready access to the support in question, or to provide such support more economically thereby freeing up resources for other applied research uses. Examples include, but are not limited to:

(i) Storage, maintenance, characterization, evaluation, and enhancement of germplasm for use by animal and plant breeders (including those using the techniques of biotechnology);

(ii) Computerized data banks of important scientific information (e.g., epidemiological, demographic, nutrition, weather, economic, crop yields, animal migration patterns); and

(iii) Expert service centers for sophisticated and highly specialized methodologies (e.g., evaluation of nutritional quality of foods, toxicology, taxonomic identifications, consumer preferences and demographics).

c. Technology-based Information Delivery Systems The purpose of this initiative is to promote innovations and improvements in the delivery of benefits of food and agricultural sciences to producers and consumers, particularly those who are currently disproportionately low in receipt of such benefits. Examples include, but are not limited to:

(i) Computer-based decision support systems to assist small-scale farmers, ranchers, headers, or fishermen to take advantage of relevant technologies, programs, policies, etc.; and

(ii) Efficacious delivery systems for nutrition information or for resource management assistance for low-income families and individuals.

d. Other Applied Research and Community Development Applications The purpose of this initiative is to encourage other creative projects, outside the areas previously outlined, that are designed to provide needed enhancement to the capacity of ANNH institutions to conduct applied research and related community development projects.

PART II – AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

Pursuant to H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, the amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $3,000,000. The funds will be awarded competitively through a peer panel review process. There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

Awards issued as a result of this RFA will be designated the Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service, as the payment system of funds. For more information see http://fms.treas.gov/index1.html.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2015, you may submit applications to the ANNH Program as one of the following types of requests:

(1) New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the ANNH Program. All new applications will be reviewed competitively using the selection process and evaluation criteria described in Part V-Application Review Requirements.

(2) Renewal application. This is a project application that requests additional funding for a project beyond the period that was approved in an original or amended award.

Applications for renewed funding must contain the same information as required for new applications, and additionally must contain the same information as required for new applications; they also must contain a Progress Report (see Project Narrative, Part IV).

Renewal applications must be received by the relevant due dates, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in appropriate area to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications.

(3) Resubmitted application. This is an application that had previously been submitted to the ANNH Program but not funded. Project Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see Response to Previous Review, Part IV). Renewal applications must be received by the relevant due dates, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in appropriate areas to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications.

(4) Resubmitted renewal application. This is a project application that requests additional funding for a project beyond the period that was approved in the original award. In addition, this is an application that had previously been submitted for renewal to the ANNH Program but not funded. Therefore, PDs must provide a Progress Report as required under the Project Narrative, Part IV. Resubmitted renewal applications must be http://fms.treas.gov/index1.html received by the relevant due dates, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in the areas to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications.

C. Project Types

1. Regular Grant An eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution of a State system may submit a Regular Grant application for project activities to be undertaken principally on behalf of its own students or faculty, and to be managed primarily by its own personnel.

2. Consortium Grant To facilitate inter-institutional cooperation and collaborative initiatives, two or more eligible, individual institutions, independent branch campuses, or branch institutions of a State system within a State may form a consortium, or use an existing consortium of which they are members, and submit a Consortium Grant application under a consortium agreement. In such cases, one institution or fiscal agent is to be designated as the “lead institution”. The designated lead institution, fiscal agent, and PD, will receive the award on behalf of all the consortium members, will be responsible for managing the grant, and may allocate awarded funds among the consortia members. Eligible consortium members may be sub-grantees of the primary award. Other entities not eligible to receive an award directly from NIFA under this program may also participate in fulfilling grant objectives and receive a sub-grant from the designated lead institution.

A Consortium Grant application must contain a separate plan of work and a separate budget for each consortium member receiving funds as a sub-grantee, as well as an overall project plan of work and overall budget from the lead institution. Sub-grantees may not normally receive less than 10 percent of total grant funds. Applications proposing that sub-grantees receive less than 10 percent of total grant funds must be fully justified. Only in exceptional instances will NIFA approve involvement by sub-grantees at a lower level.

Sub-grantee arrangements by the lead institution with consortium members and others must be approved in advance by NIFA. The cumulative amounts of any such arrangements may not be for more than 70 percent of total grant funds.

3. Project Duration A project application may request funding for a project period from 12 months to 36 months duration (from one to three years).

4. Number and Size of Awards The number of grants awarded in FY 2015 will depend on the number of applications recommended for funding in response to this notice.

NIFA estimates that awards for Regular Grant applications will be in the range of $150,000 to $450,000 each. Budget forms submitted with the grant applications should reflect this estimate.

NIFA estimates that awards for Consortium Grant applications will be in the range of $300,000 to $1,500,000. Note that the amount of grant funds going to eligible consortium members as sub-grantees does NOT have to be the same for each sub-grantee; however, a sub-grantee will not normally receive less than 10 percent and the applicant institution submitting an application must retain at least 30 percent but not more than 70 percent of the awarded funds. Requests for deviations from these restrictions must be fully justified for review and approval by the panel of reviewers and NIFA before a final decision is made on the application. Such approval will be made only under the most exceptional circumstances.

Note that actual amounts awarded by NIFA under the ANNH grants program may differ from the amounts requested in the application submitted to the program, and that revised budgets and revised plans of work may be required by NIFA before an award is made.

5. Proposal Submission Limitations Each eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, and branch institution of a State system may submit, or be a party to, a maximum of two applications for funding. An institution (or its fiscal agent) may submit one application as an individual institution (see Part II, C. 1. Regular Grant) and also may be a party to one other application as part of a consortium arrangement (see Part II, C. 2. Consortium Grant). Institutions may not apply as part of more than one consortium arrangement.

6. Grant Limitations per Institution For the FY 2015 program, each eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, and branch institution of a State system may receive, or be a party to, a maximum of two grant awards – one Regular Grant and one Consortium Grant – under the ANNH program. This ceiling includes sub-grant awards made under a consortium arrangement (i.e., an institution may participate as the lead institution or as a sub-grantee on a Consortium Grant, and also receive one Regular Grant on its own). USDA may fund an institution simultaneously under both applications. Institutions that received a grant under this program in a prior year are still eligible to receive a grant this year.

7. Funding Limitations per Institution For FY 2015, there are no limits on the total funds that may be awarded to any one institution.

However, applicants should take note of the proposal submission limitations (see C. 5. above) and anticipated range of awards (see C. 4. above).

D. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

The responsible and ethical conduct of research (RCR) is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering. Consequently, we consider education in RCR essential to the preparation of future scientists. In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicates and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Per award terms and conditions, grant recipients shall, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training.

Note that the training referred to herein shall be either on-campus or off-campus training. The general content of the ethics training will, at a minimum, emphasize three keys to areas of research ethics: authorship and plagiarism, data and research integration, and reporting misconduct. Each institution will be responsible for developing its own training system, as schools will need flexibility to develop training tailored to their specific student needs. Grantees should consider the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program for RCR (https://www.citiprogram.org/rcrpage.asp). Typically, this RCR education addresses the topics of: Data Acquisition and Management – collection, accuracy, security, access: Authorship and Publication; Peer Review; Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities; Collaboration; Conflict of Interest;

Research Misconduct; Human Subject Research; and, Use of Animals in Research.

https://www.citiprogram.org/rcrpage.asp

PART III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Individual Institutions Individual public or private, nonprofit Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions of higher education that meet the definitions of Alaska-Serving Institutions or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution established in Title III, Part A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1059d.) are eligible institutions under this program.

2. Branch Institutions of a State System For the purposes of this program, the individual branches of a State university system or public system of higher education that are separately accredited as degree granting institutions are treated as separate, individual institutions, eligible to apply for and receive awards, provided that they otherwise satisfy the definition of Alaska Native-Serving Institution or Native Hawaiian- Serving Institution as specified above.

3. Independent Branch Campuses Independent branch campuses of individual institutions may apply for and receive grant awards under this program, provided that they otherwise satisfy the definition of Alaska Native-Serving Institution or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution as specified above. An “independent branch campus” means a unit of a 2-year or 4-year institution of higher education that is geographically apart from the main campus, is permanent in nature, offers courses for credit and programs leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree, and is autonomous to the extent that it has its own faculty and administrative or supervisory organization and its own budgetary and hiring authority.

4. Consortium Arrangements Two or more eligible, individual institutions, independent branch campuses, or branch institutions of a State system may form a consortium to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs in the food and agricultural sciences as allowed under this program. In addition to the individual eligible institutions (or independent branch campuses, etc.), such a consortium also may include units of State government and private sector entities. A consortium established for such purposes may apply for and receive a consortium grant under the ANNH grants program.

An existing consortium consisting of at least two or more eligible, individual institutions, independent branch campuses, or branch institutions of a State system, which demonstrates its ability to carry out allowed activities and its commitment to the goals of the ANNH grants program, also may apply for and receive a Consortium Grant under the ANNH grants program.

Such a consortium also may include units of State government and private sector entities.

5. Certification of Eligibility At the time of application, each primary applicant will be required to demonstrate or certify that it is an eligible institution under the ANNH program. If the applicant is a new or existing consortium, each member of the consortium must demonstrate or certify that they are eligible, individual institutions, independent branch campuses, or branch institutions of a State system as defined in paragraphs 1-3 above.

If an institution has received a “Designation as an Eligible Institution” letter for FY 2015 funding under the Title III, Part A, Alaska Native-Serving Institutions Program or the Native Hawaiian- Serving Institutions Program from the U.S. Department of Education, the institution shall submit a copy of the letter along with its application to satisfy the demonstration of eligibility requirement.

If an institution currently has a Title III, Part A. grant from the U.S. Department of Education that does not end prior to September 30, 2015, the institution shall submit a copy of the “Notice of Award” letter for that grant along with its application to satisfy the demonstration of eligibility requirement.

Otherwise, an institution must submit a letter, signed by the institution’s Authorized Representative, (AR) certifying that it meets the requirements of an Alaska Native-Serving Institution or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution as defined in paragraph 1 above. The AR must certify that:

a. The institution, or parent institution in the case of an independent branch campus, is legally authorized by the State in which it is located to provide an educational program for which it awards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or that it is a junior or community college;

b. The institution, or parent institution in the case of an independent branch campus, is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary of Education to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered, or making reasonable progress toward such accreditation;

c. At least 50 percent of enrolled degree students are receiving need-based assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, or that a substantial percentage of students are receiving Pell Grants in comparison with the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants at all similar institutions (institution of higher education, or junior or community college);

d. Unless waived by the Secretary of Education, the average educational and general expenditures per full-time equivalent undergraduate student are low in comparison with the average educational and general expenditures per full-time equivalent student at institutions that offer similar instruction; and,

e. For an Alaska Native-Serving Institution, at the time of application, it has an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 20 percent Alaska Native students (where the term “Alaska Native” has the meaning given the term in section 7306 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7546); or

f. For a Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution, at the time of application, it has an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian students (where the term “Native Hawaiian” has the meaning given the term in section 7207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).

Eligibility documentation must be submitted with the application. See Part III, A. 5.

6. Fiscal Agent If an institution cannot accept Federal funds directly, it must submit a letter stating that it will accept the award, but that funds must be administered through a fiscal agent. This agent must be identified in the letter from the applicant, and the letter must be countersigned by a representative of the fiscal agent organization. The letter should include the fiscal agent’s point of contact, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address. Both the fiscal agent and the applicant institution must submit complete management information (see Part V, D.).

Nevertheless, the legal recipient of the award must be an eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution of a State system, or a consortium of eligible institutions. Submission of fiscal agent information (above) is not requested now, but will be required, before an award is made.

Please note that consortia may designate fiscal agents for the members of the consortia and allocate funds among the consortia members.

Examples of fiscal agent arrangements include, but are not limited to, the following scenarios:

a. A State university system or a public system of higher education may apply on behalf of an eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution in the State. In such cases, the State system will act as fiscal agent for the eligible institution under a Regular Grant award to advance the purposes of the ANNH grants program.

b. A research foundation or other, similar foundation established and maintained by an eligible, individual institution to facilitate the application and management of externally funded grant awards may apply on behalf of its eligible, parent institution. In such cases, the foundation will act as fiscal agent for the eligible, individual institution under a Regular Grant award to advance the purposes of the ANNH grants program.

c. A State university system or a public system of higher education may apply on behalf of two or more eligible, individual institutions, independent branch campuses, or branch institutions in its State under a consortium arrangement. In such cases, the State system will act as fiscal agent for the eligible institutions under a Consortium Grant award to advance the purposes of the ANNH grants program.

d. A research foundation, or other similar foundation, established and maintained by an eligible, individual institution to facilitate the application and management of externally-funded grant awards, may apply on behalf of its parent institution and at least one additional eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution of a State system under a consortium arrangement. In such cases, the foundation will act as fiscal agent for the eligible institutions under a Consortium Grant award to advance the purposes of the ANNH grants program.

Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. An applicant’s failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of an application deadline shall result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

NIFA does not require matching support for this program and matching resources will not be factored into the review process as evaluation criteria.

PART IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package

Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov to NIFA in response to this RFA.

We urge you to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For an overview of the Grants.gov application process see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html.

New Users of Grants.gov

Prior to preparing an application, it is suggested that the Project Director/Principal Investigator(PD/PI) first contact an Authorized Representative (AR, also referred to as Authorized Organizational Representative or AOR) to determine if the organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through Grant.gov. If not (e.g., the institution/organization is new to the electronic grant application process through Grants.gov), then the one-time registration process must be completed PRIOR to submitting an application. It can take as long as 2 weeks to complete the registration process so it is critical to begin as soon as possible. In such situations, the AR should go to “Register” in the top right corner of the Grants.gov web page (or go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html) for information on registering the institution/organization with Grants.gov. Item 2.below mentions the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide”. Part II.1. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the registration process.

Steps to Obtain Application Package Materials

To receive application materials:

1. You must download and install a version of Adobe Reader compatible with Grants.gov to access, complete, and submit applications. For basic system requirements and download instructions, see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html. Grants.gov has a test package that will help you determine whether your current version of Adobe Reader is compatible.

2. To obtain the application package from Grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Under Step 1 click on “Download a Grant Application Package ”, and enter the funding opportunity number

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-AHSI-005015 in the appropriate box and click “Download Package”. From the search results, click “Download” to access the application package.

Contained within the application package is the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide”.

This Guide contains an introduction and general Grants.gov instructions, information about how to use a Grant Application Package in Grants.gov, and instructions on how to complete the application forms.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

If you require assistance to access the application package (e.g., downloading or navigating Adobe forms), or submitting the application, refer to resources available on the Grants.gov website (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html). Grants.gov assistance is also available at:

Grants.gov customer support 1-800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035

Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays.

Email: support@grants.gov

Grants.gov iPortal (see https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants):

Top 10 requested help topics (FAQs), Searchable knowledge base, self-service ticketing and ticket status, and live web chat (available 7:00 am- 9:00 pm. ET).

Get help now!

Have the following information available when contacting Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Name of agency you are applying to

• Specific area of concern

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

You should prepare electronic applications following Parts V and VI of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section A.

of this Part). The following is additional information needed to prepare an application in response to this RFA. If there is discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this RFA is overriding.

Note the attachment requirements (e.g., PDF) in Part III section 3. of the guide. ANY PROPOSALS THAT ARE NON-COMPLIANT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS (e.g., content format, pdf file format, file name restrictions, and no password protected files) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR NIFA REVIEW. Grants.gov does not check for NIFA required attachments or that attachments are in PDF format; see Part III section 6.1 of the guide for how to check the manifest of submitted files. Partial applications will be excluded from NIFA review. We will accept subsequent submissions of an application until close of business on the closing date in the RFA (see Part V, 2.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further information).

Grants.gov provides online tools to assist if you do not own PDF-generating software. You will find PDF conversion software at; http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html. .

For any questions related to the preparation of an application, review the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide and the applicable request for applications. If assistance is still needed for preparing application forms content, contact:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm

• Email: electronic@nifa.usda.gov

• Phone: 202-401-5048

• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Time, excluding

Federal holidays.

1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 2. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

2. R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s) Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 3. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

3. R&R Other Project Information Form Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 4. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 7. Project Summary/Abstract – (Required Attachment- Must be PDF format) Project Summary/Abstract is required in all applications and is limited to 2 pages.

Applicants are encouraged to revisit the page numbers after converting the narrative to PDF format and make the necessary adjustments if the required page limit has been exceeded. Project Summary /Abstract that exceeds this page limit requirement will not be accepted for review.

b. Field 8. Project Narrative – (Required Attachment- Must be PDF format).

Applications will not be accepted for review if the project narrative is not included or not in PDF format.

NOTE: The Project Narrative shall not exceed 20 pages of written text (excluding up to a maximum of 5 additional pages for supporting figures and tables). We have established this maximum (25-page limit) to ensure fair and equitable competition. Project narratives that exceed this page limit requirement will not be accepted for review (no exceptions).

Applicants are encouraged to revisit the page numbers after converting the narrative to PDF…