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Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program

2015 Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 19, 2015

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

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

AGRICULTURE

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND

POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.210.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 19, 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 6 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 the 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 Food and Agricultural National Needs Fellowship Grants Program

RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Food and Agricultural National Needs Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program for fiscal year (FY) 2015 to provide traineeship programs to eligible institutions for meeting the national need to develop scientific and professional expertise in the Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences, through graduate level training programs. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $3.24 million.

This notice identifies the objectives for NNF projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a NNF 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 Dates and Times 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; Changes C. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards D. Regulatory Information E. Definitions

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

Section 7106 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008 (P.L. 110-246) amends the legislative authority for this program contained in section 1417 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3152) to include the University of the District of Columbia as an eligible applicant.

NIFA administers this Federal assistance grant program specifically designated for graduate degree programs and postgraduate training of the next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. This program, in collaboration with eligible higher education institutions, is developing intellectual capital to ensure the preeminence of U.S. food and agricultural systems. This program is subject to federal regulations http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=ef28f3782ead5c2e2410ef58abec6082&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART &n=7y15.1.12.2.3 as outlined in administrative provisions that can be found in 7 CFR 3402.

B. Purpose and Priorities

By developing the next generation of a highly-skilled workforce for the food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences, the National Needs Fellowship Program (NNF) directly aligns with:

• the FY 2014-2018 USDA Strategic Plan;

• the USDA Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan, and specifically addresses

Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy; and

• the 2014-2018 NIFA Strategic Plan, specifically addressing Strategic Goal 1 – Science

(Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education, and extension programs) 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 agriculture system).

The purpose of the NNF Grants Program is to provide funding to support students’ training and completion of Master’s and/or doctoral degree programs in identified national need areas within the Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences. Awards made under NNF are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in areas where there is a national need for the development of scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences. NNF awards invest in graduate training and relevant international experiential learning for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the USDA.

For the FY 2015 award cycle, NIFA intends to support graduate Fellowship training grants for both Master’s and doctoral levels of study only. Post-doctoral Fellowships will not be awarded under this grant announcement.

Applications are being solicited for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Program under the following areas:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=ef28f3782ead5c2e2410ef58abec6082&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=7y15.1.12.2.3 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=ef28f3782ead5c2e2410ef58abec6082&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=7y15.1.12.2.3 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=ef28f3782ead5c2e2410ef58abec6082&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=7y15.1.12.2.3 http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-strategic-plan-fy-2014-2018.pdf http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-ree-science-action-plan.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014-FY2018.pdf

(1) Graduate Fellowships to support the training for and completion of Master’s and doctoral degree programs in the Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences, and;

(2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible Master’s and doctoral USDA Fellows or current applicants.

Working collaboratively with eligible institutions, the objectives of the FY 2015 NNF program are:

(1) To support the training of students at the Master’s and doctoral levels, in order to fill nationally identified expertise shortage areas in the food and agricultural sciences.

(2) To increase the number, quality and diversity of students in the food, agricultural and related sciences by recruiting outstanding students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups to enter and complete graduate training in these areas.

(3) To ensure that the National Needs Fellows build science competencies through actual research and extension activities and experience and engagement in an international setting within the Targeted Expertise Shortage Area (TESA) in food and agricultural sciences through the IRTA awards.

The NNF Program contributes to the development of a strong food and agricultural sciences workforce, which is needed to keep this Nation’s competitiveness, through the research and academic training of graduate students. NNF projects will give grantees the ability to address complex issues. The NNF grants program is an opportunity to influence future innovations and innovators integral to the food and agricultural systems domain.

C. Program Area Description

NNF grants will support Master’s and doctoral levels of study with NNF and/or IRTA awards for eligible USDA Fellows and current applicants.

The NNF grant program responds to the need for expanding the intellectual capital of the food and agricultural sciences workforce in areas relevant to USDA priorities identified by the Secretary:

i. Promotion of a safe, sufficient, and nutritious food supply for all Americans and for people around the world;

ii. Sustainable agricultural policies that foster economic viability for small and mid-sized farms and rural businesses, protect natural resources, and promote value-added agriculture;

iii. National leadership in climate change mitigation and adaptation;

iv. Building a modern workplace with a modern workforce; and

v. Support for 21st century rural communities.

For more information see http://www.usda.gov/documents/VilsackLetter.pdf.

http://www.usda.gov/documents/VilsackLetter.pdf

The NNF Program furthers exceptional graduate training in the food and agricultural sciences to develop human capital to participate in meeting the mission of the USDA and the six national challenge areas that NIFA is addressing are:

• Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change

• Childhood Obesity Prevention

• Food Safety

• Food Security

• Sustainable Bioenergy

• Water Resources

Graduate fellowships serve as a conduit for new scientists and professionals to enter research, education, and extension fields within the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.

The aim of these fellowships is to cultivate future leaders who are able to address and solve emerging agricultural challenges of the 21st century. These fellowships are consistent with the recommendations of the 2012 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report, Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research Enterprise.

The 2015-2020 Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment Report indicates shortages of graduates, specifically in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences disciplines, to fill the estimated 57,900 annual openings for individuals with baccalaureate or higher degrees in food, renewable energy, and environmental specialties between 2015 and 2020. The NNF aligns with the effort to produce graduates from colleges of agriculture and life sciences, forestry and natural resources, and veterinary medicine who tend to have relatively stronger interests and more extensive work experiences for careers in food, renewable energy, and the environment.

NNF supports NIFA’s goal to increase human resource diversity in the agricultural enterprise by providing funds for eligible full-time students pursuing graduate studies at the Master’s and doctoral levels within the Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences disciplines identified as national needs or expertise shortage areas. The IRTA component also supports NIFA’s goal by allowing students to have additional training through experiential learning or research opportunities and travel awards that are expected to expand the competencies and skills of USDA Fellows and eventually lead to their completion of advanced degrees in the food and agriculture sciences. IRTA grants are provided to recipients who must be current National Needs Fellows, or those proposed under current applications to allow them to conduct thesis/dissertation research or undertake studies outside the United States.

1. Student Eligibility

a) Eligibility for NNF – The grantee institutions develop the selection criteria and it is their responsibility to award fellowships to high caliber students in superior academic standing. Only individuals who meet the eligibility requirements listed below will be awarded fellowships. In order for individuals to receive Fellowship stipend support they must:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast_agriculture_20121207.pdf https://www.purdue.edu/usda/employment/ https://www.purdue.edu/usda/employment/

i. Be citizens or nationals of the United States of America as determined in accordance with Federal law.

ii. Have strong interest as judged by the institution, in pursuing a degree in a national TESA, are preparing for a career as a food or agricultural or natural resources scientist or professional, are registered as full-time students; and

iii. Not have:

a) Completed more than one semester or equivalent hours of full-time study as defined by the institution, or

b) Been enrolled previously in the academic program at the same degree level.

b) Eligibility for IRTA – At the time of travel under the IRTA grant award, USDA Fellows conducting research at alternate locations or outside the United States must:

i. Be supported under a USDA NNF grant and be registered as a full-time student;

ii. Have completed one academic year of full-time study, as defined by the institution under the fellowship appointment;

iii. Have formalized arrangements to study and/or conduct research in the foreign/alternate location(s) (see Part IV, B, 3, (b));

iv. Have sufficient time remaining in their fellowship award to complete the proposed IRTA travel or research; and

v. Have a completed NIFA Form 2010 – Fellowship Appointment Form on file with the funding agency (NIFA).

2. FY 2015 Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas (TESA)

Applicants should propose training projects at the Master’s and/or doctoral levels to support graduate fellowship stipends for NNF and/or IRTA in ONE of the following TESAs:

(a) Animal Production

(b) Plant Production

(c) Forest Resources

(d) Agricultural Educators and Communicators

(e) Agricultural Management and Economics

(f) Food Science, Human Nutrition and Human Sciences

(g) Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity

(h) Integrative Biosciences for Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems – (integrative training in food and agricultural, social and economic disciplines).

Institutions that have not previously applied are especially encouraged to do so. (See eligibility information in Part III of this RFA). Applicants should be institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the TESAs listed above. Awards are made to eligible colleges and universities. Individuals are not eligible to apply for these grants to support their graduate education.

Successful applications must select and identify Fellows and award Fellowships within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of a grant. Post-doctoral Fellowships will not be awarded under this grant announcement. Institutions that fail to meet this deadline will be required to refund monies associated with unawarded Fellowships to NIFA. Graduate fellowship appointments must be awarded only to registered students who are pursuing full-time study in graduate programs in the TESA and at the degree level supported by the grant.

Applicants may not request partial fellowships. A USDA Fellow at the Master’s degree level who maintains satisfactory progress is eligible to receive grant support for a maximum of twenty-four

(24) months during a thirty (30) month period. A USDA Fellow at the doctoral degree level who maintains satisfactory progress is eligible to receive grant support for a maximum of thirty-six (36) months within a forty-two (42) month period.

It is the intent of this program that Graduate Fellows pursue full-time uninterrupted study or thesis/dissertation research, including time spent pursuing USDA-funded special international study or thesis/dissertation research activities. Graduate Fellows in academic institutions are not entitled to regular annual leave but are entitled to the normal student holidays observed by the institution.

The time between academic semesters or quarters is to be utilized as an active part of the grant period. During the period of support, USDA Graduate Fellows, at the discretion of their institutions, may accept additional supplemental employment that would positively contribute to their training or research and would make them eligible for tuition waivers (e.g., full or partial tuition waivers with research or teaching assignments).

A Graduate Fellow who finds it necessary to interrupt his/her program of study because of health, personal, or other reasonable non-academic and non-disciplinary cause(s) must be allowed to resume funded study at any time within 6 months of the interruption, provided there is adequate time remaining before the award expires (i.e. within the 30-month total funding period for a Master’s Fellow, and 42-month total funding period for a Doctoral Fellow). A Graduate Fellow who finds it necessary to interrupt his/her program of study more than one time cannot exceed 6 total months of cumulative leave without forfeiting NNF eligibility.

3. Funding preference

Funding preference will be given to applications that propose to:

(a) Establish innovative and evidence-based frameworks for graduate training;

(b) Establish Master’s degree or doctoral programs;

(c) Establish multidisciplinary graduate training programs;

(d) Increase the multicultural diversity of the nation’s scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences;

(e) Partner with teaching/research/extension or across colleges/institutions or public/private sectors;

(f) Provide leadership skills opportunities.

(g) Develop performance measures for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the graduate training.

The anticipated start date for successful applications under this RFA is January 15, 2016 and the duration is 60 months.

Applicants are required to provide a 5-year budget with a zero dollar budget for any year where support is not allocated (i.e., recruitment activities are only sponsored activities that year).

Applicants should factor into their application a recruitment interval to meet the program requirements. Due to statutory restrictions, no extensions beyond the 5-year period are allowed. Any eligible institution may, however, apply for a new award with a different scope of work in any fiscal year(s) in which appropriated funds are available for this program. The title of the application should be different from the program code name. The program code name is National Needs Graduate Fellowship Program.

NNF encourages projects that develop content and programs suitable for delivery through the Cooperative Extension System’s eXtension Initiative. You may use funds to contribute to existing Communities of Practice (CoP) or to form a new CoP focused on postsecondary education.

Projects must align with the eXtension vision, mission, and values. You must have a letter of acknowledgement from eXtension; you may also need a letter of support from 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.

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

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The amount available for NIFA support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $3.24 million. The funds will be awarded through a grant. 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 have designated the Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, as the payment system for funds. For more information see http://fms.treas.gov/index1.html.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2015, you may only submit a new application to the NNF Program:

New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the NNF Program. We will review all new applications competitively using the selection process and evaluation criteria described in Part V—Application Review Requirements.

(2) Resubmitted application. This is an application that had previously been submitted to the NNF Program but not funded. Project Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see Response to Previous Review, Part IV). Resubmitted 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.

C. Project Types

A single application may propose funding under any single TESA for any of the Award Categories listed below, either singly or in any combination, up to a maximum of $262,500 per application.

Applicants may not request partial fellowships.

Award Category No. 1 -- Master’s Level Training: Funding at $41,000 for each Fellow. This consists of a student stipend of $18,500 per year for two years, plus $2,000 per year cost-of-education allowance.

Award Category No. 2 -- Doctoral Level Training: Funding at $79,500 for each Fellow. This consists of a student stipend of $24,500 per year for three years, plus $2,000 per year cost-of education allowance.

Award Category No. 3 -- Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA): One-time award of $4,500 for an eligible USDA National Needs Master’s Fellow and/or one-time award $8,000 for an eligible USDA National Needs Doctoral Fellow.

http://fms.treas.gov/index1.html

There is no limit to the number of applications an eligible institution may submit; however, an institution may only receive support up to a maximum of $525,000 in awards. This support may be provided through multiple grant awards.

Each application may request any combination of Award Category No. 1 (Master’s), Award Category No. 2 (doctoral) or Award Category No. 3 (IRTA) funds, not to exceed $262,500.

A separate application must be submitted for each Targeted Expertise Shortage Area (see Part I, C.

2.) for which support is requested. NIFA reserves the right to fund fewer Fellows than requested in an application, and to partially fund IRTA requests.

Project Directors with an active NNF award without previous IRTA funding may submit application(s) requesting funds to support IRTA(s) for current, eligible National Needs Fellow(s).

Such Award Category No. 3 (IRTA) applications must be clearly identified as requesting support ONLY for current, eligible National Needs Fellow(s) and will be evaluated as described in Part V, B. 2.

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 communicate 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 key 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

Pursuant to section 1417 of the NARETPA of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3152), and administrative provisions that can be found in 7 CFR 3402 applications may be submitted by:

(1) Land-grant institutions including the University of the District of Columbia;

(2) Colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments and a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences; and

(3) Other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food, and agricultural sciences.

Research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university are eligible to submit graduate training proposals under this RFA. Applicants should be institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the TESAs. 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 may 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

There are no matching requirements 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, we recommend 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 Grants.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. Part II.1. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the registration process. Refer item 2. below to locate the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide”.

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-HEP-005276 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.

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 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.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 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 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 a.m. - 9 p.m. 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 BE AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM 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).

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

• Email: electronic@nifa.usda.gov

• Phone: 202-401-5048

• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, 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. SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s) 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 mailto:electronic@nifa.usda.gov

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.

Field 7. Project Summary/Abstract. The summary should also include the relevance of the project to the goals of NNF. See Part V. 4.7 of NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

IMPORTANT – The Project Summary/Abstract is required in all applications and is limited to two 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. A Project Summary/Abstract that exceeds this page limit requirement will not be accepted for review.

(1) List the proposal title;

(2) List the names of Project Director(s) and institution(s);

(3) Identify the single Targeted Expertise Shortage Area (TESA) being addressed (see following) – applicants must select only ONE TESA per application;

(4) Identify the major academic program or discipline being addressed (see following) – applicants may indicate a single or multiple discipline code(s);

(5) Clearly indicate the number of Fellows and degree level(s) to be supported under the application; and

(6) Clearly indicate the number and degree level of IRTAs to be supported.

In addition to the above, the rest of the Project Summary should:

(1) Be concise and precise at no more than 250 words;

(2) Provide a clear description of the type of project proposed (fellowships and/or IRTA), succinctly providing information about its major features and a specific description of the activities to be undertaken;

(3) Identify the six national Challenge Area(s) targeted by the project. Choose from:

o Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change o Childhood Obesity Prevention o Food Safety o Food Security o Sustainable Bioenergy o Water Resources

(4) State the overall project goal(s) and supporting measurable objectives;

(5) Give a concise overview of plans for training project to accomplish project goal(s) for national targeted expertise shortage area, include measurable targets, in specified timeline, to meet proposed objectives;

(6) State the relevance of the project to the NNF program goals, and the USDA Strategic Goals and Objectives http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014- FY2018.pdf; and

(7) State the anticipated, measurable national impact(s) on the Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas (TESAs).

Title the attachment ‘Project Summary’ in the document header and save the file in PDF format with the title ‘Project Summary’. The importance of a concise, informative Project Summary cannot be overemphasized.

Targeted Expertise Shortage Area (TESA) FY 2015 Funding Cycle Animal Production Plant Production Forest Resources Agricultural Educators and Communicators Agricultural Management and Economics Food Science, Human Sciences, and Human Nutrition Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity Integrative Biosciences for Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems – (integrative training in food and agricultural, social and economic disciplines)

Relevant Disciplines for the FY 2015 Funding Cycle Code

Animal Science A Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Microbiology B Plant Sciences and Horticulture (includes Turf Grass/Weed Science/Plant Breeding) P Conservation and Renewable Natural Resources (including Forestry, Air Quality, Sustainable Agriculture, Climatology/Climate Change or Biofuels) C Environmental Sciences/Management (includes Economics, Decision Management and Biometry) L Soil Sciences (includes Soil Quality; Processes) D Water Sciences/Resources (includes Water Quality) W Agricultural/Biological Engineering (includes Rangeland, Urban/Rural Technology) E Agricultural Marketing and Management (includes Agricultural Economics) M Food Science/Technology/Manufacturing/Safety F Human Nutrition (includes obesity and relevant to USDA Strategic Goals) N International Agriculture (includes Disciplines Related to Global Food and Agricultural Systems and Competitiveness) I Agricultural Social Sciences (includes Rural Sociology) S Veterinary Medicine (graduate degree training) V Interdisciplinary, Sustainable Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences and Economics Graduate Degree Programs G

Agricultural Biosecurity X

Field 8. Project Narrative (Required Attachment – Must be PDF format). Application 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 15 pages of written text and up to 5 additional pages for figures and tables. Formatting shall be one inch margins, no smaller than 12-point font (Times New Roman or similar), and double-spaced. We have established this maximum (20 pages) to ensure fair and equitable competition. Appendices, as well as web links and search suggestions included in the narrative, should not be used to circumvent the page limit. Project narratives that exceed this page limit requirement will not be accepted for review.

The Project Narrative must include and be organized into the four sections identified. A description of the information that must be included in each section is outlined below.

Section 1:

Institutional Data and Profile

(1) Discuss the quality of education for all students in the graduate program, describe aligned data, accountability and knowledge management to support graduate training program development for improvement in practice, policy, and strategy to increase achievement, graduation and post-graduation success in the targeted expertise shortage areas. Provide supporting data with numbers, demographics, and results from Program Quality Review(s). Describe curriculum and instructional approaches, the availability of research training opportunities, and strategies or activities for developing the leadership, management, critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students or unique mentoring experiences that may assist in preparing students for placement following graduation.

• Progress Report If the application is from an institution that has received a NNF grant funded competitively by this agency in the past five years, include a clearly marked progress report describing results to date from the previous award. The progress report must be contained within the page limit and should contain the following information:

(a) The Grant Number (xxxx-38420-xxxxx) for the award.

(b) A comparison of actual accomplishments with the objectives established for the previous award;

(c) The reasons established objectives were not met, if applicable;

(d) A listing of any graduated NNF Scholars, new curricula, service-learning, or other outputs, including those outputs identified in the project logic model resulting from the award.

(2) Present evidence that the overall academic program has an established record that recognizes and addresses current trends and future needs, and prepares students for the national targeted expertise shortage area of the application and successful careers in the food and agricultural sciences professional and scientific workplaces; (Education Reporting Logic Model is a resource).

(3) Discuss current or planned programs at the institution designed to engage outstanding graduate students, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups, to pursue and complete further graduate/professional studies to pipeline into the workforce, filling areas of management and leadership in food and agricultural sciences disciplines and how these programs will be synergistic or augment the current application.

(4) Substantiate clearly, with data indicating prior graduate training success in the TESA, the quality of graduate training and/or international experiential learning available through the institution's graduate teaching, research and experiential program(s) in the food and agricultural sciences in the discipline(s) for which Fellows are being recruited.

(5) Supportive information should also include the following institutional data and may be presented in table format:

(a) Student enrollment, retention and graduation rates by gender, racial groups, socio-economic groups, and ethnic groups for the past five years;

(b) Mean standardized college entrance exam scores of students from traditionally underrepresented groups and of other students admitted to the institution(s) for the past five years;

(c) Placement of graduates during the past five years; and

(d) Enrollment, graduation rates and placement of students from traditionally underserved groups and first generation college students and/or past Fellows.

(6) Demonstrate the likelihood that the proposed program of graduate study will result in the development of outstanding graduates with effective leadership and communication skills and the technical and functional competence to meet the future needs of a globally interconnected, technologically advanced, rapidly diversifying and stakeholder-driven food and agricultural industry.

(7) If funds requested in this application fall under Award Category 3 (International Research and/or Thesis/Dissertation Allowance) are requested, please include the information below:

(a) When applying for an IRTA award for a Current Eligible USDA National Needs Fellow (or multiple Current Fellows) the Project Narrative should include all of the following:

i. The anticipated, specific destination(s) and duration of the travel;

ii. Information about the objectives, timeline, expected outcomes and deliverables from the participating, eligible USDA Fellow(s);

iii. The specific study or thesis/dissertation research activities (specific tasks) in which USDA Fellows will be engaged;

iv. The NIFA award number which supports the Fellowship activities of the student;

v. Explanation about how the experience will contribute to the USDA Fellow’s program of study;

vi. A budget narrative specifying and justifying the dollar amount requested for the travel;

vii. The contact personnel where Fellowship and/or IRTA activity will be undertaken; include the summary credentials of both the U.S. and international faculty or other professionals with whom the USDA Fellow will be working during the international experience and the nature of support to be provided to insure success of the Fellow’s experience;

viii. A letter from the dean of the USDA Fellow’s college or equivalent administrative unit supporting the USDA Fellow’s travel request and certifying that the travel experience will not jeopardize the USDA Fellow’s satisfactory progress toward degree completion;

ix. A letter from the fellowship’s grant project director certifying the USDA Fellow’s eligibility, the accuracy of the USDA Fellow’s travel request, and the relevance of the travel to the USDA Fellow’s advanced degree objectives;

x. The criteria that will be used to evaluate success of the Fellowship and/or IRTA; and

xi. A copy of an updated NIFA Form 2010 – Fellowship Appointment Form for any current USDA Fellow participating in the proposed Fellowships and/or IRTA opportunity should be attached to Field 12 (see Part VI, D).

(b) Should the proposed IRTA be for To-Be-Recruited USDA National Needs Fellows, the Project Director should provide in the narrative the following information:

i. A brief description of example projects the proposed Fellows would be encouraged to undertake;

ii. Anticipated objectives relating how the proposed IRTAs will contribute to the program of study; and

iii. At least 90 days prior to travel, the specific documents for the IRTA outlined in section (a) above for Current USDA National Needs Fellows (Part IV, B, 3(b), 1(7), (a), i-xi).

Section 2: Proposed activities

Describe in detail the proposed activities and strategies that will be employed to carry out the following:

(1) Recruitment and selection of Fellows

a) Describe the plans for the recruitment of outstanding Fellows, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups, including a brief justification for focusing recruitment efforts on any particular group(s), and if recruiting from specific colleges and universities include institutional letters of support from targeted institutions; the rationale for using proposed strategies and procedures should be provided.

b) Discuss the strategies and procedures for recruiting and selecting students committed to the TESA as participants in the Fellowship program, including selection criteria for choosing outstanding Fellows who are considered likely to pursue degrees in national targeted expertise shortage areas.

(2) Academic advising, research training, professional counseling, mentoring, pipelining

a) Describe the organization and philosophy of the proposed graduate training program relative to the TESA, identify the core competencies that each Fellow will be expected to attain; and how these will be evaluated as part of the Fellowship outcome measures.

a) Describe plans and procedures for assessing, monitoring, counseling, guiding, and sustaining Fellows’ continued commitment and progress toward securing an education with the core competencies to be attained in preparation for a career that meets the need of national targeted expertise shortage areas.

b) Describe the nature of professional mentoring to be provided to Fellows and the subsequent follow up on their graduation and further training or entry into the workforce;

identify the specific type(s) of workforce positions the NNF Fellows are being trained for.

c) Provide evidence based on research, published materials and common practices that the proposed strategies above are effective.

(3) Experiential learning: hands-on research, extension, teaching and other activities

a) Discuss the plans that will allow the Fellows to be engaged in experiential learning such as hands-on research, teaching practicum, extension experience and other learning activities (written and oral communication skills, leadership training, service learning) that will enhance the academic experience of the fellows. Develop activities that are feasible, effective (based on studies or common practices), and realistic based on the resources available at the institution(s).

b) Describe plans for mentorship and scholarship during the experiential learning opportunity.

c) Identify the goals of the experiential learning opportunity and their relevance to the TESA and overall objectives of the training project.

(4) Measuring performance outcomes

Using the mean of two years prior to project start as the baseline data, and demonstrating how the training project will help increase the number and/or percentage of students graduating with Master’s or doctoral degrees in Food and Agricultural Sciences versus the normal outcome without a grant award. Include:

a) Plans for achieving a completion rate of greater than the institutional average for the specific graduate program of study. Completion rate is computed as number of Fellows graduated divided by number of Fellows recruited, expressed as a percentage;

b) Description of the institution's mentoring and other support services and how they promote and achieve successful multicultural and/or first-generation college graduate student retention through graduation and pipelining to further graduate training or the workforce;

and

c) Plans and procedures to measure and report performance outcomes and impacts; describe ongoing evaluation of the graduate training project implementation and effectiveness, measuring program outcomes and impacts (e.g., technical competence; scholarly contributions), pipelining, and tracking Fellows' accomplishments up to five (5) years after graduation. Provide details of how the proposed graduate training will lead to achieving the goals of the NNF grants program. The applicant should project a goal for tracking (e.g.

expressed as a less than 10 percent "unable-to-contact" rate during the 36-month post-graduation follow-up phase). As an example, the Unable-to-Track Rate is computed as the number of “unable-to-contact” graduated USDA Fellows divided by the number of graduated Fellows, expressed as a percentage. An escalating unable-to-contact rate is of considerable concern.

The project evaluation should describe a plan for assessment of outcomes and impacts for the TESA that includes: entry of Fellow(s) into a specific TESA; assessment if the training is well-tailored for the Fellow and should lead to expected outcomes, as well as meeting the needs of the TESA;

determination of measurable change due to the training; and the accrued changes in the TESA due to the training program proposed. Describe the strategy or approach that will be used to evaluate project implementation and how success will be measured. Include a discussion of how evaluation findings would be used to modify and improve future opportunities for Fellows.

(5) Dissemination of results and/or impacts

Wide dissemination of results and/or impacts of the graduate training program including student achievements, should be provided to NIFA and other interested parties including the general citizenry. Make clear what specific avenues will be used and identify the expected impacts. Include plans for:

a) Output and outcomes reporting, including impacts of experiential learning activities, of fellowship recipients; and

b) Disseminating project outcomes, impacts and achievements and relevance to meeting the program purpose and goals of the funding agency to a wide audience.