15-orei final to post.pdf

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)

2015 Request for Applications

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 30, 2015

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

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

AGRICULTURE

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVE

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.307, Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.

DATES: Notification of Intent to Submit (NOI) emails are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1, 2015. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 30, 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 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 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension RFA.

As part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) strategy to successfully implement the 2014 Farm Bill, NIFA is soliciting stakeholder input on NIFA’s centers of excellence strategy. Between January and March 2015 NIFA will hold webinars to collect stakeholder input about the centers of excellence strategy in fiscal year (FY) 2015. Dates for the informational outreach webinars are February 26, 2015 and March 5, 2015, they will also be announced on the NIFA website. The full transcript of the webinars will also be available on the NIFA website. NIFA will also request to receive input through an advertised call-in number, fax and email. All comments and suggestions for the FY 2015 centers of excellence should be received by March 30, 2015.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) for fiscal year (FY) 2015 to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. OREI funds research, education, and extension programs that enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $17.5 million.

mailto:Policy@nifa.usda.gov http://www.nifa.usda.gov/ http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/offices/legis/cntr_ex_webinar_documents.html

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

********Please Read********

Important Information Regarding Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Policies and Procedures

********Please Read********

• Proposals with significant overlap in objectives and scope cannot be submitted to both OREI and ORG (Organic Transitions) programs.

• This year OREI offers a new priority on new curriculum development for organic agriculture with $250,000 total maximum budget for up to 2 years.

• Use the Project Summary template provided by grants.gov. Failure to use the correct format or exceeding the word limit may result in the rejection of the proposal.

• Review of Co-PD roles will be included in project review. Please be clear about Co-PDs

vs. sub-contractors.

• Multi-Regional, Regional, and Targeted proposals must include a data management plan that clearly describes how the data will be disseminated and accessible to the public

Table of Contents

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background B. Purpose and Priorities

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 C. Multiple Submissions D. Centers of Excellence

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Notice of Intent to Submit an Application Instructions B. Electronic Application Package C. Content and Form of Application Submission D. Submission Dates and Times E. Funding Restrictions F. 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 7211 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 amended section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade (FACT) Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b). The FACT Act, as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB), to make competitive grants to support research, education, and extension activities regarding organically grown and processed agricultural commodities for eight legislatively-defined goals (see Part I, B. of this

RFA).

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) directly aligns with the Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan (http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf) and specifically addresses: Goal 1 – Sustainable Intensification of Agricultural Production, Subgoals 1A, 1B, 1D (which focus on Crop and Animal Production, Health, Outreach and Markets); Goal 2 - Responding to Climate and Energy Needs, Subgoal 2A (which focuses on Climate Variability);

Goal 3 – Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Subgoal 3A (which focuses on Water); Goal 5 – Food Safety; Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy; and Goal 7 – Rural Prosperity/Rural- Urban Interdependence by supporting systems-based research to enhance the sustainability of food production, including environmental, economic, and social factors. OREI is aligned with the NIFA Strategic plan (http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf ), and specifically addresses Strategic Goal 1 (Science - Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education and extension programs), by advancing our Nation’s ability to achieve global food security and fight hunger (Subgoal 1.1).

B. Purpose and Priorities

The OREI seeks to solve critical organic agricultural issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund high priority research, education and extension projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics.

The OREI has eight goals that were legislatively-defined by the Farm Bill:

1. Facilitating the development and improvement of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods.

2. Evaluating the potential economic benefits of organic agricultural production and methods to producers, processors and rural communities.

3. Exploring international trade opportunities for organically grown and processed agricultural commodities.

4. Determining desirable traits for organic commodities.

5. Identifying marketing and policy constraints on the expansion of organic agriculture.

http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf

6. Conducting advanced on-farm research and development that emphasizes observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for working organic farms, including research relating to production, marketing, food safety, socioeconomic conditions, and farm business management.

7. Examining optimal conservation and environmental outcomes relating to organically produced agricultural products.

8. Developing new and improved seed varieties that are particularly suited for organic agriculture.

Priorities for FY 2015: Proposals addressing any of the legislatively defined goals listed above will be accepted for consideration by panels. In FY 2015, proposals are encouraged in the following areas as defined in the legislation:

1. Conduct advanced on-farm crop, livestock, or integrated livestock-crop research and development that emphasize observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for organic farms, including production, marketing and socioeconomic issues. These issues could include both identification of factors reducing yields, efficiency, productivity, and economic returns on organic farms and the economic and socioeconomic contributions of organic farming to producers, processors and local communities.

2. Develop and demonstrate educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other agricultural professionals who advise producers on organic practices. Applications bringing end-users together with OREI-funded research, education, and extension teams are encouraged. Coordination of the development of online content with eXtension and the eOrganic Community of Practice is encouraged but is not a requirement for a successful application.

3. For both plant and animal–based organic products: evaluate, develop and improve allowable post-harvest handling, processing and food safety practices to reduce toxins and microbial contamination, while increasing shelf-life, quality and other economically important characteristics.

4. Strengthen organic crop seed systems, including seed and transplant production and protection, and plant breeding for organic production, with an emphasis on publically available releases. Breeding and selection characteristics for organic systems may be different from those in conventional systems. Goals of organic seed systems proposals can include, but are not limited to: disease and pest resistance, stress tolerance, quality and yield improvement, and genetic mechanisms to prevent inadvertent introduction of GMO traits through cross-pollination. Projects dealing solely with cultivar evaluation do not fit under this priority.

5. Explore technology that meets the requirements of the National Organic Program and that can control weeds, diseases, and pests while maintaining healthy water resources.

Specifically, develop, improve and evaluate systems-based integrated pest management programs to address pest and pest-related problems for organically grown crops. Systems-based evaluations can include the safety and efficacy of allowable pest management materials and practices. Proposals addressing management of diseases, nematodes, weeds, and insect pests in the Southern Region are especially encouraged.

6. Develop or improve systems-based animal production, animal health and pest management practices, especially in the areas of nutrition, grazing, and pasture and confinement requirements to improve animal productivity, health and welfare while retaining or enhancing economic viability.

7. Catalog, characterize and/or select animal genotypes and breeds adapted to organic systems.

This would include, but is not restricted to: identification of and selection for pest and disease resistance; health and performance under organic pasture and feed regimens; and performance in small, mixed or innovative farming operations.

8. Develop new undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum in organic agriculture. Education activities under this priority may include instructional delivery programs and experiential learning for students enrolled in associate, baccalaureate, masters, and Ph.D. degree programs.

The OREI is particularly interested in research, education, and outreach projects that will assist farmers and ranchers with whole farm planning by delivering practical research-based information. Applicants should describe how the results of their research, education, and extension programs will improve the ability of growers to develop the Organic System Plan required for certification. Organic systems fieldwork must be done on certified organic land or on land in transition to organic certification, as appropriate to project goals and objectives. Refer to the USDA National Organic Program (www.ams.usda.gov/nop) for organic production standards. For FY 2015, we encourage research, education and extension relating to management of diseases, insect pests and weeds in specific regions, such as the southern region, where organic acreage is demonstrably increasing and yet the region remains deficient in terms of numbers of certified and exempt organic farms, compared to nationwide averages. This priority applies to all project types described in Part II, C. of this RFA.

Proposals with significant overlap in objectives and scope cannot be submitted to both OREI and ORG (Organic Transitions) programs. Additional information on the scope of OREI and ORG may be found at the following link:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/plants/pdfs/orei_org_synop_9_2014.pdf

Clinical trials investigating animal health issues need not be conducted in a certified organic setting unless animal management could play a pivotal role in the response of the animal to the proposed intervention. For example, animals that have been raised under organic standards should be used to compare pasture-raised animals to those from a confined animal feeding operation.

OREI strongly encourages applicants to develop partnerships that include collaboration with:

small- or mid-sized, accredited colleges and universities; 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and/or other institutions that serve high-risk, under-served, or hard-to-reach audiences; Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that are engaged in organic agriculture research, education, and outreach. International partnerships, http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop http://www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/plants/pdfs/orei_org_synop_9_2014.pdf linkages, and exchanges that contribute to solving or solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems in the United States are also encouraged.

NIFA strongly encourages applicants to consult with organic producers and/or processors before developing project applications. Producers and/or processors should play an important role in developing project goals and objectives; in implementing the plan; and in evaluating and disseminating project results and outcomes. Projects must involve work that is viewed by stakeholders as both necessary and important. There is an expectation that a local and/or regional advisory panel will inform the program throughout its life, including ongoing identification and prioritization of research, education and extension objectives. An outcome-oriented plan for disseminating information derived from project work must be an integral part of the project. This information delivery plan should consider a number of delivery systems and methods. The metrics for evaluating research, education and extension outcomes should be clearly described and appropriate to project goals.

The following websites may be useful in developing OREI applications:

- National Organic Program (www.ams.usda.gov/nop) and National Organic Standards Board research priorities (http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5108951);

- NIFA Organic Agriculture (www.nifa.usda.gov/organicagriculture.cfm)

- Synopsis of OREI and ORG (http://www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/plants/pdfs/orei_org_synop_9_2014.pdf ) -eOrganic Section of eXtension: www.extension.org/organic_production

- 2009, 2010 and 2011 OREI, Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) Grantsmanship Workshops and NIFA Grantsmanship Workshops: www.nifa.usda.gov/business/training/cpworkshops_past.html

- 2007 census of Agriculture, 2008 Organic Production Survey factsheet:

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/Practices/orga nics.pdf

The OREI encourages use of multiple extension delivery methods, including face-to-face meetings and tours, farmer-to-farmer mentoring, print publications and social media, as appropriate to project goals. In creating web-based electronic content, project directors (PDs) are encouraged, but not required, to coordinate their efforts with eXtension, the national land grant university and extension web initiative, or the eOrganic Community of Practice (CoP). Extensive opportunities for collaboration, networking, integration of research, education and extension, and stakeholder engagement are offered within eXtension and the eOrganic CoP.

Please see the following links for more information:

eXtension Home Page: http://about.extension.org/ eXtension Background: www.extension.org/main/about eOrganic Home Page: eOrganic.info/ and www.extension.org/organic_production.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5108951 http://www.nifa.usda.gov/organicagriculture.cfm http://www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/plants/pdfs/orei_org_synop_9_2014.pdf http://www.extension.org/organic_production http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/training/cpworkshops_past.html http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/Practices/organics.pdf http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/Practices/organics.pdf http://about.extension.org/ http://www.extension.org/main/about http://eorganic.info/ http://www.extension.org/organic_production

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The amount available for NIFA support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $17.5 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 Financial Management Service, as the payment system for funds. For more information see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html.

B. Types of Applications

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

(1) New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the OREI 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 OREI 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

The following four types of projects are being requested for the OREI in FY 2015. See the table at the end of this section for project periods, anticipated grant types, and suggested maximum funding requests.

(1) Integrated Project Proposals: Integrated project applications must include at least two of the three functions of the agricultural knowledge system (Research, Education, and Extension). Awards will be made as standard grants or under certain circumstances, NIFA may determine that it will support continuation grants. See footnotes at the end of this section for definitions. Every OREI proposal must have clear and documented integration of at least two functions (Research, Education and/or Extension) as part of the project. That integration needs to be evident and explicit. To accommodate projects differing in scope, three types of integrated project proposals are offered. However, projects with similar content and same investigators may not be submitted to more than one category.

a. Multi-Regional. Proposals addressing program priorities with Suggested Maximum Funding Requests of $2,000,000. These are large coordinated projects addressing http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html critical issues that cut across multiple regions. A regional advisory panel is required for multi-regional proposals.

b. Regional. Proposals addressing program priorities with Suggested Maximum Funding Requests of $1,000,000. These are multidisciplinary projects addressing issues that may be limited to a single region.

c. Targeted. Proposals addressing specific critical constraints with Suggested Maximum Funding Requests of $500,000, reflecting the possibly narrower scope of these projects. All eligible applicants may submit Targeted proposals, but proposals originating from or including small, mid-sized and minority-serving institutions are particularly encouraged.

Multi-Regional, Regional, and Targeted proposals will (1) be reviewed together with no set aside amount for any of the proposal types and (2) must include a data management plan that clearly describes how the data will be disseminated and accessible to the public.

(2) Conference Proposals: Conference proposals support workshops or symposia bringing together scientists and others, including end-users, to identify research, education or extension needs, update information, or advance understanding of organic issues and problems using a systems-based approach. They should occur within 12 months of the award start date. Conferences providing current information to farmers and ranchers should be held in conjunction with meetings regularly attended by organic producers and processors to the extent possible. Conference awards cannot exceed $50,000

(3) Research, Education and Extension Planning Proposals: Planning proposals provide assistance in the development of future OREI proposals requiring multi-regional coordination. Proposals are encouraged from applicants who: (1) demonstrate limited resources for submitting large grant applications, (2) articulate anticipated benefits from the proposed planning activities, and (3) present evidence that the resulting OREI application will have a high probability of success. Applicants are encouraged to budget for planning meetings that bring together scientists, end-users and technology providers. Applicants should detail the types of participants who will be invited in order to document that planning meeting participants represent a broad range of expertise. Research, Education and Extension Planning Proposal awards cannot exceed $50,000 and are not renewable.

Funding of a planning proposal is not a guarantee that the resulting application will be funded by NIFA. All proposals resulting from Planning Grants will be reviewed by the panel using the same standards as all other proposals. It is expected that planning activities supported by this program will occur within 12 months of award start date. Planning grants, from or including small, mid-sized and minority-serving institutions are particularly encouraged.

(4) Curriculum Development Proposals (New in FY 2015): Curriculum development proposals provide assistance in the development of NEW undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum in organic agriculture. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized OREI to support Education activities. Education activities under this priority may include instructional delivery programs and experiential learning for students enrolled in associate, baccalaureate, masters, and Ph.D. degree programs. Routine use of students as personnel on research projects is not considered Education for the purposes of this priority and students should be actively engaged in the scholarship of the research/extension projects. Programs designed to educate growers are considered extension rather than educational activities for the purpose of this RFA. Projects must be innovative and promote and strengthen academic instruction or activities that lead to completion of a student’s formal degree.

Projects should have broad-based applicability beyond a single course or an individual instructor. Projects are encouraged to include partnerships among several academic units or institutions to more efficiently deliver coordinated, academic instruction that reduces instructional duplication and costs. Curriculum development projects cannot exceed $250,000 total budget per award for a period of up to two years.

Applicants should decide the project type best suited to the objectives of their proposed project and develop a budget that fits the objectives. The suggested maximum funding requests are intended only as a guide and some degree of deviation will not result in a failure to review the proposal.

Project Types Project

Periods Anticipated Grant Types

Suggested Maximum Funding Requests

Integrated Project Proposal

Multi- Regional

2 to 4 years Standard* or continuation**

$2,000,000

Regional 2 to 4 years Standard or continuation

$1,000,000

Targeted 2 to 3 years Standard or continuation

$500,000

Curriculum Development Proposal

1 to 2 years Standard or continuation

$250,000

Conference Proposal 1 year Standard $50,000 Planning Proposal 1 year Standard $50,000

*A standard grant is an instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined project period without any statement of intention to provide additional support at a future date.

**A continuation grant is an instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined project period with a statement of intention to provide additional support at a future date, provided that performance has been satisfactory, funds are available for this purpose, and continued support would be in the best interest of the Federal government and the public. NIFA is under no obligation to award a continuation grant. In no case, however, can the total funding period exceed 5 years.

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

The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive a grant under this program.

1. State agricultural experiment stations;

2. Colleges and universities;

3. University research foundations;

4. Other research institutions and organizations;

5. Federal agencies;

6. National laboratories;

7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations;

8. Individuals who are United States citizens or nationals; or

9. A group consisting of two or more of the entities described in subparagraphs (1) through

(8).

Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of 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

In accordance with section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3371), as added by section 7128 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), for grants awarded after October 1, 2014, the recipient of an award from the OREI program must provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded by NIFA. The matching funds requirement does not apply to grants awarded:

1. To a research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); or

2. To an entity eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program (as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)), including a partner (see Part VIII, E. Definitions for definition of partnership) of such an entity.

Entities eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program and exempt from the matching funds requirement include:

a) 1862 Land-grant Institutions, including State Agricultural Experiment Stations receiving funding under the Hatch Act of 1887

b) 1890 Land-grant Institutions

c) 1994 Land-grant Institutions

d) Recipients of Continuing Animal Health and Disease, Food Security, and

Stewardship Research, Education, and Extension Program Funds — Capacity and Infrastructure Program (CIP)

e) Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU)

f) Insular Area Schools Eligible to Receive Funds from the Distance

Education/Resident Instruction Grant Programs

g) Recipients of McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Program Funds

h) Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) - (for exemption from the new matching requirement, these applications must include NLGCA certification, see instructions for requesting certification at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html, and for attaching the certification in Part IV, C. of this RFA)

i) Recipients of funds under a program established under section 1417(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)), including: (1) 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program; (2) Higher Education Challenge Grants Program; (3) Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program; and (4) Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program

j) Individual public or private, nonprofit Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions of higher education (see 20 U.S.C. 1059d).

A proposal submitted in response to this RFA may indicate that the work will be completed by multiple entities as a collaborative partnership. All partners must have a substantial involvement in the project throughout the life of the project. If a partnership among multiple entities is proposed, the proposal must clearly identify the following:

1) A narrative of each entity’s clearly established role in the project;

2) How each entity involved as a partner on the project will contribute to execution of project objectives, determination of experimental design, development of the project work plan and time table, and submission of collaborative, timely reports; and

3) A comprehensive project budget that reflects each entity’s financial or third party in-kind contribution (see section 2 of 7 CFR 3430 or section 96 of 2 CFR part 200) to the total project budget costs.

If a proposal indicates that the work on the project will be completed by multiple entities as partners, and at least one entity is exempt from the matching requirement under #2 above, the entire project will be exempt from the matching requirement regardless of whether all entities involved are otherwise exempt. Any partner entity can serve as the lead entity on the project. All partners must be significantly involved in the project.

After proposals have been recommended for award, NIFA will determine if the submitted proposal and proposed division of work reflects substantial involvement of all entities involved.

If a proposal is recommended for award to a lead entity not otherwise exempt from the matching requirement and the proposal does not reflect substantial involvement of at least one partner that is exempt under #2 above, then the matching requirement will apply. Exemption from the matching requirement for an entity not otherwise exempt is limited to the project for which it is a partner.

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html

Waiver of Match - NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a recipient for one year with respect to a competitive grant that involves research or extension activities that are consistent with the priorities established by the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board for the year involved. To determine whether proposed activities are consistent with the priorities of the NAREEEAB, please refer to the 2014 Research, Education and Economics Action Plan. Instructions for requesting a waiver are included in Part IV, C. of this RFA.

C. Multiple Submissions

Duplicate, essentially duplicate or predominantly overlapping applications submitted to both OREI and ORG in any one fiscal year will not be reviewed. In addition, applicants may not submit to OREI an application that is considered duplicate, essentially duplicate, or predominantly overlapping with an application submitted to another NIFA program in the same fiscal year.

D. Centers of Excellence

Pursuant to Section 7214 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, for applicable competitive research and extension programs, NIFA will be recognizing and providing priority in the receipt of funding to applications from “centers of excellence” that have been established for purposes of carrying out research, extension, and education activities relating to the food and agricultural sciences. In July of 2014, NIFA held listening sessions and accepted written comments from stakeholders to inform NIFA’s implementation of the centers of excellence provision. Information from the webinars and a summary of the input gathered are available on NIFA’s website at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/about/offices/legis/cntr_ex_webinar_documents.html.

A center of excellence is composed of 1 or more of the following entities that provide financial or in-kind support to the center of excellence. Therefore, an eligible applicant who wishes to be considered as a center of excellence must be one of the following entities that provides financial or in-kind support to the Center being proposed, as described in the grant application.

(A) State agricultural experiment stations;

(B) colleges and universities;

(C) university research foundations;

(D) other research institutions and organizations;

(E) Federal agencies;

(F) national laboratories;

(G) private organizations, foundations, or corporations;

(H) individuals; or

(I) any group consisting of 2 or more of the entities described in (A) through (H).

Only Integrated Project Proposals applicants may be considered for COE designation. See Part IV, C. of this RFA for additional requirements that eligible applicants must meet to be considered a center of excellence.

http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf http://www.nifa.usda.gov/about/offices/legis/cntr_ex_webinar_documents.html

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Notice of Intent to Submit an Application Instructions

Prospective applicants are asked to email a notice of Intent to Submit an application by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1, 2015. This notification is not required and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application. The information it contains will be used by program staff to plan the review process. It will not be used for screening for project appropriateness or applicant eligibility, nor will feedback be offered.

This email should include the following information IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL:

1. Descriptive tentative title of proposed research

2. Name of the Project Director and Institution

3. Names of other potential co-Project Directors and their affiliations, if applicable

4. Priority area(s) addressed (see second half of Part I (B) for specific details). This is referring to the 2015 Program Priorities, NOT the legislatively defined goals. Please list the number for each of the priorities addressed. You do not need to list the legislated goals addressed.

5. Likely type of application and project (defined in Part II, Section C)

Please follow this format and do not include additional narrative or documents or attach a document to the email. Provide the information, as listed above, in the body of the email.

Subject line of email should read: OREI – Intent to Submit E-mail should be sent to organicprograms@nifa.usda.gov

B. 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”.

mailto:organicprograms@nifa.usda.gov 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/register.html

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-ICGP-004960 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 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 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 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/%23url=2014 mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

C. 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. 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://test.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 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) 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. The Abstract is limited to 250 words. The abstract should be concise and informative and include the relevance of the project to the goals of the OREI. Conference and Planning proposals should state the objectives of the conference, symposium, workshop, or planning activity as well as the proposed location and probable date(s). Use the Project Summary template provided by grants.gov. Failure to use the correct format or exceeding the word count may result in the rejection of the proposal.

http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html mailto:electronic@nifa.usda.gov

See Part V. 4.7 of NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to the required template.

b. Field 8. Project Narrative.

For all three types of Integrated Project Proposals and Curriculum Proposals: The Project Narrative section may not exceed a total of 21 single- or double-spaced pages, including figures and tables. The Introduction may not exceed 6 pages, and the rest of the Project Narrative may not exceed 15 pages.

For Conference and Planning Proposals: The Project Narrative section may not exceed a total of 7 single- or double-spaced pages, including figures and tables.

All pages, including those with figures and tables, should be numbered sequentially. To ensure fair and equitable reviews, applications exceeding the page limit may not be reviewed.

The project narrative should start with the response to the previous panel review, if applicable, followed by the executive summary and table of contents.

The Project Narrative must include all of the following:

(i) Response to the previous panel review: An application with substantive similarities to a prior, unsuccessful project should be presented as a resubmission. Resubmitted applications must provide a detailed response to the previous panel review. The response should be as concise as possible, but there is no limit to the number of pages that may be submitted. The response to the previous review is not counted against the page limit of the Project Narrative.

A NIFA-issued proposal number must be included in the response to the previous review (also see instructions in section 2.8 of Part V of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide).

(ii) Executive summary and table of contents: The executive summary and table of contents does not count toward the narrative’s page limitation, but must include the following information in a combined executive summary and table of contents. Applications without an executive summary containing the following parts will NOT be considered for funding.

Note that this section is in addition to and different from the Project Summary page.

1. Project title.

2. Project type (see Part II C. of this RFA).

3. List the legislatively-defined goals being addressed (see Part I B. of this RFA), and provide an estimate of the percentage of effort/funds dedicated to each (sum of percentages should equal 100 percent). Note that the legislatively-defined goals are not the same as the FY 2015 program priorities.

4. Indicate the approximate distribution of percentage of effort between research, education and extension.

5. Program Staff and their role – include name, title, affiliation, address, and e-mail for PD(s), Co-PD(s) and Key Personnel. Please note all people listed as co-PD or co-PI should be eligible and able to fulfill the role of PD/PI for the project if the need arises.

Review of Co-PD roles will be included in project review. Please be clear about Co- PDs vs sub-contractors.

6. A brief summary (2-3 sentences) describing the critical stakeholder needs addressed by the project and the project’s long-term goals (provide cross-references to full descriptions in the narrative).

7. A brief summary (2-3 sentences) of the outreach plan proposed by the project (provide a cross-reference to the full description in the narrative).

8. A brief summary (2-3 sentences) describing potential economic, social, and other benefits (Who benefits and how will it be measured?).

9. A brief summary (2-3 sentences) describing stakeholder engagement throughout the project (provide a cross-reference to the full description in the narrative).

(iii) Outcome from previous awards:

If you have previously received funding from OREI or ORG, provide the following:

1. Award number(s)

2. Significant outcome from each award (200-300 words per award)

(iv) Introduction:

1. Provide a clear statement of the long-term goal(s), the critical need(s) of organic agriculture being addressed, and supporting outreach objectives.

2. Describe how stakeholders were engaged to identify project goals and objectives, and as appropriate, how stakeholder involvement will continue.

3.