15-SPECA - final to post(date change).pdf

Secondary Education, Two-Year

Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom (SPECA) Challenge

Grants Program

(2015)Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 13, 2015

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

Award Amount: $900,000

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

AGRICULTURE

SECONDARY EDUCATION, TWO-YEAR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, AND

AGRICULTURE IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.226.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 13, 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 Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-

12 Classroom (SPECA) Challenge Grants Program RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Secondary Education, Two-Year

Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom (SPECA) Challenge Grants

Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 to promote and strengthen agriscience and agribusiness education. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately

$900,000.

This notice identifies the objectives for SPECA projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a SPECA 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. Grant Types

D. Project Duration

E. Number and Size of Grant Awards

F. Application Submission & Award Limitations

G. Funding Limitations per Institution

H. 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

Legislative Authority

Section 1405 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977

(NARETPA), as amended, (7 U.S.C. 3121) designates the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lead Federal agency for agriculture research, extension and teaching in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences. Authority for this program is contained in section 1417(b)(1) of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3152(j)).

In accordance with statutory authority, subject to the availability of funds, the USDA Secretary, who has delegated the authority to the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Ag in the K-12 Classroom

(SPECA) Challenge Grants Program will award grants to: (a) promote and strengthen secondary and 2-year postsecondary agriscience and agribusiness education in the K-12 Classroom in order to help ensure a qualified workforce to serve the U.S. food and agricultural, sciences system; and (b) promote complementary and synergistic linkages among secondary, 2-year postsecondary, and higher education programs in the food, and agricultural sciences in order to promote excellence in education and to encourage more young Americans to pursue and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in the food and agricultural sciences.

Background

The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Ag in the K-12 Classroom

(SPECA) Challenge Grants Program is a NIFA-administered competitive grants program focused on improving formal, K-14 food, agricultural, natural resource, and human (FANH) sciences education. SPECA-funded projects ensure a competent and qualified workforce will exist to serve the FANH sciences system. At the same time, SPECA-funded projects improve the economic health and viability of communities through the development of degree programs emphasizing new and emerging employment opportunities. Finally, SPECA projects address the national challenge to increase the number and diversity of students entering the FANH sciences (i.e., having a FANH sciences workforce representative of the Nation’s population).

Therefore, applications submitted to this grants program must state how the funded project will address the SPECA Program Goals:

1. To enhance the quality of secondary and two-year postsecondary instruction in order to help meet current and future national food, agricultural, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences workplace needs.

2. To increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a 2- or 4-year degree in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences

B. Purpose and Priorities

The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12

Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA) program directly aligns with the Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan (March 2014 version)

(http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_REE_Action_Plan_03-2014.pdf) and specifically addresses: Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy. The SPECA program is also aligned with the

NIFA Strategic Plan (2014-2018) (http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf ), specifically addressing Strategic Goal No 1, (Science – Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education, and extension programs); Subgoal 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).

This RFA incorporates comments received in previous years, including:

1. Focus: All SPECA-funded projects shall focus on improving the quality of academic instruction within the K-14 FANH sciences education system in order to develop graduates who are capable of (a) entering the FANH sciences workforce with occupational competencies expected by employers, or (b) pursuing an advanced degree within the FANH sciences.

2. Scale: All SPECA-funded projects shall create ways to maximize available educational resources, encourage partnerships, and reduce duplication of efforts among participating academic institutions. Projects shall also demonstrate the potential for adoption by other academic institutions.

3. Impact: All SPECA-funded projects shall seek to create measurable impacts or outcomes.

Impacts are defined as anticipated benefits to the target project audience. Measuring impacts begins with a comprehensive Project Evaluation Plan that includes developing assessment instruments. The Project Evaluation Plan explained in Part I, C.3., provides further, specific guidance on the importance of measuring impacts.

SPECA-funded projects encourage academic institutions, in partnership with organizations and employers, to work collectively to identify and address a state or regional challenge or opportunity facing the FANH sciences education and workforce community. An application submitted to the

SPECA grants program shall propose comprehensive and coordinated activities to address that challenge or opportunity. SPECA-funded project activities with the potential to demonstrate a state or regional impact on increasing the number, quality, diversity, and retention of K-14 level students who pursue a higher FANH sciences degree, are highly encouraged.

SPECA-funded activities could include, but are not limited to, developing, evaluating, and disseminating:

Exceptional educational, laboratory, or related curricular materials in areas that contribute to any of the FANH sciences disciplines;

Instructional delivery methods to improve student retention of academic content, and/or

Professional development approaches to improve the capacity of faculty and teaching assistants to provide effective and up-to-date instruction.

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

As noted in the December 2012 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

(PCAST) report to the President on Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research

Enterprise, the talent pipeline for the agriculture workforce begins well before college admission and a focus on secondary programs holds tremendous potential to increase not only the number, but the diversity, of students entering baccalaureate programs, a requisite for the innovation needed in the

FANH sciences. The full PCAST report is available at:

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

Accordingly, SPECA-funded project activities shall support the creation, adaptation, and adoption of learning materials and teaching strategies to operationalize what we know about how students learn.

Many of these concepts are identified in the National Research Council’s publication: How People

Learn, available at: http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9853. SPECA-funded projects shall also focus on imparting both technical knowledge as well as ‘soft’ skills such as communication, team work, and problem solving, as these are abilities expected by employers.

These concepts may be found in the publication: Comparative Analysis of Soft Skills: What is

Important for New Graduates?, available at: http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3414.

Projects shall also promote faculty expertise and encourage widespread implementation of educational innovation. This solicitation especially encourages projects with the potential to transform classroom practices at the institutional level, projects that improve our current understanding of how students learn most effectively, and/or projects that improve faculty adoption of effective instructional approaches.

The intent of a SPECA-funded project is to make a significant positive impact on the challenge or opportunity being addressed, with the expectation that benefits will continue to accrue after NIFA funding ends. Projects are expected to encourage broad participation of students traditionally underrepresented in the FANH science disciplines. All projects should be grounded by concepts documented in relevant background literature promoting innovations in education and student learning, and show an awareness of relevant prior institutional experience and expertise.

Educational instrumentation and equipment requests are appropriate expenses in SPECA-funded projects. However, such purchases must directly support the specific student learning outcome proposed by the grant application. Convincing documentation and justification for such expenses are required in the grant application.

By authorizing and funding this program, Congress expects SPECA projects to: (a) produce measurable impacts aligned with SPECA program goals, (b) promote innovative, educational practices within the FANH sciences that improve how students learn, and (c) include a rigorous evaluation component to assess that project outcomes are met. Essentially, your application must convince a peer panel of a compelling educational challenge; clearly indicate how your methodology is both unique and with merit; offer significant promise of adoption by others; and include a plan for how the project impacts will be sustained once grant funds end.

Note: Your project’s Program Category, Educational Need Area and primary academic Discipline focus must appear in the required Project Summary/Abstract. The applicant must follow the format provided in Part IV, B.3. Field 7, for this Project Summary/Abstract. Applications that do not follow this format will not be reviewed.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast_agriculture_20121207.pdf http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9853 http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3414

C. Program Area Description

1. Program Category

Your project must support for-credit, academic instruction with a primary focus in at least one of the following three K-14 Grade Levels:

(a) Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom: Projects specifically developed by or for the state Agriculture in the Classroom program (Note: A letter of support from the relevant state AITC organization endorsing your project, clarifying the absence of duplication with existing materials or projects, and explaining its implementation process into the academic system must accompany applications submitted in this Program

Category);

(b) Secondary School: Projects with a specific focus on any of the academic grades 9 through 12;

(c) Junior or Community College: Projects with a specific focus on associate degree-level (2-year postsecondary) activities

A SPECA-funded project must primarily focus on any of the K-14 grade levels. Projects with a target audience of baccalaureate or higher-level students or teachers should, instead, be referred to the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program offered through NIFA at:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/educationchallengehigheredhep.cfm.

2. Educational Need Areas

When preparing a SPECA-funded project, focus shall be on activities contributing to a continuous pipeline of FANH sciences students educated for the FANH sciences workforce. The rationale for choosing a particular Educational Need Area below must be explained in the context of how the project can contribute to the development of a cadre of students who will either pursue higher degrees in FANH sciences or be prepared to enter the FANH sciences workforce.

(a) SPECA-funded projects must focus on one of the three Educational Need Areas listed below.

Note: Your application must include an Evaluation Plan (Part I. C. 3.) for each

Educational Need Area you select. This plan indicates how you will measure success in completing your objectives within your chosen Need Area. Therefore, choose only those

Educational Need Areas for which you can develop a rigorous Evaluation Plan.

Applications will not be accepted for review if the Evaluation Plan is not included.

Educational Need Areas for the SPECA program are:

1. Curriculum Development, Instructional Delivery Systems and Expanding Student

Career Opportunities: The purpose of this initiative is to promote new and improved curricula and materials to increase the quality of, and continuously renew, the Nation's K-14 academic programs in the FANH sciences. The overall objective is to stimulate the development, and facilitate the use, of exemplary education models and materials that http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/educationchallengehigheredhep.cfm incorporate the most recent advances in subject matter research, research on teaching and learning theory, and instructional technology.

Examples of eligible projects in this Need Area may include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

The development of innovative course content, including innovative ways to integrate scientific research experiences- into secondary and 2-year postsecondary curricula;

The use of new approaches to the study of traditional subjects;

The development of course modules to provide students with exposure to food and agricultural issues in space as a way of piquing interest in discovery science in general and furthering students interests in food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences in particular;

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

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

The introduction of new subjects, or new applications of knowledge, pertaining to the

FANH sciences;

Hands-on learning experiences and methods to extend learning beyond the classroom and provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real-world situations;

Opportunities for students to complete apprenticeships, internships, career mentoring experiences or other participatory learning experiences;

Creating career placement or higher education academic counseling activities, with the expected outcome of encouraging graduates to pursue and complete postsecondary degrees; or

Other approaches to achieve SPECA program goals.

2. Faculty preparation and enhancement for teaching. The purpose of this Need Area is to advance faculty development in the areas of teaching competency, subject matter expertise, pedagogy, responsiveness to changes in student demographic composition and learning styles, and student recruitment and advising skills. Training of targeted faculty recipients must be relevant to the identified educational needs of the students, who will be the beneficiaries of such faculty development. Activities may include both formal training and informal continuing education. Any individual recipient of federal funds must be an "eligible participant" as defined in the definitions section of this RFA (Part VIII, E.).

NIFA encourages the submission of applications that coordinate the recruitment and development of faculty/student teams to participate in research activities at host research institutions and laboratories. In such instances, the SPECA grantee will administer the grant project in coordination with research staff at a USDA and/or other agency or research facility.

Engaging graduate students enrolled in agricultural education degree program (and/or existing faculty in agricultural education) to more effectively interact with K-14 programs;

Developing a self-sustaining model for faculty professional development that better prepares new faculty for teaching careers, or provides retraining for experienced faculty;

Creating assessments that document student learning outcomes or that identify conceptual areas or skills particularly challenging to students, followed by appropriate changes in instructional approaches to effectively address these issues;

Establishing systems that improve student learning across a curriculum, and identifying ways to redesign curricula to meet goals for achieving improved student learning and competencies;

Integrating current science and pedagogy into a teacher preparation curriculum or professional development program (this may involve actual hands-on research experiences for teachers);

Exploring web-based approaches for faculty professional development; or

3. Facilitating Interaction with Other Academic Institutions. This Need Area promotes K-

14 focused activities that promote linkages between secondary, 2-year postsecondary, and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to maximize the use of resources supporting outstanding education in the FANH sciences. Activities should focus on ensuring completion of secondary degrees, enrollment into postsecondary programs and/or transfer to a 4-year institution. Partnerships, collaborative arrangements and shared resources between institutions (including course credit sharing arrangements) are encouraged.

Development and use of articulation agreements, 2+2 or 2+2+2 arrangements, advanced placement credit transfer, or the sharing of faculty and facilities;

A project that focuses on developing and implementing comprehensive, multi-institutional practices proven to recruit and retain K-14 level students with a focus on cultivating those students to pursue a postsecondary FANH sciences degree (Note:

projects that directly recruit secondary school or 2-year postsecondary graduates into baccalaureate-level programs are not supported by this grants program);

A collaborative project between faculty from K-12, two-year postsecondary, and baccalaureate-level schools that develops a functional plan facilitating seamless transfer of course credit between institutions;

A pilot project that explores the practical aspects of using remote laboratories or instruction among several institutions;

A project that will result in establishing and implementing programs or procedures

(faculty sharing, articulation agreements, electronic exchange of coursework, … etc.) to disseminate curricula, instructional methods, or training practices to faculty across the state or region; or

(b) Unallowable Costs: Promotional items (e.g., T-shirts and other give-a-ways) and food functions

(e.g., cookouts or other social meal gatherings) are considered ‘entertainment’ expenses, and are also not allowed under this grants program. Note: Under Federal cost principles, restricted items (like those mentioned directly above) are not permitted for use as an applicant’s contribution to meeting the matching funds requirement for this grants program.

(c) SPECA- funded projects shall engage more than a single course or an individual instructor.

(d) Stipends to support students’ experiential, academic learning activities outside of the traditional classroom are permitted (as long as such activities are clearly related to a student’s degree program and are not extracurricular). Stipends may be requested for materials or supplies to facilitate a student’s broad exposure to research/field techniques and methodologies, as well as for reasonable travel expenses and per diem related to student educational experiences (e.g., field trips, data collection, and scientific meetings) directly supporting this funded project. In order for the students to be provided a stipend, they must be currently matriculating in the institution(s) where the projects are being implemented. Stipends may not be used for tuition or scholarships.

Any application primarily focused on providing student stipends should also include a plan demonstrating how such student stipends will continue into the future once current grant funds expire. SPECA does not encourage projects that cannot be sustained.

(e) Note: Any individual (eligible participant) receiving Federal funds must be a citizen or national of the United States, as defined in this RFA (see Part VIII, E.). Where eligibility is claimed under 8

U.S.C. 1101(a) (22), documentary evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service as to such eligibility must be made available to NIFA upon request.

(f) Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with an agency or research facility, including a USDA agency, to leverage grant funds and/or contribute towards overall goals and objectives. USDA agencies are: Farm Service Agency (FSA); Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS); Food Safety and

Inspection Service (FSIS); Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); Rural Development

Agency (RD); the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS); Economic Research Service (ERS); Forest

Service (FS); Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA); Agricultural

Marketing Service (AMS); Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Risk

Management Agency (RMA); Agricultural Research Service (ARS); and the National Agricultural

Statistics Service (NASS).

(g) Funded project outcomes are expected to continue after NIFA funding ends (See Dissemination and Continuation Plans section 4, below).

3. Project Evaluation Plan

a) Evaluation Information that must be in your grant application and suggested format for submitting expected outcomes:

Total expected student impact during entire grant period Expected

Number Total number of students to be directly supported by grant (i.e., stipends)

Number of underrepresented students to be supported during the grant period (i.e., stipends)

Number of women students to be supported during the grant period (i.e., stipends)

Number of students who will complete internships and other experiential learning during the grant-period

Number of students who will complete international experiences during the grant-period

Other relevant Impacts…

Total expected faculty impact during entire grant period Expected

Number Number of faculty attending professional development: sabbaticals, workshops, conferences, etc.

Number of sabbaticals, workshops, conferences to be attended by faculty Other relevant Impacts…

Total expected overall impact during entire grant period Expected

Number Number of products to be developed through grant funds (i.e., curricula, academic programs, recruitment/retention programs, materials, experiential learning opportunities)

Number of collaborations to be developed between institutions Number of individuals who indirectly will benefit from the projects (i.e., using the curriculum/instrumentation, enrolled in the program, recruited or retained)

Number of projects that will measure changes in student learning or engagement

Other relevant Impacts…

b) The evaluation may also include assessment of other outcomes, particularly if the project aims to change organizational structures, create cost-efficiencies, or achieve other ends. Explain the data gathering procedures that will be used to monitor and assess progress toward intended project goals. When describing the measurement instruments you plan to use (surveys, interviews, focus groups, assessments of e-portfolios or capstone projects, measures of class performance, scores on standardized tests, cost-benefit analyses, etc.), be sure to mention why they are appropriate to gauging success.

c) The evaluation plan section should make a convincing case to reviewers that - at the conclusion of the grant - the grantee could report the extent to which learning and engagement outcomes, professional development goals, and/or organizational outcomes have been achieved. Reviewers will be looking for evidence that the applicant thought about how to measure what worked, what did not work as planned, and what adjustments could be made to enhance program outcomes in the future. Collection of this evidence is critical to achieving SPECA’s goal of making data about educational improvements and innovation available to the education community. An evaluation plan that only indicates a desire to develop assessment measures once the project is underway, and an eventual description of resulting project activities and outcomes, would be considered a poorly prepared and inadequate evaluation plan.

d) The project budget should contain funding to either hire an outside project evaluator, or to present convincing evidence that an appropriate evaluator is already on staff and available to provide assistance with assessment and evaluation throughout the life of the project. As a guide, up to 10 percent of grant funds may be used to support this purpose. The following activities are examples of items that may be included in the Evaluation Plan: project objectives that lend themselves most readily to measurement and evaluation, baseline assessment data and a planned collection process from a possible comparison or control group, possible measurement instruments ( surveys, student journals, standardized tests, interviews, focus groups, analysis of e-portfolios or capstone projects, cost-benefit analyses, etc.), a strategy for what assessment measures will be a part of the annual and final Project Performance Reports (Part VI. D.) and how this information will eventually be disseminated to interested parties and to the public.

e) Finally, the Evaluation Plan itself should contain measures of (1) student learning or engagement and/or faculty professional development and (2) the number of students or faculty impacted by your project as a result of the proposed activities. In addition, the PD should specify metrics summarizing who benefited the most (and the least) from your project, an explanation of what revisions, improvements, or enhancements you would make, funding permitting, to increase the value of this project in the future, and ideas about how to make projects like yours more cost-effective. These, and other funded project assessments determined by the project director and evaluation team should be reported both annually and in the final performance report (Part VI. D.).

The following, suggested evaluation examples are derived from the Department of Education’s

Report of the Academic Competitiveness Council, May 2007, Education Undergraduate

National Goals and Metrics.

“To demonstrate progress toward increasing the number of graduates, the following metric is suggested: first provide baseline data for the year preceding the grant award showing the number and/or percentage of students who declare and/or complete a major program of study of agriscience or agribusiness within your unit; and second, provide similar data for the final year of the grant and include an assessment of the impact of your project on changes from the baseline data. List the expected number of students benefiting from this project and their level of education, a table is recommended.

To demonstrate progress toward increasing the quality of instruction, the following metric is suggested: first provide baseline data for the year preceding the grant award showing the current number and/or percentage of graduates who either graduate and pursue a vocation in the [FANH] sciences, or who pursue advanced degrees within the [FANH] sciences; and second, provide similar data for the final year of the grant and include an assessment of the impact of your project on changes from the baseline data”.

Suggested resources to obtain quantitative, baseline, student enrollment, degrees granted and employment data for comparison purposes; postsecondary institutions may find appropriate:

information in the Food and Agricultural Education Information System (FAEIS) at:

http://faeis.ahnrit.vt.edu/ , and from the publication: Employment Opportunities for College

Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment United States, 2010-2015 at:

http://www.ag.purdue.edu/usda/employment/pages/default.aspx. Other, similar sources may also be consulted.

Additional Resources for Project Evaluation:

http://faeis.ahnrit.vt.edu/ http://www.ag.purdue.edu/usda/employment/pages/default.aspx

NSF 02-057: The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation, a basic guide to quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods for educational projects http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02057/start.htm

Field-Tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG): This website is designed for Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology Instructors who are interested in new approaches to evaluating student learning, attitudes, and performance. It has a primer on assessment and evaluation, classroom assessment techniques, discipline-specific tools, and resources - all in a searchable, downloadable data base, http://www.flaguide.org/

American Evaluation Association. Online Resources: http://www.eval.org/

4. Dissemination & Continuation Plans

(a) Dissemination Plan

Include in the project’s Dissemination Plan (see Part IV, B.3. Field 8.2.e.), a description of how the applicant plans to communicate project accomplishments (products, results and impacts, etc.)

to the broadest extent throughout the academic community. This may include educational journals or other professional discipline publications, and presentations at regional or national conferences and workshops, including the SPECA Project Directors Conference (see Part VI, D.1.).

(b) Continuation Plan Applicants are also expected to include a statement describing how project outcomes are expected to continue after NIFA funding ends. This plan should include expected outputs and how these will become institutionalized. Also, describe any strategies for adapting or expanding these outputs for a larger audience. Provide details of these changes, what are the expected outcomes, and the targeted audience who benefits from this project.

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02057/start.htm http://www.flaguide.org/ http://www.eval.org/

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $900,000. 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 FY2015, you may submit applications to the SPECA Program as one of the following types of requests:

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

SPECA 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

SPECA Program but not funded. Project Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see Response to Previous Review, Part IV B Field 12). Resubmitted applications must be received by the relevant due dates, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications.

C. Grant Types

Applicants may submit one of the following four types of grants:

1. Conference/Planning Proposal

Applicants in this Grant Type may request up to $25,000 (total conference, not per year) to facilitate strategic planning session(s) required of faculty, industry, professional association, community leaders, or other necessary participants for the specific purpose of developing a formal plan leading to a subsequent submission of a Large-scale (state or region) comprehensive initiatives (LCI), as described directly below in C.4. A Conference/Planning grant application may not be submitted in the same year for which a LCI application for the same project is also submitted.

2. Regular Project Proposal (Single Institution/Organization) Applicants may request up to $50,000 (total, not per year) for a Regular Project Proposal. In a

Regular Project Proposal, the applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners.

3. Joint Project Proposal (Applicant + Two or more Partners) http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html

Applicants may request up to $150,000 (total, not per year) for a Joint Project Proposal. In a

Joint Project Proposal, the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least two additional partners. The partners must share grant funds (see explanation of required funds distribution percentage among partners in the definition of a Joint Project Proposal in Part VIII, E.).

Note: Joint Projects must include both the R&R Fed and Non-Fed Budget and the R&R Fed and

Non-Fed Subaward Budget Attachment Forms. The forms should clearly identify the total grant funding anticipated for the applicant and each partner to demonstrate the required sharing percentage. All expenditures for the applicant and all partners should be further itemized in the

Budget Justification. Funds do not have to be divided equally among project years.

4. Large-scale (state or region) comprehensive initiatives (LCI) (Applicant + Two or more Partners)

Applicants may request up to $300,000 (total, not per year) for a large-scale (state or region) comprehensive initiatives (LCI) Project Proposal. In a LCI Project Proposal, the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least two additional partners. The additional partners must share grant funds (see explanation of required funds distribution percentage among partners in the definition of a LCI Project Proposal in Part VIII, E.). An LCI project differs from a Joint Project Proposal in project scope and impact. LCI Project Proposals must support a multi-partner approach to solving a major state or regional challenge in FANH sciences education at K-14 grade levels. LCI Project Proposals are characterized by multiple partners (each providing a specific expertise) organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management ability to organize and carry out the initiative.

Note: LCI Projects must include both the R&R Fed and Non-Fed Budget and the R&R Fed and

Non-Fed Subaward Budget Attachment Forms. The forms should clearly identify the total grant funding anticipated for the applicant and each partner to demonstrate the required sharing percentage. All expenditures for the applicant and all partners should be further itemized in the

Budget Justification. Funds do not have to be divided equally among project years.

Impacts for all LCI Projects: In addition to addressing the Evaluation Plan section of this program (Part I. C.3.) expected impacts from a LCI Project must include, but are not limited to:

An assessment of significant progress toward addressing the national challenge of increasing the number and diversity of FANH sciences graduates, while addressing the specific state or regional opportunity defined in the grant application;

Documented expansion of the number of students who enroll in postsecondary courses in

FANH sciences;

Documented enhanced retention rates of students exposed to LCI Project activities;

A comprehensive project evaluation, using the indicators and methods defined in this grants program, that informs the FANH sciences community and others about the effectiveness of this LCI Project;

A description of ongoing activities supported by this LCI Project, and a description of those same activities that will be sustained once grant funds end; and

A description of any related activities expected to occur as an outgrowth of this funded project.

D. Project Duration

Project periods may range from twenty-four (24) to thirty-six (36) months. Projects should conclude no sooner than twenty-four (24) months after the award start date to allow the applicant sufficient time to evaluate the results and report the impacts. LCI projects are expected to use the full, 36-month period. Conference projects may range between twenty-four (24) and thirty-six (36) months.

No project may be active for longer than five (5) years, including no-cost extensions.

For project budget and timeline purposes, the project start date should not occur prior to

August 2015.

E. Number and Size of Grant Awards

The total number of grants awarded by this grant program will depend on the number and type of meritorious applications submitted in response to this notice. There is no predetermined number of

Conference/Planning, Regular, Joint, or LCI Project Proposals that may be awarded in any competition.

Based on the project scope and budget of all applications selected for awards, the actual, individual grant amounts awarded by NIFA under this grants program may differ from the funds requested by the applicant. In such cases, revised budgets and revised plans of work may be required by NIFA before an award is made.

F. Application Submission & Award Limitations

There is no limit on the number of applications that may be submitted by an eligible applicant.

However, a successful applicant institution/organization will only be awarded a maximum of two (2) grants per year under this program. A successful LCI grant applicant institution/organization will only be awarded a maximum of one (1) LCI grant in any one, annual SPECA grants program competition, and generally, an individual academic (or other) unit (a college, school of agriculture, etc.) within the institution/organization may only have one (1) active, LCI grant in effect at any time.

G. Funding Limitations per Institution

There are no limits on the total grant program funds that may be awarded to any one institution/organization in successive years of this competition. Successful award recipients may apply for additional awards in subsequent years either as a lead applicant or as a joint or LCI partner on a project (note LCI project focus restriction in item F, directly above).

H. 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 7 Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) Part 3022, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research funded by USDA must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and are to 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 Organizational Representative (AOR) 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, and procedures, and documentation used 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

Applications may only be submitted by: (1) public secondary schools, (2) public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges, (3) institutions of higher education, or (4) nonprofit organizations

(Attach IRS 501(c)(3) status under R&R ‘Other Project Information’ Field 12 Other Attachments).

An eligible applicant must meet the definition of an Eligible Institution/Organization as stated in this

RFA (see Part VIII, E., Definitions). Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of application deadline will result in NIFA returning the application without review or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award.

Applicant institutions/organizations must demonstrate capacity for and a significant ongoing commitment to, the teaching of agriscience or agribusiness generally, and to the specific need and/or discipline(s) for which a grant is requested.

Award recipients may subcontract portions of the project to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

For the purposes of this program, for secondary schools, each separate school in a school district that meets the definition of a public secondary school is eligible to apply for SPECA Grants Program awards. A school system is not eligible to apply. For community or junior colleges, and for institutions of higher education, individual branches of a State university system or public system of higher education that are separately accredited as degree granting institutions are treated as separate institutions, and are therefore eligible for SPECA Grants Program awards. Separate branches or campuses of a college not individually accredited as degree-granting institutions are not treated as separate institutions. Accreditation must be by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Any individual (eligible participant) receiving Federal funds above must be a citizen or national of the United States, as defined in this RFA. (See Part VIII, Definitions.) Where eligibility is claimed under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) (22), documentary evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization

Service as to such eligibility must be made available to NIFA upon request.

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

(see Part V, D.). Nevertheless, the legal recipient of the award (as identified on the applicant’s SF 424 (R&R) Cover Sheet) must be an eligible public secondary school, public or private nonprofit junior or community college, institution of higher education or nonprofit organization, as noted above. (Submission of fiscal agent information (above) is not requested now, but will be required, before an award is made.)

Please note: Fiscal agents and school boards are not eligible as legal recipients of the 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 SPECA 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.

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