2022 NADPRP Funding Opportunity Announcement.pdf

National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program 2022 Cooperative/Interagency Agreements

Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Opportunity Announcement Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-23-0002 Publication Date: June 16, 2022 Application Due Date: September 9, 2022, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Funding Opportunity: National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program 2022

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) is announcing the availability of cooperative/interagency agreement funding to carry out the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) as described in Section 12101 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka “2018 Farm Bill”). Through the NADPRP program, APHIS provides funds to support high-value projects that will help prevent the introduction and spread of foreign and emerging animal diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture. Each year, APHIS makes funding available to support projects in priority areas of animal disease preparedness and response that are identified through consultation with eligible entities and stakeholders. Additional details about the program and this funding opportunity, including additional information for applicants, are available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website.

SYNOPSIS

Funding Opportunity Title: National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP)

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-23-0002

Funding Type: Cooperative/Interagency Agreements

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.025, Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care

Application Due Date: Applications must be received by September 9, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Funding Opportunity Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) is announcing the availability of up to $17 million in funds in the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to support projects in the topic areas listed below.

Topic 1. Develop, Enhance, and Exercise State and Tribal Animal Disease Outbreak Emergency Response Plans

Topic 2. Support Livestock1 and Poultry Biosecurity Topic 3. Enhance Depopulation, Carcass Disposal, and Decontamination Capabilities Topic 4. Support Animal Movement Decisions in a Disease Outbreak Topic 5. Enhance Animal Disease Traceability for a Disease Outbreak Topic 6. Support Outreach & Education on Animal Disease Prevention, Preparedness, and

Response Topics Topic 7. Develop and Deliver Training & Exercises for Animal Agriculture Sector Responders Topic 8. Commodity-Specific Topics, including (a) projects to advance the development of sheep and goat vaccines, and (b) projects to prevent and prepare for foreign and emerging aquatic animal diseases.

1Livestock is defined as “all farm-raised animals” (Animal Health Protection Act, 7 USC Ch. 109).

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/

Eligible Applicants:

1. State departments of agriculture

2. Offices of the chief animal health official of a State

3. Land-Grant Universities and other entities 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))). This includes entities eligible for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Federal Assistance Programs.

4. Colleges of veterinary medicine, including a veterinary emergency team at such college

5. State or national livestock, poultry, or aquaculture producer organizations with direct and significant economic interest in livestock, poultry, or aquaculture production

6. State emergency agencies

7. State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organizations or specialty boards recognized by the

American Veterinary Medical Association

8. Indian Tribes

9. Federal agencies.

Cost Sharing: Not required https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/National-Institute-of-Food-and-Agriculture-Program-Listing-May-2018.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/National-Institute-of-Food-and-Agriculture-Program-Listing-May-2018.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Synopsis Full Announcement A. Program Description

A.1 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A.2 2022 FUNDING PRIORITIES

A.3 ALIGNMENT WITH USDA APHIS GOALS

A.4 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

B. Federal Award Information

B.1 COST GUIDANCE

C. Eligibility Information

C.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

C.2 COST SHARING

C.3 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

D. Application and Submission Information

D.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

D.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

D.3 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)

D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

D.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

D.7 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

E. Application Review Information

E.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

E.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F.1 AWARD NOTICES

F.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

F.3 REPORTING

F. 4 PROJECT EVALUATION

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts H. Other Information

H.1 DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX 1. New Applicant INformation APPENDIX 2. Tips For Applicants

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Awarding Agency Name: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS)

Funding Opportunity Title: National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) 2022

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.025

Key Dates: Applications must be received through ezFedGrants (eFG) by September 9, 2022, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

The agreement performance period is estimated to begin between March 1 through May 1, 2023 and end no later than 24 months after the start date.

Applicants can find the funding opportunity information on the ezFedGrants website and the Grants.gov website by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025- VSSP0000-23-0002. Information is also available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website.

Non-Federal applicants must submit all application materials electronically using the ezFedGrants system.

Federal applicants should refer to Section D.4 for application submission information.

A.1 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

This funding opportunity is provided to carry out the NADPRP as described in Section 12101 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka “2018 Farm Bill”). Through the NADPRP program, APHIS provides funds to support high-value projects that will help prevent the introduction and spread of foreign and emerging animal diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture. Each year, APHIS makes funding available to support projects in animal disease preparedness and response priority topic areas that are identified through consultation with eligible entities and stakeholders. Additional details about the program are available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website.

APHIS will make available up to $17,000,000 in funds to support NADPRP projects in 2022. In this funding opportunity, the NADPRP is seeking proposals for projects that address the funding priority topics described in Section A.2 and funds will be awarded to eligible entities described in Section C.

A.2 2022 FUNDING PRIORITIES

APHIS will consider project proposals that clearly and directly support one of the animal disease preparedness and response topics described below. Regardless of the priority topic, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that:

• Focus on preparedness and response for emerging and foreign animal diseases.

• Address significant known gaps, problems, and areas of concern in preparedness for FAD and emerging animal diseases that have been identified and documented at local, State, Tribal, and national levels through exercises and events, including COVID19.

https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/ https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/

• Build on scientifically based innovation, existing tools/techniques, and findings from projects previously funded by NADPRP.

• Help States, industry groups, and other stakeholders address corrective actions that have been identified through animal disease response events or exercises.

• Provide benefit to as many sectors of the livestock industry as possible and address the needs of different livestock operation sizes, even if the specific project targets a specific species.

• Address the needs of high-risk, underserved, non-traditional, niche, Indian Tribe, or hard-to-reach audiences.

2022 NADPRP Priority Topics

Topic 1: Projects to Develop, Enhance, and Exercise State or Tribal Emergency Response Plans for Animal Disease Outbreaks

APHIS VS will support projects to develop, update, enhance, test, and/or exercise State or Tribal animal disease emergency response plans. Proposals in this area must be submitted by States, multi-State animal health organizations, Tribes, or Tribal organizations, or include a letter from a State or Tribe describing their endorsement of the project and commitment to collaborate to assure the project’s success. These response plans should be realistic, adaptable to different situations, align with USDA plans and guidelines, and easily coordinated with plans from other States or Tribes. APHIS VS will provide up to $7 million in funding to support projects in this area. Examples of proposals that will be considered in this area include but are not limited to projects that:

• Develop, update, enhance, test, and exercise regional, State, or Tribal emergency response plans such as o Logistics plans & exercises for acquiring and using resources from the National Veterinary Stockpile in a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak situation o Initial FAD containment and response plans & exercises o Plans & exercises to support stop movement orders o Emergency FAD vaccination plans & exercises o Training State, Tribal, and regulatory personnel to develop, implement, and update surveillance plans for FAD outbreak response events

• Develop, update, enhance, test and exercise State, Tribal, or regional plans for animal and animal product movement in an animal disease outbreak. Proposals in this area may cover key processes for permitted animal / animal product movement in a disease outbreak. E.g., how a permit is requested, generated, approved, and tracked; requirements for permit approval; workflows and approval steps; and roles and responsibilities of participants in the process. Proposals may address key processes for intra- and/or interstate permitted movements. Proposals may also address known gaps in existing animal and animal product movement plans such as how movement restrictions apply to animals / animal products that are already in transit when restrictions go into effect.

• Develop, update, enhance, test and exercise State, Tribal, or regional plans to implement and coordinate animal depopulation and disposal activities during a large-scale animal disease outbreak response to enhance capabilities for timely performance of these activities in all food animal species. This may also include State, Tribal, or regional plans to address decontamination of trucks, premises, and equipment in an animal disease outbreak. Project proposals in that include depopulation must comply with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals.

o Depopulation, carcass disposal, and/or decontamination equipment may be included in proposals in this topic area. APHIS VS will provide up to $2 million in NADPRP funds to support the purchase of livestock depopulation, carcass disposal, and/or decontamination equipment for high-quality proposals that are recommended for funding in this topic area. NADPRP funding for the purchase of depopulation, carcass disposal equipment, and decontamination is limited, and funding decisions will be based on the quality of the proposals received and extent to which the proposal addresses known gaps in U.S. capabilities to quickly provide depopulation, disposal, and decontamination equipment for FAD response. Application packages that include depopulation, carcass disposal, and/or decontamination equipment must include this information:

Information about who will use the equipment Training and exercises to assure personnel are trained to use the equipment, including training frequency Information about how the equipment will be stored and maintained, and how maintenance records will be kept, to assure the equipment will remain ready for response

Use scenarios that describe the criteria for using (or not using) the equipment Equipment sharing agreements with neighboring States or Tribes

• Enhance stakeholder understanding of State or Tribal emergency response plans, including expected impacts to stakeholders when plans are implemented in an animal disease outbreak.

• Conduct assessments and analyses to inform resource planning for animal disease outbreak response and recovery activities such as assessments of human resource needs or assessments of carbon sources to support carcass disposal.

• Enhance State preparedness for an FAD outbreak by improving State electronic information management capabilities and skills for using the Emergency Management Response System (EMRS), which is USDA’s official system of record for emergency response. Proposals in this area would include improving a State’s capability for data management within EMRS and/or between EMRS and the State’s IT system. Proposals to improve and enhance State processes and skillsets in EMRS include but are not limited to data management of livestock or poultry movements, contact tracing, issuance of emergency permits for movements from Control Areas, maintaining the State Premises Registration System database, and information management with third party sources of movement data. Proposals may also include improving a State’s EMRS capabilities and skills by performing trainings and exercises of State personnel. Proposals should provide specific metrics the State aims to achieve to quantify and demonstrate improvement on use of EMRS and identify mechanisms for sustaining this capacity within the State. NADPRP funds may not be used to purchase or directly support a State’s private IT System for animal disease management.

• Enhance multi-State, Tribal, or regional planning and coordination among multiple stakeholder groups, including but not limited to Federal, State, Tribal, animal industry, wildlife, environmental, public health, university extension services, and other entities. This may include proposals to support regional workshops on FAD preparedness and planning topics. Proposals in this area must describe specific and measurable objectives, deliverables, and outcomes. Priority will be given to proposals that include exercises or produce materials that all participating States and Tribes can use in an outbreak.

Topic 2: Projects to Support Livestock and Poultry Biosecurity

APHIS VS will support projects to enhance U.S. livestock and poultry biosecurity. Examples of proposals that will be considered in this area include but are not limited to projects that:

• Develop and deliver outreach and education to improve awareness and understanding of cost-effective and practical biosecurity measures and the importance of biosecurity among key audiences including producers from different types and sizes of operations, backyard livestock or poultry owners, veterinarians, extension agents, haulers, livestock market and slaughter facility personnel, and others.

• Support national, regional, State, Tribal, and local efforts to encourage producers, processors, and transporter participation in industry-driven biosecurity programs and to increase accountability in developing and implementing biosecurity plans. This may include projects to:

o Assist in socializing and implementing biosecurity programs among producers, veterinarians, and others.

o Develop and implement biosecurity programs in livestock sectors that do not have adequate plans.

o Update biosecurity programs with new concepts and technologies as they become available.

Although NADPRP supports the types of projects listed above, NADPRP funds may not be used to continuously support the implementation of industry-led biosecurity programs.

• Develop, implement, and exercise biosecurity plans, including biosecurity plan templates and examples, for zoological facilities, exhibits, demonstration farms, and other non-production premises that include domestic livestock and poultry. Zoological facilities include zoos/zoological parks, drive-through zoological parks, aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife research facilities, wildlife trainers for the entertainment sector, and wildlife hospitalization/rehabilitation facilities.

• Develop, improve, and/or validate innovative and cost-effective biosecurity methods. For example, develop and evaluate methods to exclude wild birds and/or wild bird feces from poultry facilities. Proposals in this area may include methods to increase producer implementation of effective biosecurity measures.

• Develop and validate field biosecurity assessment tools that stakeholders may use to identify gaps in their current biosecurity activities and solutions to improve them.

• Develop biosecurity standards that may lead to industry-driven programs to review and certify biosecurity plans and biosecurity implementation.

Topic 3: Projects to Enhance Livestock Depopulation, Carcass Disposal, and Decontamination Capabilities

APHIS VS will support projects that will improve capabilities and capacities for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination of premises, trucks, and equipment during high consequence animal disease outbreak events. Proposals that address depopulation must comply with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals. Proposals in Topic 3 may also address improving capabilities for disposal of feed, manure, eggs, and other organic materials that may require special handling to mitigate the spread of disease in an animal disease outbreak. Examples of proposals that will be considered in Topic 3 include but are not limited to projects that:

• Develop and / or evaluate practical and effective methods and tools for depopulation and carcass disposal in all food animal species in an FAD outbreak response, including evaluating methods in varying weather conditions. Priority will be given to proposals that address gaps in livestock sectors where there is currently a lack of methods and tools for rapid animal depopulation or carcass disposal in an FAD outbreak response (e.g., efficient depopulation and disposal of cattle in large feed yards or additional methods for rapid poultry depopulation to address needs identified in recent events and exercises) and to projects that address new technology. Proposals in this area should address adequate throughput, ease of operation, and human factors engineering (e.g., systems design to mitigate physical and psychological impacts on operators and producers).

• Develop and / or evaluate practical and effective methods and tools for decontaminating premises, trucks, trailers, equipment, and related materials. E.g., heat inactivation of trucks or other equipment. Projects may address decontamination at farm or slaughter establishment entrances, on different sizes and types of premises, and the use of methods in varying weather and environmental conditions. Proposals should consider mobility, affordability, removal of wastewater, reclamation, operator requirements, disinfection capacity, and footprint.

• Train and exercise a wide range of responders or potential responders to conduct depopulation, carcass disposal, and/or decontamination activities for FAD response.

Topic 4: Projects to Support Animal Movement Decisions in a Disease Outbreak

APHIS VS will support projects that will support animal movement decisions in an animal disease outbreak as described in the examples below. Priority will be given to proposals that include collaborative input from federal, State, and/or Tribal regulatory authorities and industry groups to assure that the project’s deliverables and outcomes will be accepted and used during a disease outbreak response. Proposals aimed at developing, enhancing, or exercising plans for animal and animal product movement in a disease outbreak should be submitted in Topic 1. Examples of proposals that will be considered in Topic 4 include but are not limited to projects that:

• Develop, exercise, and enhance plans for continuity of business for livestock markets during and immediately after a disease outbreak event.

• Improve understanding of animal disease transmission patterns and probabilities for conveyances (trucks, trailers, rail, and others) and people (veterinarians, crews, processing teams, vaccination teams, depopulation teams, and others) who may need to visit multiple premises prior to or during an FAD outbreak. Additionally, proposals should identify mitigations to reduce the risk of disease spread associated with these movements. High value proposals may leverage past outbreak data for contagious diseases that serve as a reasonable proxy for high consequence FADs such as FMD, ASF, or HPAI.

• Characterize networks of movements of animals, animal products or by-products, vehicles, and workers between different farms, between farms and feed mills, between farms and slaughter facilities, and other premises types. Proposals should aim to generate aggregate information such as the number and frequency of movements by type of movement and by premises type over time which can be used to support modeling of disease control options, contact tracing, and resource estimation for emergency preparedness and response planning.

• Conduct proactive risk assessments that systematically evaluate the potential risks and impact of risk mitigation steps of moving a specific product from apparently healthy herds/flocks inside a Control Area during an animal disease emergency. Proposals for proactive risk assessments must address the following:

o Pathways of infection relevant to the herd/flock/facility-type targeted for movement or from which product might be moved o The sensitivity of detection of infection in the target herd/flock o Potential pathways of transmission to susceptible populations through the movement of the animals or product if there is an undetected infection o The impact of mitigation strategies like periods of extreme biosecurity on pathways of infection or transmission o The assignment of a risk rating to the product movement using clearly defined mitigation steps and detection strategies.

Possible high-value assessment products for current FAD preparedness and response concerns include but are not limited to:

• Proactive risk assessment for retaining and moving hatching eggs from high value flocks located in an HPAI Control Area.

• Proactive risk assessment for moving ASF, CSF, or FMD-affected sub-clinical or recovered animals to slaughter.

• Proactive risk assessment for movement of animal products from a slaughter establishment (hides, meat, offal) in a Control Areas for a high-consequence animal disease such as FMD, ASF, CSF, or HPAI.

• Proactive risk assessment for movement of live swine from a Control Area to slaughter during an outbreak of ASF, CSF, or FMD.

• Proactive risk assessment for movement of susceptible live animals from a Control Area to a farm during an outbreak of ASF, CSF, or FMD.

• Proactive risk assessment for movement of sheep and goat-related animal products such as wool and milk from an FMD Control Area.

• Proactive risk assessment for the movement of ducks and duck-products from an HPAI Control Area.

• Proactive risk assessment for the movement of animals out of a livestock market to a farm or slaughter establishment at the start of an ASF, CSF, or FMD outbreak.

For reference, examples of completed high-quality proactive risk assessments can be found online as part of the Secure Egg Supply plan.

Topic 5: Projects to Enhance Animal Disease Traceability for a Disease Outbreak

Animal disease traceability (ADT) is a critical part of national preparedness for an FAD outbreak and aligns with the purpose of the NADPRP. APHIS VS will support projects that will improve animal disease traceability capabilities as described below. Proposals aimed at ADT outreach and education should be submitted in Topic 6. Examples of proposals that will be considered in Topic 5 include but are not limited to projects that:

• Assess national needs to identify and monitor the movement of FMD-vaccinated (or other FAD-vaccinated) animals during and after an outbreak, including the need to track the disposition of animals and track the retirement of identification tags to demonstrate disease https://www.secureeggsupply.com/risk-assessment/ freedom, assess the vaccination status of the national herd, and support export markets.

Projects in this area should develop an initial framework to address the highest priority needs.

• Plan, implement, evaluate, enhance, and/or exercise the implementation of electronic data systems and facility management processes that leverage the use of electronic animal identification (EID) in livestock markets to enhance animal disease traceability in an animal disease outbreak. Proposals in this area may address disease traceability capabilities for physical or virtual markets and should focus on developing and sharing best practices for livestock markets to capture and store an EID number and associated animal data and share the information with regulatory officials for the purpose of disease tracing. Priority will be given to projects conducted in markets that handle multiple species.

o Livestock markets are required by regulations in 9 CFR part 86 and part 71 to maintain animal specific data and provide it to animal health officials for disease tracing upon request. Data management systems that use EID numbers correlated to the market specific animal data must demonstrate rapid retrieval of the required traceability data, and may additionally serve functions for business operation data management.

o EID tag reading equipment may be included in proposals in this topic area. APHIS will provide up to $2 million in NADPRP funds to begin to support the purchase of EID tag reading equipment for high-quality proposals that are selected for funding. NADPRP funding for the EID tag reading equipment is limited, and funding decisions will be based on the quality of the proposals received and extent to which the proposal is likely to enhance traceability in an animal disease outbreak. EID readers must be compatible with either ISO standards 11784 and 11785 for low frequency type tags or the USDA Ultra High Frequency Interim Standards.1 o Application packages that include EID tag reading equipment must include:

How the project will enhance the livestock market’s ability to capture, store, access, and share data with State and federal regulatory authorities in an animal disease outbreak.

Procedures and guidelines for livestock market staff to correctly collect, handle, store, and use traceability information.

Training and/or exercises to assure that livestock market staff are trained to use and maintain equipment and trained to access and share traceability data with regulatory officials in an animal disease outbreak.

Topic 6: Projects that Support Outreach & Education on Animal Disease Prevention, Preparedness, and Response

APHIS VS will support projects that develop and deliver outreach and education on animal disease prevention, early disease detection, disease reporting, and other FAD preparedness and response topics.

Projects in this topic area may focus on developing and delivering outreach and education materials to target audiences that may include underserved or non-traditional producers, small-to-mid-size producers, seasonal workers, animal transporters, farm personnel and personnel in related industries, and Tribes.

APHIS VS encourages outreach and education projects that leverage agriculture extension networks at land-grant universities, use innovative delivery methods to entice audiences to engage with the educational materials, and leverage and expand on existing educational and training materials where

1 uhf-interim-tag-data-standard.pdf (usda.gov) https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/uhf-interim-tag-data-standard.pdf possible. Outreach and education proposals may also consider the needs of non-English speaking audiences.

Topic 7: Projects to Develop and Deliver Training & Exercises for Animal Agriculture Sector Responders

APHIS VS will support projects aimed at training and exercising animal agriculture sector responders in the critical areas of FAD response that are not already highlighted in other funding priority topic areas in this announcement. Critical areas of FAD response are described in USDA’s Ready Reference Guide – Critical Activities & Tools during an FAD Response and other topics related to animal disease response.

Proposals in this area should target training towards any types of responders or potential responders in a large-scale animal disease outbreak response, including but not limited to State, Tribal, and Federal veterinarians, practicing veterinarians, extension personnel, animal health technicians, producers, and contractors. Examples in this area include but are not limited to projects that:

• Develop materials that will support practical, just-in-time training in the event of an outbreak.

• Assess and address gaps in technical animal disease response capabilities of target audiences.

• Address training & exercises for animal agriculture responders in non-traditional training areas such as mental health for responders and producers during an FAD response, risk communication or crisis communication skills, and use of social media during an FAD response.

Topic 8: Commodity – Specific Topics

• Projects to Advance the Development Vaccines for Sheep and Goat Diseases of Concern. APHIS VS will support projects that will advance the development of cost-effective vaccines for sheep and goat foreign animal and other diseases that have potential significant economic impact on these industries or diseases that present significant public health concerns such as Q fever. APHIS VS will provide up to $500,000 in funding to support projects in this area.

• Projects to advance aquatic animal disease preparedness and response. APHIS VS will support aquatic animal disease preparedness and response in the topics described below. APHIS VS will provide up to $500,000 in funding to support projects in these areas.

a. Projects to identify regional risks and pathways for the introduction of high-consequence aquatic FADs and develop regional strategies for early detection and mitigation of these disease threats.

b. Projects to develop, update, enhance, and/or exercise emergency response plans for aquatic animal FAD outbreaks. Proposals aimed at State or Tribal emergency response plans should be submitted in Topic 1, but other NADPRP eligible entities (e.g., industry organizations or land-grant universities) may submit aquatic FAD response planning proposals in this topic area.

A.3 ALIGNMENT WITH USDA APHIS GOALS

This funding opportunity supports APHIS Veterinary Services’ (VS) mission to protect animal health as well as USDA APHIS Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safeguard American Agriculture, Objective 2.3: Ensure effective emergency preparedness and response systems.

A.4 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

The NADPRP program is authorized under Section 12101 of the 2018 Farm Bill.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/swine/fsc-fadprep-critical-activities.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/swine/fsc-fadprep-critical-activities.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/about_aphis/downloads/aphis-strategic-plan.pdf

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Total Amount to be Awarded: APHIS will make available up to $17,000,000 in funds to support projects that address the funding priorities described in Section A.2. There is no commitment by USDA to fund any application or to make any Federal award as a result of this announcement.

Type of Assistance Instrument: Most awards will be funded via cooperative agreements; interagency agreements will be used if the recipient is a Federal agency. Cooperative agreements include substantial involvement by APHIS to assist in the completion of the goals and objectives of the work.

Anticipated Awards: APHIS anticipates that most agreements awarded will not exceed $500,000. The average NADPRP award is about $200,000.

Anticipated Award Start Date: APHIS anticipates that work covered under these agreements will start between March 1 and May 1, 2023 but flexibility may be allowed to accommodate specific project needs.

Period of Performance: Projects must be completed within 24 months. The period of performance will depend on the nature of the work; one to two years from date of award is the typical NADPRP project period of performance. Funding will not be allowed, nor activities approved to occur, either before or after the designated period of performance. A pre-award must be established if activities need to occur before the period of performance.

Competitive Process: Funds will be awarded to the highest quality proposals through a competitive review and award process. The proposal review process is described in Section E. The number of awards is contingent on the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USDA.

Based on reviewer recommendations, APHIS may award less than the requested amount of funds for a project. In these cases, applicants may accept or decline the award that is offered. If applicants accept a reduced funding level, applicants will submit a revised application that addresses reviewer concerns and aligns with the award amount. APHIS will provide additional guidance to applicants in these situations.

B.1 COST GUIDANCE

All APHIS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, allowable and unallowable costs, direct and indirect costs, cost share and matching, and other considerations as described and defined in:

• Guidelines for Use of Funds for APHIS Veterinary Services Farm Bill Cooperative Agreements. This document includes information on how to calculate indirect costs for NADPRP Awards, and

• 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles – General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

All applicants must submit a detailed Financial Plan that adheres to the documents referenced above.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

NADPRP eligible applicants are:

1. State departments of agriculture

2. Offices of the chief animal health official of a State

3. Land-Grant Universities and other entities eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program (as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/farmbill/nadprp-guidelines-funds.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=36bff1b1599bd122d722fcb83c76da10&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6

Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C))). This includes entities eligible for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Federal Assistance Programs.

4. Colleges of veterinary medicine, including a veterinary emergency team at such college

5. State or national livestock, poultry, or aquaculture producer organizations with direct and significant economic interest in livestock, poultry, or aquaculture production

6. State emergency agencies

7. State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organizations or specialty boards recognized by the

American Veterinary Medical Association

8. Indian Tribes

9. Federal agencies

C.2 COST SHARING

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for NADPRP projects. If an applicant includes contributions as part of a cost share in their budget proposal and it is accepted by APHIS, the commitment of funds becomes legally binding, must be reported on the SF-425, and is subject to audit. Additional information about cost sharing is available in the Guidelines for Use of Funds for APHIS Veterinary Services Farm Bill Cooperative Agreements.

C.3 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Application packages must meet these initial screening criteria to be considered for further review.

Proposals that do not meet these initial screening criteria will not be considered.

1. Proposals must be submitted by eligible entities.

2. Proposals must address the funding priorities described in Section A.

3. All required documents and forms listed in Section D.2 must (a) be included in the application package, and (b) comply with the submission instructions described in Section D of this announcement. Any application package with missing or incomplete documents or forms will not be considered for review.

4. Proposals, including all associated documents and forms, must be received on or before the proposal submission deadline. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

We urge applicants to submit their application packages early and to complete the following activities as soon as possible: (1) Register and maintain an active System for Awards Management (SAM) account, (2) create a USDA eAuthentication Account, and (3) establish an ezFedGrants (eFG) account. Instructions for these steps are available in Appendix 1 and on NADPRP’s Here’s How to Get Ready Now web page.

Applicants may submit more than one project proposal. Applicants who submit more than one proposal must submit each proposal as a separate application package.

D.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

Applicants can find all application materials on the ezFedGrants (eFG) website or the Grants.gov website by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-23- 0002. Information is also available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website.

https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/National-Institute-of-Food-and-Agriculture-Program-Listing-May-2018.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/National-Institute-of-Food-and-Agriculture-Program-Listing-May-2018.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/farmbill/nadprp-guidelines-funds.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp-funding-how-to https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/

D.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

The application package must include the following:

□ Project proposal WORK PLAN. See below.

□ Project proposal FINANCIAL PLAN. See below.

□ SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”.

□ SF-424A, “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs”.

□ Certification Regarding Lobbying. This is required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s financial plan / budget is greater than $100,000.

□ SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”. This is required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s financial plan / budget is greater than $100,000.

□ A signed copy of the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA must be attached to the Application in ezFedGrants if indirect costs are assessed).

□ If applicable, States that are required to comply with Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs will need to include a waiver or approval response letter from the State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Check the OMB State SPOC List for the most current list of required States.

Applicants should refer to Appendix 2: Tips for Applicants when preparing a proposal package for submission. Any proposal with missing or significantly incomplete documents or forms will result in a rejected application.

Project Proposal Work Plan

Applicants must submit a project proposal Work Plan that provides details on all aspects of the project and includes all information that is requested in the NADPRP Project Proposal Work Plan Template. The template is available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the NADPRP Project Proposal Work Plan Template. Applicants who do not use the template must include all the information requested in the template in their Work Plan. Work Plans should not exceed 25 pages.

Project Proposal Financial Plan

Applicants must submit a project proposal Financial Plan that matches the information in the required form SF-424A, aligns with and supports the Work Plan, and includes details about the project budget. The NADPRP Project Financial Plan Template and an example are available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the NADPRP Project Proposal Financial Plan template.

Applicants who do not use the template must include all the information requested in the template in their Financial Plan.

When preparing a Financial Plan, applicants must comply with the guidance and funding restrictions described in Section B.1.

D.3 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)

System for Award Management (SAM)

All applicants (except Federal agencies) are required to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application and continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/ information throughout the award period of performance (2 CFR §200.205). To register, go to the SAM website. Please allow two weeks to complete the SAM registration. Frequently Asked Questions, User Guides, Demonstration Videos, etc., can be found on the SAM website, under the “Help” tab. Registration is free. Be sure to complete the Marketing Partner ID (MPIN) and Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact fields during the registration process. These are mandatory fields that are required when submitting grant applications. During the SAM registration process, it is mandatory to complete the Financial Assistance Certification Report to receive Federal financial assistance.

When creating a SAM account, it may take up to two weeks before the account appears in Federal systems. Applicants who are not already registered in SAM are encouraged to complete this task as soon as possible. Additional instructions for SAM registration are available in Appendix 1 and on NADPRP’s Here’s How to Get Ready Now web page.

The full announcement can be viewed at APHIS Agreements Services Center.

D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions is September 9, 2022, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

Non-Federal applicants must submit all application materials electronically using ezFedGrants. We urge applicants to submit their application early.

• To submit an application in ezFedGrants, applicants must have a USDA eAuthentication Account and an ezFedGrants Account. Applicants who do not already have these are encouraged to create the accounts as soon as possible. Additional instructions on these activities are available on NADPRP’s Here’s How to Get Ready Now web page.

• eFG will not permit applicants to submit an application package after the deadline of September 9, 2022, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Late application packages cannot be accepted.

• Non-Federal entities must be submitted electronically through the ezFedGrants system only. No emailed or hard copy application packages will be accepted from non-Federal entities.

• Applicants who encounter problems with the eFG application process may contact VS.NADPRP@usda.gov – at least 48 hours before the deadline – for additional assistance with submitting an application package.

Federal applicants must submit all required application materials via email to VS.NADPRP@usda.gov by the deadline listed in this announcement. Following submission, Federal applicants will receive further communication from APHIS regarding requirements and processes for Interagency Agreements. The electronic date and time stamp from the email system will be used to determine whether Federal applications were received before the deadline.

All applications must be complete and submitted by the deadline without exception.

D.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

The Intergovernmental Review Process (CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.025) is subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”. Awards will not be made until this process has been completed in applicable States. Names and addresses of States’ Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are listed in the OMB State SPOC List.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp-funding-how-to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/financial-management-division/financial_services_branch/agreements_service_center/asc https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp-funding-how-to https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/ezFedGrants mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov https://beta.sam.gov/help/assistance-listing https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/grants_spoc

D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Funding restrictions, including unallowable costs, indirect cost cap, and cost restrictions, are provided in the Guidelines for Use of Funds for APHIS Veterinary Services Farm Bill Cooperative Agreements and described in 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles – General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

D.7 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Letters of support are not required but may be included in the application package. Letters of support from State Animal Health Officials or livestock organizations are helpful for some types of projects but are not required. Applicants should not request letters of support from APHIS Veterinary Services employees;

NADPRP will solicit input from APHIS VS experts during the review process. If included, letters of support should be uploaded separately from the Work Plan as attachments in the ezFedGrants system.

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should contact VS.NADPRP@usda.gov before the application deadline. APHIS complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Applicants may not use resources provided by the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Stockpile to complete their projects.

Applicants must describe support needed from APHIS Veterinary Services personnel to accomplish their project. This includes participation by APHIS personnel in events associated with the project or services to be provided by VS subject matter experts to complete the project; it does not include VS' support to manage and advise on the project.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The USDA is responsible for approving NADPRP funded projects. This is a competitive funding opportunity.

Applications that meet the threshold eligibility criteria in Section C will compete for available funds with all other eligible applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity announcement.

E.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. Applicants should explicitly address these criteria in their project Work Plan.

1. Clear, strong, and direct alignment with one or more of the priority topics described in Section A of the funding opportunity announcement.

2. Extent to which the project addresses one or more critical current needs directly related to a funding priority topic or addresses an important gap in knowledge or capabilities directly related to a funding priority topic.

3. Feasibility of success demonstrated by a well-organized plan of action, a technically sound approach, a reasonable timeline to complete activities, consideration of key partnerships and collaborations needed for project success, and skills and experience of the applicants.

4. Extent to which the project outcomes and deliverables are likely to have significant impact and value to stakeholders. This may include the extent to which the project’s deliverables and outcomes may be extendable or applicable to other States, Tribes, groups, or stakeholders.

5. Costs effectiveness, including whether all project costs are reasonable and necessary to produce expected outcomes and whether the project makes good use of existing resources.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/anim…