FY2020-FY2021-1890-Institution-Teaching-Research-Extension(CBG)-508-modified-4-17-2020.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION

1890 Institution Teaching, Research and

Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG)

Program

Modifications 4/17/2020-RFA modifications include update to FY

2021 due date and language for available funding for FY 2021.

Changes are included in red on pages; title page, 2, 3, 8 & 9.

FUNDING YEAR:

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE:

AMOUNT AVAILABLE FY 2020:

Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021

FY 2020: September 10, 2020

FY 2021: April 16 September 10, 2021

Not Applicable

$22,000,000

CATALOG OF FEDERAL

DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER:

10.216

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture

(USDA)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The CBG is listed in the Assistance Listings under the

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.216.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines

Task Description Deadline

Application: FY 2020: September 10, 2020

FY 2021: April 16 September 10, 2021

5:00 P.M. Eastern

Letter of Intent: Not Required

Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice

(NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

Stakeholder Input. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks comments on all request for applications (RFAs) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service. NIFA considers comments, to the extent possible when developing RFAs and use comments to help 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)).

Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov (email is for comments only).

Please use the following subject line: Response to the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and

Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program RFA.

mailto:Policy@usda.gov

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

NIFA requests applications for the CBG Program for fiscal years (FYs) 2020 and 2021 to strengthen research, teaching, and extension capacity needed to advance fundamental sciences, as well as translational research and development in support of agriculture; and to coordinate opportunities to build on these discoveries at the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions.

The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2020 is approximately $22,000,000 million.

Eligible institutions may submit up to twelve Standard/Collaborative and three Professional

Development applications per institution in each of FY 2020 and 2021.

This notice identifies the objectives for CBG projects, deadline dates, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a CBG grant.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority B. Purpose and Priorities

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Application C. Project and Grant Types D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application B. Content and Form of the Application C. Funding Restrictions

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Organizational Management Information D. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: CBG Priority Areas Table 3: Program Key Information Table 4: Applications, Awards, and Project Duration (by Grant Type) Table 5: Maximum Fund Allocation Table 6: Discipline Codes Table 7: Eligible Applicants Table 8. Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 9: Help and Resources Table 10: Key Application Instructions

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority

Authority for this program is contained in Section 1417 (b)(4) of the National Agricultural

Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), as amended [7 U.S.C. 3152

(b)(4)] and pursuant to annual appropriations made available specifically for the 1890 Capacity

Building Program. Section 7107 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA)

(Pub. L. 110-246) amended the authority for the 1890 Capacity Building Program to allow for extension capacity building, as well as teaching and research.

See Appendix III for definitions of “capacity building” and “food, agricultural, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences.”

B. Purpose and Priorities

CBG advances food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences, including conventional and organic food production systems. The program directly aligns with 2018-2022 USDA

Strategic Plan , Goal #4: Facilitate Rural Prosperity and Economic Development; Objective 4.1:

Expand rural business opportunity and rural quality of life with access to capital; improved infrastructure, broadband access and connectivity; and support for workforce availability.

CBG is designed specifically to build the institutional teaching, research and extension capacities of the eligible institutions through cooperative programs with Federal and non-Federal entities.

The program is designed to achieve three major goals:

1. To advance the cultural diversity of the FANH sciences scientific and professional workforce by attracting and educating more students from underrepresented groups;

2. To strengthen linkages among the 1890 institutions, other colleges and universities, USDA, other federal agencies, and private industry; and

3. To enhance and strengthen the quality of Teaching/Education, Research, and Extension programs at the 1890 institutions to more readily establish them as full partners in the

U.S. FANH sciences higher education system.

eXtension. CBG encourages (but does not require) projects that develop content suitable for delivery through eXtension.

Global Engagement. NIFA supports global engagement that advances U.S. agricultural goals.

NIFA recognizes that collaboration with international partners may be necessary to attain the agency's goals for U.S. agriculture, promote global competence of our nation’s future agricultural workforce, and promote safe and nutritious food security in a growing world.

Therefore, although application to this RFA is limited to eligible U.S. institutions, applicants may collaborate with international partners, to include subcontracts to international partners or other institutions. Applications must clearly demonstrate benefits to the U.S.

Social and Behavioral Sciences. CBG supports social and behavioral sciences and encourages projects that integrate them with related biological sciences. Incorporating social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges that face agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural http://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/strategic-goals http://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/strategic-goals https://impact.extension.org/ resources; improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in healthy diets; and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

Leadership Skills Development. The development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities are necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. CBG teaching applications must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation. Specific activities may include:

1. Developing practical applications to increase understanding of leadership roles, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills; ethics and professionalism;

and working in teams;

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

3. Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and

4. Organizing leadership academies, workshops, trainings, etc.

Metrics. Applications must describe and assess the expected products, results, outcomes, and their potential impacts on strengthening FANH Teaching/Education, Research, and Extension in the United States.

NIFA, with stakeholder input, has identified 10 priority areas. Applications must encourage regional or national program delivery in one of the priority areas in Table 2.

Table 2: CBG Priority Areas

Human health, obesity as it relates to nutrition, and human sciences

Rural communities for the 21st century

(expanded opportunities for small businesses and small farms)

Bioenergy/biofuel and natural resources Sustainable agriculture

Food safety Youth development

Water quality Family and consumer sciences

Global food security and agricultural biosecurity

Environmental sciences

Other Areas in General Food & Agricultural Science

This priority area is for innovative applications in Teaching/Education, Research, or

Extension in areas that address local, regional, or national issues in the FANH sciences not included in the priority areas listed above. Projects in this area may not fit any of the USDA or

NIFA Strategic Goals, but address an emerging local, regional, or national issue.

Table 3: Program Key Information

Title Description

Program Code: Research (EQ), Teaching (EP), Extension

(EWE)

Program Code Name: 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program (CBG)

CFDA Number 10.216

Project Type: Research Project, Teaching/Education Project, Extension Project, Integrated Project

Grant Type: Professional Development Grant, Standard

Grant, Collaborative Grant

Application Deadline FY 2020: September 10, 2020

FY 2021: April 16 September 10, 2021

Grant Duration: 24-36 Months (Standard/Collaborative Grant)

12 Months (Professional Development Grant)

Anticipated # of Awards: 50

Maximum Award Amount: $600,000

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The anticipated amount available for CBG in FY 2020 is approximately $22 million. The assistance instrument will be in the form of grants. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards. The Automated Standard

Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA.

Table 4: Applications, Awards, and Project Duration (by Grant Type)

Grant Type Maximum # of

Applications Per Institution

Maximum # of

Awards

Project Duration

Professional

Development

1 award per faculty member

12 months (funds may be used for salary and benefits up to one year)

Standard 12 (in combination with

Collaborative applications)

No limit, but institution cannot receive more than

10% of the available funds

Up to 36 months

Collaborative 12 (in combination with

Standard applications)

No limit, but institution cannot receive more than

10% of the available funds

Up to 36 months

Table 5: Maximum Fund Allocation

Project Types (up and down)

Grant Types (left to right)

Standard Collaborative Professional

Development

Teaching/Education $150,000 $300,000 $100,000

Research $300,000 $500,000 $100,000

Extension $250,000 $350,000 $100,000

Integrated $600,000 $600,000 N/A

B. Types of Application

NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA. Applications for FY 2020 and FY 2021 are is limited to the following application types:

1. New application. New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part

V of this RFA and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

2. Resubmitted application. Resubmitted applications must include the response to the previous review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein.

Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see

Appendix III for definition).

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm

3. Renewal application. Renewal applications must contain the same information as required for new applications and must contain a progress report. The progress report must include the implementation of the data management plan (DMP) of the previously funded project. Renewal applications are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein. Applicants submitting a renewal application must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously approved application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

C. Project and Grant Types

The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding.

1. Project Types. Applicants must propose one of the following project types:

a. Teaching/Education Projects: A teaching or education project should develop human capital in order to help meet current and future national FANH sciences workplace needs. Examples of relevant activities under this project type include (but are not limited to) the following: formal classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, and practicum experience such as faculty development, student recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional materials and equipment, and innovative teaching methodologies.

Need Areas: Teaching/Education applications must demonstrate how the chosen

Priority Area is addressed when selecting one of the following Teaching/Education

Need Areas.

i. Curricula Design and Materials Development. This Need Area promotes developing new (or adapting existing) curricula and related materials to meet changes anticipated within the FANH sciences. Projects must be integrated and multidisciplinary, and possess learner-centered instruction which will demonstrate an improvement in teaching and student learning against core course objectives. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how the project will reach large audiences efficiently and effectively, provide hands-on learning experiences, extend learning beyond the classroom, reinforce recent research on how to motivate students to learn, retain, apply, and transfer knowledge, skills, and competencies, and integrate and synthesize knowledge.

ii. Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Education. This Need Area prepares academic faculty for sustainable change to address emerging student clientele

(demographic composition, learning styles, digital applicability), improving teaching competency (subject matter expertise and pedagogy), or developing student recruitment and advising skills (career opportunities in emerging agricultural sciences fields). Training of targeted faculty recipient(s) must be intentional and relevant to the identified educational needs of the students, who will be the beneficiaries of such faculty development.

iii. Instructional Delivery Systems. This Need Area encourages the development and use of alternative methods of delivering instruction to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of teaching programs. Examples of alternative methods of delivering instruction include (but are not limited to): using state-of the-art digital technology; faculty sharing, cross enrollments, joint degrees, teleconferencing; networking via satellite communications; e-learning and online instruction; or utilizing mobile classrooms/laboratories and individualized learning centers. Multi-institutional, regional, or national collaborations are encouraged. Emphasis should be on improving the art of teaching by faculty.

iv. Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching. This Need Area provides students with the necessary experience with suitable, up-to-date equipment to involve them in work central to understanding advances in the FANH sciences and to prepare them for work or further graduate/professional training. Additionally, this Need

Area will support the acquisition of instructional laboratory and classroom equipment.

v. Student Experiential Learning. This Need Area encourages the development of new student learning opportunities where students are placed in team-oriented, problem-solving, decision-making situations in the context of real-world experiences. Experiential learning in laboratory research or other internships with business and industry, community organizations, Federal agencies, and other domains that provide knowledge and skills for graduate study will be given priority.

vi. Student Recruitment and Retention. This Need Area aims to enhance student recruitment and retention programs in order to strengthen the Nation's scientific and professional workforce. Recruitment and retention efforts should be summarized quantitatively (i.e., numbers of students recruited against those contacted) and qualitatively (i.e., lessons learned that improve future recruitment strategies).

b. Research Projects: Single-function research projects support fundamental or applied research conducted by individual investigators, co-investigators within the same discipline, or multidisciplinary teams. The following must be considered when developing research applications:

i. Fundamental research means research that: (i) increases knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and has the potential for broad application and, (ii) impacts agriculture, food, nutrition, or the environment;

ii. Applied research means research that includes expansion of the findings of fundamental research to uncover practical ways in which new knowledge can be advanced to benefit individuals and society; and/or

iii. Multi-disciplinary projects are those in which investigators from two or more disciplines collaborate closely to address a common problem. These collaborations, where appropriate, may integrate the biological, physical, chemical, or social sciences.

Need Areas. Research applications must demonstrate how the chosen Priority Area is addressed when selecting one of the following Research Need Areas:

i. Studies and Experimentation in Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources, and

Human Sciences. The purpose of this Need Area is to advance the body of knowledge in basic and applied natural and social sciences that comprise the

FANH sciences. Projects addressing this Area are encouraged to focus on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research activities addressing critical issues rather than single discipline-specific research studies.

ii. Centralized Research Support Systems. The purpose of this Need Area is to establish centralized research support systems that:

• meet national needs or serve regions or 1890 institution clientele that cannot otherwise afford or does not have access to such support; or

• provide research support more economically, thereby freeing up resources for other research uses. You must demonstrate how your chosen Priority Area is addressed when selecting this Need Area.

c. Extension Projects: Single-function Extension Projects conduct programs and activities that deliver science-based knowledge and informal educational programs to people, enabling them to make practical decisions. Program delivery may range from community-based to national audiences and use communication methods from face-to-face to electronic or combinations thereof. Extension Projects may also include related matters such as certification programs, in-service training, client recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional materials and equipment, and innovative instructional methodologies appropriate to informal educational programs.

These projects must lead to measurable, documented changes in learning, actions, or conditions in an identified audience or stakeholder group. These projects must synthesize and incorporate a wide range of the latest relevant research results.

Extension applications must demonstrate how the chosen Priority Area is addressed when selecting one of the following Extension Need Areas.

i. Extension Program Development Support Systems. The purpose of this Need Area is to increase the quality of extension education programs to clientele through training of Extension specialists, educators, paraprofessionals, technicians, and volunteers. The training may focus on professional development, leadership development, application of the Extension program development model, development of train-the-trainer models, volunteer development, volunteer delivery systems, etc. This Need Area will also include program accountability support systems which will translate into the delivery of more effective programs by enhancing the expertise and instruments available to effectively report impacts and evaluate Extension programs.

ii. Extension Technology Upgrades. The purpose of this Need Area is to provide funds to upgrade traditional equipment and instruments, establish mobile delivery systems

(laboratories and food safety kitchens, etc.), and offer emerging delivery technologies (e.g., IT applications such as distance education, web conferencing, podcasting, and Facebook interfaces).

iii. Extension Delivery/Methodology. The purpose of this Need Area is to: develop effective methodologies, strategies, or delivery systems to enhance services to the underserved, including developing new or modifying existing curriculums; establish program centers, experiential learning programs, or after-school programs; and utilize research results for effective community-based programs.

iv. Other Extension Initiatives. The purpose of this Need Area is to support projects that may not fit the Need Areas above, but are creative initiatives designed to provide enhancement of the institutions’ Extension capacity.

d. Integrated Projects. An Integrated Project includes at least two of the three functions of the agricultural knowledge system (i.e., research, teaching/education, and extension) within a project. The project must name one of the project types

(teaching/education, research or extension) as the primary project type. The primary project type is defined as the area which will receive most of the funding (up to two-thirds of the total funding). There is no program code for the integrated application.

Therefore, it is imperative that the applicants clearly identify the primary project type in their summary and select the appropriate program code for this area.

The functions addressed in the project must be focused around a problem or issue and be interwoven throughout the life of the project to complement and reinforce one another. The functions must be interdependent and necessary for the success of the project and no more than two-thirds of the project’s budget may be focused on a single component. Integrated applications must include individuals on the project team with significant expertise in each component of the project (research, teaching/education, and/or extension). Integrated applications may be submitted by a single eligible institution where the expertise for all areas (research, teaching/education, and/or extension) are within the Project Director’s (PD) institution or multi-institutions where the expertise for one or two of the areas are from another institution(s).

For additional information on integrated programs, including tips for writing

Integrated Project applications and an example of an integrated application, see

Integrated Programs Application Information. You are also encouraged to contact the

Program Contact to discuss the anticipated project parameters and outcomes to ensure the application content appropriately meets the requirements of an Integrated Project.

Discipline Codes. Eligible institutions may, within the Teaching/Education, Research, or

Extension Project Need Areas identified for support, propose projects in any discipline(s) or subject matter area(s) of the FANH sciences noted in Table 6. Applicants are to identify a primary discipline code and may identify one additional discipline code that categorizes the project application. At review, each application is evaluated by three peer reviewers. The discipline codes selected by the applicants are used to match reviewers’ education and expertise to the applications.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/integrated-programs-application-information

Table 6: Discipline Codes

Teaching/Education Codes Discipline

T1 Agribusiness Management & Marketing

T2 Agricultural Engineering

T3 Animal Sciences

T4 Aquaculture

T5 Data Science

T6 Entomology

T7 Environmental Science & Natural Resource Conservation

T8 Food Science/Technology

T9 General Agricultural Science

T10 Human Sciences

T11 Human Nutrition

T12 International Education

T13 Plant Sciences

T14 Related Biological Sciences

T15 Rural Development/Social Science

T16 Veterinary Science

Research Codes Discipline

R1 Agribusiness Management & Marketing

R2 Agricultural Engineering

R3 Agricultural Social Sciences

R4 Animal Sciences

R5 Aquaculture

R6 Conservation and Renewable Natural Resources

R7 Data Science

R8 Entomology

R9 Environmental Sciences/Management

R10 Food Science/Technology

R11 Human Nutrition

R12 International Education/Research

R13 Plant Sciences

R14 Related Biological Sciences

R15 Soil Sciences

R16 Human Sciences

Extension Codes Discipline

E1 4-H Youth Development

E2 Agriculture

E3 Leadership Development

E4 Natural Resources

E5 Family and Consumer Sciences

E6 Community and Economic Development

E7 International Extension

2. Grant Types. Applicants must select the appropriate grant type:

a. Standard Grant: This is an award instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined project period without the announced intention of providing additional support at a future date. Standard Grants support targeted original scientific Teaching/Education, Research, Extension, or

Integrated Projects. An eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution of a State system may submit a grant application for project activities to be undertaken principally on behalf of its own students or faculty, and to be managed primarily by its own personnel. The project is to be executed, without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners (subaward budgets are not allowable). Applications for Standard Grants must address local or regional problems or opportunities in one of the listed

Priority Areas (Part I, Table 2). The application must have the potential to encourage regional or national program delivery in one of the selected priority areas. A Project Director may receive only one new award as the lead individual in a Need Area that focuses on a single subject or discipline. Funds do not have to be equally divided among project years.

b. Collaborative Grant: Collaborative Grants support projects with at least one additional partner or a multi-partner approach to enhance Teaching/Education, Research, and Extension programs. Collaborative Grants should build linkages to generate a critical mass of expertise, skill and technology to address programs related to the FANH sciences (applicants should address one of the listed Priority

Areas (Part I, Table 2). Projects should be multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary and should address issues at the local, state, regional, and/or national level(s). Grants can reduce duplication of efforts and/or build capacity and should be organized and led by a strong project director with documented project management knowledge and skills to organize and carry out the initiative.

Collaborative Grants are expected to be larger than Standard Grants (refer to Part

II, Table 5 for the maximum fund amounts). The partners must share grant funds

(the applicant institution will transfer no more than 50% of the awarded funds to the other institutions participating in the project). A separate subaward budget is to be included in the application for each of the identified project partners. The award of grant funds through subawards is limited to the eligible applicant institutions and collaborating institutions.

c. Professional Development Grant: Professional Development Grants are intended to provide an opportunity for individual faculty members (i.e., each award is to support one faculty member at the applicant university) to enhance the quality of their Teaching/Education, Research, and/or Extension work. Examples of projects addressing this area include, but are not limited to:

i. Gaining experience with recent developments or innovative technology relevant to their professional responsibilities;

ii. Working under the guidance and direction of experts who have substantial expertise in an area related to project/career goals;

iii. Working with professionals or peers in government, industry, or colleges or universities to learn new applications and enhance networks within a field; and/or

iv. Expanding competence with new methods of information delivery related to Teaching/Education and Extension.

Professional Development applications that support Teaching/Education, Research, and/or Extension faculty, may include approaches such as:

i. Sabbaticals;

ii. Mini-sabbaticals for short-term training;

iii. Faculty exchanges; and/or

iv. Continuing education.

The training must address critical U.S. FANH sciences issues at the local, state, regional, and national level(s). The application should align with the university’s strategic plan for FANH sciences. Applications should also address one or more of the CBG priority areas identified in Part I, Table 2.

Funds may be used for salary and benefits (up to one year), travel, supplies and training/course fees. Funds will not be awarded to support activities in fulfillment of degree requirements or travel to make presentations at conferences or meetings.

D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See Responsible and Ethical Conduct of

Research for further information.

https://ecfr.io/Title-02/pt2.1.422 https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for the CBG program must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Applications may only be submitted by eligible 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, including

Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central State University (per Section

7129 of Pub. L. 113-79). The eligible institutions are:

Table 7:

Eligible Applicants

Alabama A&M University Prairie View A&M University

Alcorn State University South Carolina State University

Central State University Southern University and A&M College

Delaware State University Tennessee State University

Florida A&M University Tuskegee University

Fort Valley State University University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Kentucky State University University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

Langston University Virginia State University

Lincoln University (MO) West Virginia State University

North Carolina A&T State University

Faculty and students receiving support for developmental activities or educational costs must be an eligible participant (citizen or national of the United States as defined in Part VIII, E. –

Definitions). Students must be enrolled at institutions that are eligible to receive CBG awards

(see above paragraphs). Where student or faculty eligibility is claimed under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)

(22), documentary evidence from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

(USCIS) as to such eligibility must be made available to NIFA upon request.

United States citizenship is not required for faculty who serve as PD, co-PD, or key personnel on a Standard or Collaborative project. United States citizenship is required for faculty who serve as PD on a Professional Development project.

Faculty may not serve as PD on more than two active CBG projects. If an applicant has two active projects, at least one project must be scheduled to expire by the end of the current fiscal year. Faculty may submit multiple Standard and/or Collaborative Grant applications as the lead

PD to the CBG program in FY 2020 and FY 2021. Additionally, there is no limit on the number of applications for which faculty may be listed as co-PD or key personnel. NOTE: All key personnel must submit a current and pending support form. Key personnel may not commit more than 100% effort on concurrent projects.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/grants-overview

Collaborative and Integrated Project award recipients may subcontract, as deemed appropriate, to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary to conduct a successful project. The subcontract must advance capacity building at the 1890 institution in the area of the submitted application.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No Match Required - The CBG has NO matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application

Applicants must apply to this RFA electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this RFA and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and

Grants 101. Table 4 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part II § 1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide (Application Guide) contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process.

Table 8. Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action

Step One: Register New Users to Grants.gov must register early with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application (Register Here).

Step Two:

Download Adobe

Download and Install Adobe Reader (see Adobe Software Compatibility for basic system requirements)

Step Three: Find

Application Use this funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-CBGP-007373 search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess

Readiness

Contact an AR prior to starting an application to assess the organization’s readiness to submit an electronic application.

Table 9: Help and Resources

Grants.gov Support NIFA Support

Grants.gov Online Support

Telephone support: 800-518-4726

Toll-Free or 606-545-5035

Email support: support@grants.gov

Self-service customer based support:

Grants.gov iPortal

Key Information: Customer service business Hours 24/7, except federal holidays.

electronic@usda.gov

Key Information: Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m. – 5p.m. ET, except federal holidays

B. Content and Form of the Application

The Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this RFA. The RFA overrides the Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. NIFA will accept subsequent submissions to an application until the application deadline. However, applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/search-opportunity-package.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:electronic@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf meet the requirements of this RFA. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 5 outlines other key instructions for applicants.

Table 10: Key Application Instructions

Instruction References

(All references are to the

Application Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format

(PDF) format.

Part III § 3

Check the manifest of submitted files to verify attachments are in the correct format.

Part III § 6.1

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part VII and

Follow the submission instructions. Part IV § 1.5

Provide an accurate email address, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R.

Part IV § 1.5

Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk for technical support, and keep a record of the correspondence.

Contact NIFA if applicant does not receive correspondence from NIFA regarding an application within 30 days of the application deadline.

SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet. See Part V § 2 and Part V § 2.17of the Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances.

SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s). See Part V § 3 of the Application Guide.

R&R Other Project Information Form. See Part V § 4 of the Application Guide.

1. Field 7. Project Summary (PS)/Abstract. The PS must show how the project goals align with the project goals of the CBG. See Part V § 4.7 of the Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). For Standard and Collaborative Grant applications, the PN must not exceed 20 1.5 spaced pages of written text and up to 5 1.5 spaced additional pages for figures and tables (the font size for tables should be no smaller than

11 points, Times New Roman). Figures and tables may come after the 20 pages of text or be intertwined with the text (but they should not exceed 5 pages). For Professional

Development Grant applications, the PN must not exceed eight pages, including figures and tables. The page limits outlined here ensure fair and equitable competition.

Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project.

Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit. You are encouraged to include a table of contents in the project narrative, which will not count toward the narrative’s page limitation. After converting the narrative to PDF format and making the necessary adjustments, you should verify that you have not exceeded the applicable page limit.

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

Proposals with project narratives that exceed the page limit requirement will not be accepted for review. Applicants must address all components of the Evaluation Criteria in their Project Narrative (see Part V, B.). The PN must include all of the following:

a. Data management plan (DMP)

b. Logic model. The logic model is required for Integrated Project applications, and recommended for Teaching/Education, Research, and Extension Project applications.

The logic model planning process is a tool that should be used to develop your project before writing your proposal. It should detail the activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. Two additional pages may be used solely for the logic model.

The logic model does not count towards the page limit of the narrative, and it should be placed directly after the 25-page narrative section in the application. More information and resources related to the logic model planning process are provided at

Logic Model Planning Process.

c. Response to previous review: The response to previous review must not exceed one

1.5 spaced page. This does not count towards the page limit for the PN. This is only required for resubmitted applications.

d. Cover Page (first page of the narrative) will not count towards the page limit of the

PN and should include the following;

i. Type of Application (see Part II, B.)

ii. Project Type (see Part II, C.)

iii. Grant Type (see Part II, C.)

iv. Need Area addressed (see Part II, C.)

v. Program Code (see Table 3). For integrated project applications, the program code for the primary component must be listed. For example, if the primary component of an integrated project is research, then the applicant must indicate “EQ” as the program code.

vi. Primary CBG Priority Area (see Table 2)

vii. Discipline Code (see Table 6)

For new and renewal applications, the cover page should come before the table of contents.

For resubmitted applications, please use this order: 1) response to previous review, 2) cover page, 3) table of contents.

Standard and Collaborative Grant Applications. To facilitate application review and evaluation, the applicant must include the following headings in the Project Narrative (A.

through D.), followed by the applicant’s response for each numbered item under A. through D.

below.

A. Potential for Building and Strengthening Capacity and Advancing the Quality of

Teaching/Education, Research, or Extension

1. Significance of the Problem and Opportunity. Clearly state the specific instructional, research, or extension problem or opportunity to be addressed and the connection(s) with the institutional goals, strategic plan, or Plan of Work.

2. Project Justification. Summarize the body of knowledge justifying the need for the proposed project using graphical and tabulated format when possible. Discuss how the https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/logic-model-planning-process project will be of value at the state, regional, national, or international level(s). Describe any ongoing or recently completed significant activities related to the proposed project for which previous funding was received under this program or other funding programs

(including projects supported under the NIFA 1890 Facilities Grants Program and 1890

Formula Programs).

3. Impact on Building and Strengthening Capacity. Describe the institution's capability to perform the project and the degree to which the project will enhance its teaching/education, research, or extension capacity. Include a description of baseline information/preliminary data. Additionally, include the project’s potential for adoption by other institutions.

4. Continuation Plans. Describe the likelihood of, or specific plans for, continuation or expansion of the project beyond the period of USDA support. Applicants must indicate if eventual self-support is built into the project and if plans are being made to institutionalize the program if it is successful.

5. Innovation. Describe the creative approach to 1) improving the quality of FANH sciences, 2) the approach to solving a scientific problem or advancing a field of science that address objective(s) that are of high importance at the 1890 institution, and 3) the potential results in institutional capacity building.

6. Multidisciplinary and/or Problem-based Focus. Indicate how the teaching/education project is relevant to multiple disciplines in the FANH sciences, or with other academic curricula and how the research or extension project is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, and/or involves integrated (teaching/education, research and extension) activities. Identify the field of science and the objective(s) that are of high importance and will be addressed at your institution. If partners are included, provide a concise plan on how they will be managed and coordinated. Identify potential results in 1890 institutional capacity building.

7. Products and Results. Explain, including metrics, the expected products, and results, outputs, and their potential impact on strengthening FANH sciences education, research, and extension in the United States. Metrics to assess products and outputs are to be clearly delineated in the proposal. Describe the economic, environmental, or social gains resulting from the project outcomes (see Definitions, ‘Outcomes’ in Part VIII, E.). If the application has a collaborator(s), include a clear identification of the role of the collaborator(s), and the expected outcomes for the 1890 institution (see Part IV, B., c., Field 12 – Other Attachments).

8. Institutional Commitment. Explain the institutional resources (administrative, facilities, equipment, and/or materials) that are available to carry out the project.

B. Overall Approach, Cooperative Linkages and Quality of the Proposal

1. Proposed Approach and Cooperative Linkages. Cite and discuss the specific project objectives to be accomplished. For Collaborative Grant and Integrated Project proposals, identify the individual(s) responsible to accomplish each objective.

2. Plan of Operation and Methodology. Describe procedures for accomplishing the objectives of the project. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure its proper and efficient administration. Clearly identify and describe the metrics for evaluating successful project management. Discuss extent to which students from the

1890 institutions will be involved in the teaching/education, research, extension, or integrated project.

3. Timetable. Provide a timetable for conducting the project. Identify all important project milestones and dates as they relate to project start-up, execution, evaluation, dissemination, and closeout. Identify limitations that may impact the timetable and provide strategies to avoid or compensate for the limitations. For Collaborative Grant applications, include the responsibilities of all partners in the project timetable.

4. Evaluation Plan. Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer basic questions about proposed initiatives to build or strengthen capacity of the institution in a specific area in the FANH sciences. Provide a methodology and implementation plan for evaluating the accomplishment of stated objectives, results, and measurable outcomes during the project. Clearly identify the performance measure(s) by which the project’s success will be assessed. In the evaluation plan, indicate the criteria and corresponding weight of each to be used in the evaluation process. Describe any data to be collected and analyzed and explain the methodology that will be used to determine the extent to which the needs underlying the project are met.

Indicate how the evaluation will determine whether and to what degree the project had an impact on teaching/education, research, and extension capacity. Identify those personnel who will be responsible for assessing project results and administering the project evaluation and reporting process and include a description of their expertise or credentials. The evaluation plan is a crucial component of the application. The following outline may be used as a guide when developing an evaluation plan to monitor institutional capacity building/strengthening:

a. Section I: A description of the evaluation framework which specifies what you want to evaluate, what questions are to be addressed in the evaluation, and the timeframe for conducting the evaluation.

b. Section II: A description of the program implementation objectives.

c. Section III: A description of the program outcome objectives, performance measures, and impact.

d. Section IV: Procedures for managing and monitoring the evaluation and reporting.

5. Dissemination Plan. Document how project accomplishments (products, results, and impacts, etc.) will be disseminated to the broadest extent throughout the academic or scientific community and to policy makers and the public. Discuss the institution’s commitment to disseminate project results and products. Identify target audiences and explain methods of communication.

6. Partnership and Collaborative Efforts. Explain how the project will maximize partnership and collaborative efforts to strengthen FANH sciences across teaching/education, research and extension (e.g., involvement of faculty in related disciplines at the same institution, Collaborative Grant applications with other educational institutions, or expand cooperative activities with business or industry at the

1890 institution). As appropriate, clearly describe the collaborative management plan to ensure successful outcomes towards project goals.

7. Potential Pitfalls, Limitations, and Alternatives (if applicable). Identify and explain any potential challenges that might impede progress during the duration of the project.

Additionally, describe any potential strategies or alternatives that might be implemented to address such challenges. This section is optional for all applications and therefore, it will not count against the applicant during the evaluation process.

C. Roles and Project Responsibility of Key Personnel

1. Number and Qualifications of Project Personnel. The application must clearly explain the adequacy of the number and qualifications of key persons who will develop and carry out the project.

2. Capacity of Personnel to carry out the Project. Qualified and sufficient personnel are critical for…