fy_2024_nadprp_funding_opportunity_announcement.pdf

National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program Fiscal Year 2024 Cooperative/Interagency Agreements

Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Opportunity Announcement Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-24-0001 Publication Date: July 27, 2023 Application Due Date: October 20, 2023, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time

Funding Opportunity: National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program Fiscal Year 2024

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) Fiscal Year 2024

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-24-0001

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 October 20, 2023, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard 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 $17,000,000 in funds in the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to support projects in the priority topics listed below.

1. Develop, enhance, and exercise State and Tribal animal disease outbreak emergency response plans.

2. Support livestock1 and poultry biosecurity measures and programs.

3. Enhance capability and capacity for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination in a disease outbreak.

4. Support animal movement decisions in a disease outbreak.

5. Enhance animal disease traceability during a disease outbreak.

6. Support outreach & education on animal disease prevention, preparedness, and response.

7. Develop and deliver training & exercises for animal agriculture sector responders.

8. Advance the development of sheep and goat vaccines.

9. Enhance aquatic animal disease preparedness and response.

1 The NADPRP uses the Animal Health Protection Act definition of Livestock, which is “all farm-raised animals” (Animal Health Protection Act, 7 USC Ch. 109); this includes poultry, equines, farm-raised aquatic animals, and other traditional and non-traditional farm-raised animals.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/ad-preparedness-response-program https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/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 FY2024 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. FY 2024 NADPRP Funding Priority Topics APPENDIX 2. New Applicant Information APPENDIX 3. 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) Fiscal Year 2024

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.025

Key Dates: Applications must be received through ezFedGrants (eFG) by October 20, 2023, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

The agreement performance period is estimated to begin between May 1 – June 30, 2024 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- 24-0001. 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 FY 2024. 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 FY2024 FUNDING PRIORITIES

APHIS will consider project proposals that clearly and directly support one of the animal disease preparedness and response topics described below.

Projects that clearly and directly support the animal disease preparedness and response topics below will be considered. Appendix 1 includes important details about each topic and specific priorities within each topic.

1. Develop, enhance, and exercise State and Tribal animal disease outbreak emergency response plans.

https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/ezfedgrants https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/ad-preparedness-response-program https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/ad-preparedness-response-program https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/ad-preparedness-response-program

2. Support livestock and poultry biosecurity measures and programs.

3. Enhance capability and capacity for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination in a disease outbreak.

4. Support animal movement decisions in a disease outbreak.

5. Enhance animal disease traceability during a disease outbreak.

6. Support outreach & education on animal disease prevention, preparedness, and response.

7. Develop and deliver training & exercises for animal agriculture sector responders.

8. Advance the development of sheep and goat vaccines.

9. Enhance aquatic animal disease preparedness and response.

NADPRP uses the Animal Health Protection Act definition of Livestock, which is “all farm-raised animals” (Animal Health Protection Act, 7 USC Ch. 109); this includes poultry, equines, farm-raised aquatic animals, and other traditional and non-traditional farm-raised animals.

Regardless of the topic, APHIS will prioritize funding to proposals that:

• Focus on preparedness and response for emerging and foreign animal disease outbreaks.

• Address significant gaps, problems, and areas of concern related to prevention, preparedness, and response for foreign animal disease (FAD) and emerging animal disease outbreaks, including concerns identified through animal disease response events or exercises .

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

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

• 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 animal disease preparedness and response concerns and needs of high-risk, underserved, non-traditional, niche, or hard-to-reach audiences.

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 1: Protect agriculture from plant and animal diseases and pests, Objective 3:

Ensure effective emergency preparedness and response.

A.4 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

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

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 $220,000.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/about_aphis/downloads/aphis-strategic-plan.pdf

Anticipated Award Start Date: APHIS anticipates that work covered under these agreements will start between May 1 and June 30, 2024 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 typical. 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:

• NADPRP 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 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 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 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 NADPRP 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 listed in Section A and described in detail in Appendix

1.

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. Application packages 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 strongly urge applicants 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 2 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-VSSP0000-24-0001.

Application materials and additional information is also available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website.

D.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

For Non-Federal applicants, the application package must include the documents listed below. Note that application documents must be in PDF format before they can be uploaded in eFG. The total size of all PDF attachments cannot exceed 20mb.

□ 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. Required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s financial plan / budget is greater than $100,000.

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

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.usda.gov/ocfo/ezfedgrants https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html

□ 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 (2 CFR Part 200.19).

□ 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 Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List) (usda.gov) for the most current list of required States for APHIS CFDA 10.025.

For federal applicants, the application package must include:

□ Project proposal WORK PLAN. See below.

□ Project proposal FINANCIAL PLAN. See below.

Applicants should refer to Appendix 3: 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. The NADPRP Project Work Plan Template is available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use this template. Applicants who do not use the template must include all information requested in the template in their Work Plan. Work Plans should not exceed 25 pages and must be submitted in PDF format. Refer to Appendix 3 for helpful information about the Work Plan.

Project Proposal Financial Plan

Applicants must submit a project proposal Financial Plan that includes details about the project budget. When preparing a Financial Plan, applicants must comply with the guidance and funding restrictions described in Section B.1. The NADPRP Project Financial Plan Template and an example are available on the USDA APHIS NADPRP website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use this template. Applicants who do not use the template must include all information requested in the template in their Financial Plan. Financial Plans must be submitted in PDF format. Information in the Financial Plan must match the funding and budget information in the SF-424, SF-424A, and Work Plan. Refer to Appendix 3 for helpful information about the Financial Plan.

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 information throughout the award period of performance (2 CFR §200.205). To register, go to the SAM website. 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 2 and on NADPRP’s Here’s How to Get Ready Now web page.

D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions is October 20, 2023, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/fmd/downloads/spoc_list.pdf 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/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp-funding-how-to

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 in Appendix 2 and 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 October 20, 2023, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Late application packages cannot be accepted.

• Application packages from Non-Federal entities must be submitted electronically through the ezFedGrants system. 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. The electronic date and time stamp from the email system will be used to determine whether federal applications were received before the deadline. Following submission, federal applicants will receive further communication from APHIS regarding requirements and processes for Interagency Agreements.

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 Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List) (usda.gov).

D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Funding restrictions, including unallowable costs, indirect cost cap, and cost restrictions, are provided in the NADPRP Guidelines for Use of Funds 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. Letters of support from State / Tribal animal health officials or livestock producer organizations are helpful for some types of projects. If included, letters of support should be uploaded in PDF format as attachments in the ezFedGrants system.

Applicants should not request letters of support from APHIS VS employees; NADPRP will solicit input from APHIS VS experts during the review process.

• Curriculum vitae (CV’s) are not required. We encourage applicants to briefly describe the relevant professional experience of the project leader(s) in the Work Plan instead of attaching CV’s.

• 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 (e.g., workshops, planning meetings) or services to be provided by VS subject matter experts (e.g., https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp-funding-how-to mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov sam.https://sam.gov/fal/226bb32f9354425f85946acb39f39cbf/viewgov https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/fmd/downloads/spoc_list.pdf data, information, analyses) to complete the project. This does not include support from the VS Program Manager to oversee and advise on the project.

• 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.

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 Appendix 1 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.

E.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS

Eligible proposals will be evaluated by a team of subject matter experts nominated by APHIS VS and by the NADPRP Consultation Board. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, reviewers may have no association with projects they are reviewing. In the event of a real or perceived conflict of interest, a reviewer shall recuse themselves as appropriate. The review team may seek counsel from additional subject-matter experts as appropriate. USDA will consider the review team’s recommendations in making final funding determinations.

In addition to the evaluation criteria described in Section E.1, the review team and USDA may consider the dispersion of projects across geographic areas, animal industry sectors, and critical aspects of the funding priorities described in Section A. The 2018 Farm Bill specifies that USDA may give priority to applications submitted by:

(A) A State department of agriculture or an office of the chief animal health official of a State; or

(B) An eligible entity that will carry out program activities in a State or region in which-

(i) An animal pest or disease is a federal concern; or

(ii) The Secretary determines a potential exists for the spread of an animal pest or disease after taking into consideration

(I) The agricultural industries in the State or region.

mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov https://www.fcc.gov/general/section-508-rehabilitation-act

(II) Factors contributing to animal pests or diseases in the State or region, such as the climate, natural resources, and geography of, and native and exotic wildlife species and other disease vectors in, the State or region; and the movement of animals in the State or region.

During the application review process, APHIS will conduct a risk assessment for applicants. Applicants will be verified in the System for Award Management (SAM) to ensure they have not been disbarred or suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency. APHIS may not issue federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifiers and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements, APHIS may determine that the applicant is not eligible to receive a federal award.

When anticipated total federal share exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, APHIS is required to review and consider information about the applicant included in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM. An applicant, if desired, may review and comment on any information about their organization previously entered and currently in the system. When completing the risk assessment, APHIS will consider applicant comments in addition to other information in the designated integrity and performance system to assess applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APHIS will administer the agreements and collaborate with project recipients to provide advice, receive and review project documents, offer comments and suggestions, track project performance, and communicate with recipients as necessary to ensure progress in accomplishing the project, identifying obstacles, and resolving concerns.

Recipients will track performance and expenditures, provide progress reports and project deliverables in accordance with the project Work Plan, and communicate with VS staff to assess and evaluate progress.

F.1 AWARD NOTICES

All applicants will be notified by email after the list of awarded projects is approved by the Secretary of Agriculture and announced by USDA. Awards will be executed as soon as possible after the awarded projects are announced. Pre-awards may be requested if there is urgency to begin work before the award can be executed.

Applicants selected for funding will receive instruction on next steps to process a Notice of Award (NOA) via ezFedGrants. The Notice of Award will provide pertinent instructions and information including but not limited to the information described in 2 CFR § 200.210 and a reference to the APHIS General Terms and Conditions.

F.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Successful applicants must comply with the requirements contained in the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Successful applicants also must comply with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions, the approved project Work Plan, and the approved project Financial Plan.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=70b44cfc44976f4a7742464f7cfbb37e&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1210&rgn=div8 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/financial-management-division/Financial_Services_Branch/Agreements_Service_Center/Terms-Conditions-for-APHIS-Awards https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/financial-management-division/Financial_Services_Branch/Agreements_Service_Center/Terms-Conditions-for-APHIS-Awards https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200

F.3 REPORTING

The Recipient’s Project Coordinator shall provide quarterly program reports to the VS Program Manager through the ezFedGrants system and in compliance with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions. Quarterly performance and financial reports are required and must be submitted in ezFedGrants. The reports will be used to verify compliance with provisions of the Cooperative Agreement.

F. 4 PROJECT EVALUATION

The Recipient’s performance will be evaluated through the review of quarterly performance and financial reports, as well as periodic discussions of project progress with the VS Program Manager. Performance is evaluated based on the following criteria to determine if the Recipient met the project standards included in the proposal Work and Financial Plans and if expected results and benefits were achieved:

1. Adherence to the project objectives.

2. Adherence to project schedule.

3. Adherence to project budget.

4. Delivery of results that meet the agreement performance standards and achieve stated outcomes.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For questions about the NADPRP program and about this funding opportunity, required documents, or the ezFedGrants application process, please contact VS.NADPRP@usda.gov. You may also contact the following APHIS VS program staff: Julie Wallin, NADPRP Program Coordinator, julie.e.wallin@usda.gov, 970-494-7258.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

The USDA is not obligated to make any award as a result of this announcement nor to make any changes to future announcements. Only the APHIS Authorized Departmental Officer can bind the Government to an expenditure of funds and this obligation of funds shall only occur in writing by authorized officials and under the approved USDA, APHIS Cooperative Agreement format.

NADPRP funding is directed towards all livestock species. The NADPRP uses the Animal Health Protection Act definition of Livestock, which is “all farm-raised animals” (Animal Health Protection Act, 7 USC Ch. 109); this includes poultry, equines, farm-raised aquatic animals, and other traditional and non-traditional farm-raised animals.

H.1 DEFINITIONS

This announcement uses definitions as described in Section 8302 of the Animal Health Protection Act. Per the Animal Health Protection Act 7 (USC Ch. 109), the term “livestock” includes “all farm-raised animals” and includes poultry, equines, farm-raised aquatic animals, and other traditional and non-traditional farm-raised animals.

mailto:VS.NADPRP@usda.gov mailto:julie.e.wallin@usda.gov https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section8302&num=0&edition=prelim

APPENDIX 1. FY 2024 NADPRP FUNDING PRIORITY TOPICS

APHIS will consider project proposals that clearly and directly support one of the animal disease preparedness and response topics described below.

The NADPRP uses the Animal Health Protection Act definition of Livestock, which is “all farm-raised animals” (Animal Health Protection Act, 7 USC Ch. 109); this includes poultry, equines, farm-raised aquatic animals, and other traditional and non-traditional farm-raised animals.

Overview Projects within the following topics will be considered:

1. Develop, enhance, and exercise State and Tribal animal disease outbreak emergency response plans.

2. Support livestock and poultry biosecurity measures and programs.

3. Enhance capability and capacity for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination in a disease outbreak.

4. Support animal movement decisions in a disease outbreak.

5. Enhance animal disease traceability during a disease outbreak.

6. Support outreach & education on animal disease prevention, preparedness, and response.

7. Develop and deliver training & exercises for animal agriculture sector responders.

8. Advance the development of sheep and goat vaccines.

9. Enhance aquatic animal disease preparedness and response.

Regardless of topic, APHIS will prioritize funding to proposals that:

• Focus on preparedness and response for emerging and foreign animal disease outbreaks.

• Address significant gaps, problems, and areas of concern related to prevention, preparedness, and response for foreign animal disease (FAD) and emerging animal disease outbreaks, including concerns identified through animal disease response events or exercises .

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

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

• 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 animal disease preparedness and response concerns and needs of high-risk, underserved, non-traditional, niche, or hard-to-reach audiences.

Priority Topic Details

Topic 1: Develop, enhance, and exercise State and Tribal animal disease outbreak emergency response plans.

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 and/or Tribal animal health regulatory authorities. Other entities may submit proposals in this topic if a letter of endorsement from State and/or Tribal regulatory authorities is included with the proposal. Animal disease outbreak 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.

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 that describe how a State / Tribe will acquire and use National Veterinary Stockpile resources in an animal disease outbreak.

o Initial livestock and poultry disease containment plans for animal disease outbreaks.

o Human resources planning for animal disease outbreak events.

o Communications plans for animal disease outbreaks, including notification processes and plans for sharing information with specific stakeholder groups.

o Plans for using vaccines to manage an FAD outbreak.

• Develop State or regional plans and best practices for surveillance of foreign and emerging arthropod borne diseases of concern.

• Enhance stakeholder understanding of State or Tribal emergency response plans and the impacts to livestock and poultry owners and other stakeholders when response plans are implemented in an animal disease outbreak.

• Enhance State or Tribal preparedness for an FAD outbreak by improving State/Tribal 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 may include improving a State’s/Tribe’s capability for data management within EMRS and/or between EMRS and the State’s/Tribe’s IT system. Proposals to improve and enhance State/Tribal processes and skillsets in EMRS, including but not limited to data management of livestock or poultry movements, contact tracing, issuance of emergency permits for movements from Control Areas, maintaining the State/Tribal Premises Registration System database, and information management with third party sources of movement data. NADPRP funds may not be used to purchase or directly support a State’s/Tribe’s private IT System for animal disease management.

• Enhance planning and coordination among diverse stakeholder groups who may engage in an animal disease outbreak response. This may include traditional and non-traditional participants in animal disease outbreak response, such as federal, State, and Tribal regulatory authorities; livestock producer groups; experts from wildlife, environmental, and public health agencies and extension services; representatives from zoological facilities, demonstration farms, and wildlife rehabilitation centers; law enforcement agencies, and others. Proposals may include regional exercises or workshops on FAD preparedness. Priority will be given to proposals that include exercises or produce materials that participating States or Tribes can use in an outbreak.

• Help States/Tribes analyze strengths and weaknesses of recent animal disease response events to strengthen State response plans, evaluate alternative disease control approaches, and identify ways to reduce the economic impacts of animal disease outbreaks. Projects may focus on assessing and prioritizing corrective actions to prepare for future disease events. Projects may also analyze economic impacts of recent animal disease response events and explore options to control costs in future outbreaks.

• Help States/Tribes implement the USDA African Swine Fever Response Plan, so they are prepared to act with speed and certainty if ASF is detected in the continental US.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/emergency-management/african-swine-fever/african-swine-fever

Topic 2: Support livestock and poultry biosecurity measures and programs.

APHIS will support projects to enhance biosecurity for all types of livestock and on all types of premises and animal aggregation locations, including but not limited to; livestock markets, harvesting and allied facilities (e.g., packers/ processors), aquaculture facilities, and others. Biosecurity projects may be directed towards livestock owners from all types and sizes of operations including backyard livestock owners, veterinarians and other animal health professionals, extension agents, workers on farms or at other livestock aggregation locations including livestock markets or harvesting and allied facilities, dealers, transporters, and others.

APHIS encourages projects that leverage or expand on existing biosecurity educational and training materials that are available online, and projects that involve or are supported by agriculture extension services, industry organizations, offices of State Animal Health Officials, and other trusted sources.

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 biosecurity measures and the importance of biosecurity among all types of audiences as described above.

• Help livestock owners and other audiences develop herd / flock / premises plans to prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases through biosecurity. Projects may include developing, evaluating, and delivering outreach materials and templates to guide biosecurity plan development, educating audiences about the importance and value of these plans, and increasing accountability in implementing biosecurity plans. Projects may target biosecurity planning for all types of livestock premises and aggregation locations as described above.

• Encourage livestock owners and other key audiences to participate in industry-driven biosecurity programs that focus on improving biosecurity to protect animal health and prevent disease spread.

This may include projects that:

o Socialize and increase participation in biosecurity programs .

o Develop or enhance biosecurity programs for 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, improve, and/or validate innovative and cost-effective biosecurity methods and methods to increase producer implementation of effective biosecurity. Projects in this area may include developing and evaluating methods to exclude wild birds and/or wild bird feces from poultry facilities.

• Develop and validate tools to help producers, farm workers, veterinarians, responders, slaughter / packing plant personnel, and other stakeholders identify gaps in their 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 and encourage maintaining compliance.

• Evaluate programs aimed at enhancing producer use of biosecurity practices and identify best practices for these programs. This may include economic evaluations of biosecurity investments and their impacts on disease risk.

Topic 3: Enhance capability and capacity for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination in a disease outbreak.

APHIS VS will support projects that will improve capabilities and capacities for depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination activities during high consequence animal disease outbreak events. The NADPRP Guidelines for Use of Funds describes conditions for the use of NADPRP funds for depopulation projects.

Decontamination proposals may address pathogen elimination on premises, trucks, and equipment during animal disease outbreak events.

Examples of proposals that will be considered in this area include, but are not limited to, projects that:

• Develop, update, enhance, test and exercise State, Tribal, or regional plans to implement and coordinate depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination activities during a large-scale animal disease outbreak response. Projects may address resource needs such as trained personnel, supplies, equipment, and carbon sources for carcass disposal.

• Train and exercise animal agriculture responders to conduct depopulation, disposal, and decontamination activities for FAD response.

• Develop and / or evaluate practical and effective depopulation methods and tools for all livestock species for FAD outbreak response. Projects may include evaluating methods in varying weather conditions. Priority will be given to proposals that address gaps in livestock sectors where depopulation methods are lacking and /or 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 carcass disposal methods and tools for all food animal species for FAD outbreak response. Projects may include evaluating methods in varying weather conditions. Projects may include disposal methods for feed, manure, eggs, and other organic materials as well as carcasses and may evaluate use of composted materials. Priority will be given to proposals that address gaps in carcass disposal capabilities and projects that address new technology.

• Develop and / or evaluate practical and effective methods for decontaminating premises, trucks, trailers, equipment, and related materials such as heat inactivation of trucks or other equipment.

Projects may address decontamination on all types of premises and animal aggregation locations.

Proposals should consider mobility, affordability, removal of wastewater, reclamation, operator requirements, disinfection capacity, and footprint.

Equipment. Depopulation, carcass disposal, and decontamination (3D) equipment may be included in these proposals. APHIS VS will provide up to $2 million in NADPRP funds to support the purchase of depopulation, carcass disposal, and/or decontamination equipment for proposals that are recommended for funding.

NADPRP funding for the purchase of this equipment is limited, and funding decisions will be based on the quality of proposal and extent to which the proposal addresses gaps in U.S. capabilities to quickly provide depopulation, disposal, and decontamination equipment for FAD response.

Application packages that include 3D equipment purchases must address these topics in the Work Plan:

1. Who will use the equipment.

2. Training and exercises to assure personnel are trained to use the equipment, including training frequency.

3. How equipment will be stored and maintained to assure the equipment will remain ready for response.

4. Criteria for using or not using the available equipment.

5. How equipment may be shared with neighboring States or Tribes.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/farmbill/nadprp-guidelines-funds.pdf

Topic 4: Support animal movement decisions in a disease outbreak.

NADPRP funds may be used for projects that facilitate and support domestic animal movement decisions in animal disease outbreaks. 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.

Examples of proposals that will be considered in this area include, but are not limited to, projects that:

• Develop, enhance, and improve information and processes to support animal and animal product movement decisions in an animal disease outbreak.

• Develop, update, enhance, test and…