FY2017 Hispanic-Serving Institutions HSI Education Grants Program 2nd Updated.pdf

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program

MODIFICATIONS: Pages 5, 11, 13, 14, 15, 23, 24, 25, & 27

FY 2017 Request for Applications

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Regular Grants Deadline: March 20, 2017 Bridge Grants Deadline: March 20, 2017 Collaboration Grants Deadline: March 21, 2017 Conference Grants Deadline: March 22, 2017

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

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

AGRICULTURE

HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAM

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.223, Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program.

DATES: All Conference grant applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 22, 2017. All Regular and Bridge grant applications must be received by 5:00 p.m.

Eastern Time on March 20, 2017. All Collaboration grant applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 21, 2017. Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding (see Part IV, C of this RFA). Comments regarding this request for applications (RFA) are requested within six months from the issuance of this notice.

Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

STAKEHOLDER INPUT: We at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seek your comments about this RFA. We will consider your comments when we develop the next RFA for the program, if applicable, and we’ll use them to meet the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.

7613(c)(2)). Submit your written stakeholder comments by the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this notice via email to Policy@nifa.usda.gov. (This email address is only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not for requesting information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program for fiscal year (FY) 2017 to promote and strengthen the ability of HSIs to carry out higher education programs that attract, retain, and graduate outstanding students capable of enhancing the nation’s food, natural resources, human sciences and agricultural scientific and professional work force. This RFA is being released prior to the passage of an appropriation act for FY 2017. Enactment of continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2017 is approximately $8.8 million for new and continuation projects.

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

mailto:Policy@nifa.usda.gov

Table of Contents

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background B. Purpose and Priorities C. Program Area Description

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project Types D. Grant Types E. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package B. Content and Form of Application Submission C. Submission Dates and Times D. Funding Restrictions E. Other Submission Requirements

PART V—APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. General B. Evaluation Criteria C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI—AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Award Notice C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII—AGENCY CONTACT

PART VIII—OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds; Changes B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information D. Definitions E. Materials Available on the Internet

APPENDIX A FOR PROJECT EVALUATION AND REPORTING

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

Section 1455 of National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), reauthorized by section 7115 of the Agricultural Act of 2014, provides the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to make competitive grants to Hispanic-Serving Institutions for the purpose of promoting and strengthening Hispanic-Serving Institutions ability to carry out education, applied research, and community development programs. This program is administered under the provisions of section 1455 of (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3241) pursuant to section 815 of Public Law 104-127 and Public Law 110-246.

Per section 7128 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246), activities funded under this program are no longer required to benefit a consortia of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to be supported by the grant.

B. Purpose and Priorities

The Department of Agriculture is designated as the lead federal agency that supports higher education in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences. In this context, NIFA has a specific responsibility to initiate and support projects that strengthen higher education teaching programs in these areas. The Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program directly aligns with USDA Strategic Goal 1, Strategic Goal 2, Strategic Goal 3, and Strategic Goal 4 of the USDA Strategic Plan (2014 – 2018) (http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-strategic-plan-fy-2014-2018.pdf).

The HSI Education Grants Program aligns with the USDA Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan (http://nifa.usda.gov/resource/ree-action-plan), and specifically addresses Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy, by recruiting, cultivating, and developing the next generation of scientists, leaders, and a highly-skilled workforce for food, agriculture, natural resources, forestry, environmental systems, and life sciences to ensure America’s global preeminence. The HSI program is also aligned with the NIFA Strategic Plan (2014-2018) http://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-strategic-plan-fy2014-fy2018), specifically addressing Strategic Goal No 1, (Science – Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education, and extension programs); Subgoal 1.7 – (Ensure the development of human capital, communities, and a diverse workforce through research, education, extension and engagement programs in FANH sciences to support a sustainable agriculture system).

Through the HSI Education Grants Program, grant activities support the creation, adaptation, and adoption of learning materials and teaching strategies to operationalize what we know about how students learn. Many of these concepts are identified in the National Research Council’s publication: How People Learn. In addition, the HSI Education Grants Program supports projects that focus on imparting both technical knowledge as well as ‘soft’ skills such as communication, team work, and problem solving. As described in the 2011 report: Comparative http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-strategic-plan-fy-2014-2018.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/resource/ree-action-plan http://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-strategic-plan-fy2014-fy2018 http://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/1f http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/CFERR_Library/comparative-analysis-of-soft-skills-what-is-important-for-new-graduates/file

Analysis of Soft Skills: What is Important for New Graduates?, these soft skills are abilities sought by employers. While research and extension activities may be included in a funded HSI Education Grants Program project, the primary focus must be to improve teaching, enrollment, and graduation rates within a degree-granting program. However, academic institutions should consider broadening the undergraduate student experience by integrating opportunities to participate in research, education, and extension. Four-year colleges and universities should also strive to enhance connections with community colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions, and non-land grant colleges and universities of agriculture. HSI Education Grants Program awards will promote and strengthen the ability of HSIs to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs, and address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within a broadly defined area of FANH sciences and related disciplines.

Targeted summer programs providing a bridge to 4-year FANH sciences degrees for underrepresented high-school students are encouraged.

NIFA encourages (but does not require) projects that develop content suitable for delivery through eXtension (https://extension.org). The HSI Education Grants Program also supports projects that integrates social and biological sciences to provide experiential learning opportunities for students in applied research and related community development programs.

Incorporation of social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health and reducing obesity; and increasing economic opportunities.

C. Program Area Description

NIFA is soliciting applications for the HSI Education Grants Program that meet the following characteristics and/or conditions:

1. HSI Education Grant Program Objectives

Grant applications must align the projects to the following HSI Education Grants Program objectives:

a) Strengthen institutional capacities to develop and enhance faculty, curriculum, methods of instruction, and infrastructure including libraries and scientific instrumentation to serve underrepresented students in an identified State, regional, national, or international educational need areas in the FANH sciences;

b) Recruit, retain, and support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to prepare them for careers in FANH sciences sectors;

c) Facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or more HSIs or between HSIs and public or the private sector to maximize the development and use of resources and to improve the FANH sciences teaching programs; and http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/CFERR_Library/comparative-analysis-of-soft-skills-what-is-important-for-new-graduates/file https://extension.org/

d) Support the activities of HSIs to enhance educational equity for underrepresented students.

2. Educational Need Areas

There are different Educational Need Areas that HSI Education Grants Program projects should focus on and develop in order to contribute to the HSI Education Grants Program goals and objectives. If addressing more than one Educational Need Area in the application, please list the need areas in order of priority in the Project Summary (See Part IV, B.3).

Projects addressing the HSI Education Grants Program Objectives (Part I, C.1.) or Educational Need Areas, see Part II C below, must also demonstrate how proposed activities will provide more efficient and effective approaches than existing institutional programs in order to increase both the quality and quantity of targeted students.

3. Student Eligibility for Financial Support

Each student recipient must be enrolled at an eligible institution and meet the requirement of an "eligible participant" as defined in the definitions section of this solicitation, Part VIII, D., on page 39. The following criteria must be taken into consideration when selecting scholarship recipients:

a) Be a citizen or national of the United States;

b) Must be attending a public or other non-profit HSI as defined in the definitions on

Part VIII, D., of this RFA;

c) Leadership activities and community service;

d) Desire to pursue a career at USDA or in FANH sciences;

e) Major related to the FANH sciences;

f) Participation in HSI's Education Grants Program Activities;

g) Grade point average;

h) Essay indicating interest in FANH sciences; and

i) Potential for adding diversity.

A student earning a two-year degree could become eligible to receive support to complete a four-year degree or a student earning a four-year degree could be sponsored to complete a master's degree. The student should be selected within the first 18 months of the award and encouraged to complete funded schoolwork within 54 months of the initial award date (4.5 years). Two-year colleges must have an articulation agreement allowing the student to complete a bachelor’s or professional degree at the selected granting institution.

4. Disciplines and Subject Matter Areas Supported

Eligible institutions may, within the Educational Need Area targeted for support, propose projects in any discipline(s) or subject matter area(s) of the FANH sciences. According to Section 1404(9) of NARETPA as amended by Section 7101 of Public Law 110-246, the term " food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences" means basic, applied, and developmental teaching activities in food and fiber, agricultural, renewable energy and natural resources, forestry, and physical and social sciences, or rural economic, community, or business development including activities relating to the following:

1) Animal health, production, and well-being;

2) Plant health and production;

3) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and preservation;

4) Aquaculture;

5) Food safety;

6) Soil and water conservation and improvement;

7) Forestry, horticulture, and range management;

8) Nutritional sciences and promotion;

9) Farm enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and profitability;

10) Home economics;

11) Rural human ecology;

12) Youth development and agricultural education, including 4–H clubs;

13) Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier identification and analysis;

14) Information management and technology transfer related to agriculture;

15) Biotechnology related to agriculture; and

16) The processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products.

5. Levels of Study Supported

Applications must be directed to formal, for-credit academic programs at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels of study.

6. Institutional Collaboration

Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with a USDA agency to leverage grant funds and/or contribute towards overall goals and objectives. USDA agencies are listed below:

a) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

b) Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

c) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

d) Economic Research Service (ERS)

e) Farm Service Agency (FSA)

f) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

g) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

h) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

i) Forest Service (FS)

j) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA)

k) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

l) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

m) Rural Development Agency

n) Risk Management Agency

Examples of collaborative activities with USDA could include but are not limited to:

internships, USDA Career Days, HSI student visits or tours, and USDA staff presentations to students and faculty. The USDA Office of Human Capital Management has identified 20 Mission Critical Occupations (MCOs) in its FY 2008 Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program Plan. Using this information, the HSI Education Grants Program encourages collaboration on FANH science fields, which are primarily the top fifteen occupations listed below:

1) Forestry Technician

2) General Biological Scientists

3) Biological Science Technician

4) Soil Conservation Specialist

5) Soil Conservation Technician

6) Forestry Specialist

7) Dietician and Nutritionist Specialist

8) Consumer Safety Specialist

9) Soil Science Specialist

10) Veterinary Medical Officer

11) General Business and Industry

12) Statistician Specialist

13) Consumer Safety Inspection

14) Food Inspection Specialist

15) Agricultural Commodity Grader

The HSIs Education Grants Program supports social and behavioral science disciplines.

Projects that integrate social and biological sciences to provide experiential learning opportunities for students in applied research and related community development programs are encouraged. Incorporation of social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources, improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in heathy diets, and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

7. Leadership Skills Development

The development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities is necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. HSI Education Grants Program teaching applications must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation.

Specific activities may include:

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

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

• Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and

• Organizing leadership academies, workshops, trainings, etc.

8. International Experiential Learning

This HSI Education and Grants Program also supports the goals and objectives of study abroad initiatives.

The HSI Education Grants Program requires all project directors to provide appropriate metrics and describe the expected products and results, outcomes, and their potential impact on strengthening food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences education, research and extension in the United States. Metrics to assess products, outputs and outcomes are to be clearly delineated in the proposal.

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The anticipated amount available for HSI grants in FY 2017 is approximately $8.8 million, including funds for the continuation awards. Enactment of continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA. For more information see https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2017, you may only submit a new application or a resubmission application to the HSI Program:

New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the HSI Program. We will review all new applications competitively using the screening for administrative requirements, review panel evaluation of proposals using evaluation criteria and selection process described in Part V—Application Review Requirements.

Resubmitted application. This is an application that had previously been submitted to the HSI Program but not funded. Project Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see Response to Previous Review, Part IV). We must receive resubmitted applications by the relevant due dates. We will evaluate resubmitted applications in competition with other pending applications in the appropriate area to which they are assigned and review them according to the same evaluation criteria (Part V, B) as new applications.

C. Project Types

In FY 2017, the HSI grant program will only accept Education/Teaching Projects. Single-function Education Projects develop human capital relevant to overall program goals for U.S.

agriculture. Projects should focus on developing skills necessary for entry- and mid-level technical employment or for entering graduate programs in FANH sciences. Applicants should propose to improve mainstream instructional practices and address future needs within the FANH sciences system. Applicants should consider projects that meet the various Educational Need Areas:

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

1) Curricula Design, Materials Development, and Library Resources (including development of courses of study and degree programs):

The purpose of this strategy is to promote new and improved curricula, materials, and library resources to increase the quality of and continuously renew HSI academic programs in the food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences. The overall objective is to stimulate the development and facilitate the use of exemplary education models and materials that incorporate the most recent advances in subject matter, research on teaching and learning theory, and instructional technology and to demonstrate the benefit of new technologies.

Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: the development of courses of study, degree programs, and instructional materials; the use of new approaches to the study of traditional subjects; the introduction of new subjects or new applications of knowledge pertaining to the FANH sciences; or the acquisition of books and journals relating to the FANH sciences.

2) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching:

The purpose of this strategy is to advance faculty development in the areas of teaching competency and leadership, subject matter expertise, or student recruitment and advising skills. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: obtaining experience with recent developments and new applications in a field; expanding competence in innovative technologies and new methods of instruction delivery or student advising skills; or pursuing further graduate-level study in a field related to the FANH sciences. Each faculty recipient of support for developmental activities must be an "eligible participant" as defined in the definitions section of this RFA.

3) Instruction Delivery Systems:

The purpose of this strategy is to encourage the use of alternative methods of delivering instruction to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of teaching programs.

Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: incorporating alternative instructional methodologies that respond to differences in student learning styles; inter-institutional collaborating in such a manner to deliver instruction in ways that maximize program quality and reduce unnecessary duplication; and considering and implementing innovative instructional techniques, methodologies, and delivery systems in response to advances in knowledge and technology. This includes the development of capacity for distance education in these particular areas in which institutions partner with one another to optimize resources in offering courses/programs via distance education.

4) Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching:

The purpose of this strategy is to provide students in science-oriented courses the necessary experience with suitable, up-to-date equipment in order to involve them in work central to scientific understanding and progress. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to:

acquiring new, state-of-the-art instructional laboratory and other classroom equipment to help assure the success and sustainability of outstanding higher education programs in FANH sciences; upgrading existing equipment; or replacing non-functional or obsolete equipment.

5) Student Experiential Learning:

The purpose of this strategy is to further the development of student scientific and professional competencies through experiential learning programs outside the formal classroom that provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real-world situations. Applications may emphasize knowledge and applications that provide students with skills desired by employers such as: preparing future graduates to advance knowledge and technology, and improving participants’ capacity to: enhance the quality of life of communities, conserve resources, and revitalize the Nation's economic competitiveness. During these experiences, students should advance their decision-making and communication skills, and improving real-life technological expertise. Applicants are encouraged to find a USDA agency, non-profit, and/or private sector organization to assist in the development of these student experiential learning activities, including international experiences.

6) Student Recruitment and Retention:

The purpose of this strategy is to strengthen student recruitment and retention programs in order to promote and strengthen the Nation's scientific, professional, and technical workforce in the FANH sciences. Applications may emphasize, but are not limited to: supplementing efforts to attract increased numbers of outstanding underrepresented students to prepare for careers as food, natural resources and human sciences and agriculture scientists, professionals, and technicians; promoting opportunities for students from HSIs to engage in a robust exchange of ideas and a more effective use of the full breadth of the Nation's intellectual resources; or mentoring programs and other initiatives (including financial assistance) to attract and retain outstanding students. Regular project applicants may request funding (up to $25,000) to provide financial assistance to one student beyond his/her participation in the project that will address this purpose.

D. Grant Types

There are four grant types for the HSIs Education Grants Program: Regular, Bridge, Collaboration, and Conference grants. The intent of all the projects is to build capacity at participating institutions and to promote collaboration, open communication, the exchange of information, and the development of resources that accelerate education of underrepresented students. No project may be active for longer than 5 years, including no-cost extensions.

Activities supported should better position the institution(s) involved to engage on its (their) role as a HSI and reach out to the current or potential underrepresented student population.

Applicants must describe in the budget narrative how these funds will be allocated. Projects with budget requests exceeding the budgetary guidelines will not be reviewed.

1) Regular Grant:

The Regular grant type supports targeted original scientific Education/Teaching 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 applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners. Regular grants will be funded up to $250,000 for a project duration of four years.

Regular grant applications for this program must be submitted by a single HSI (two or 4-year degree granting College or University), or a HSI as the lead institution working with other HSIs or non-HSIs. These funds are expected to enhance institutional capacity with the goal of leading to future funding in the project area, as well as strengthen the competitiveness of the applicant’s education activities. The educational activities should be designed to: (1) increase the pool of highly-qualified underrepresented students in professional careers in the FANH sciences and USDA’s workforce; (2) increase the state-of the-art scientific knowledge for HSIs; (3) provide technical and financial assistance through grant and scholarship programs to recruit and retain talented students and faculty;

and (4) provide support for the development and utilization of faculty/staff expertise.

2) Bridge Grant:

Bridge Grants are only available to organizations that have not previously been successful in obtaining competitive regular grants from the HSI Education Grants Program. The purpose of the Bridge Grant is to help enhance institutional capacity; and to collect information to demonstrate how reviewer comments have been addressed and strengthen the competitiveness of future applications. A Regular grant application that is considered meritorious but ranks below the funding line during the peer review process will be considered for a Bridge Grant. Applicants may not apply directly for Bridge Grants. Applicants should indicate in the first line of the abstract whether the institution would want the application to also be considered for a Bridge Grant. If consideration for a Bridge Grant is desired, the application must include a letter from the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) stating that the institution has never received a competitive award from NIFA.

The work proposed for Bridge Grants must address specific Program Area Priorities described under Program Area Descriptions in Part I, C., of the RFA. All applications submitted for Bridge Grants must fulfill the eligibility requirements. Bridge grants will be funded for up to $250,000 for a project duration of four years. Up to 20 percent of the HSI Education Grants Programs available funds will be used to fund Bridge Grants.

3) Collaborative Grant:

Collaborative Grants support at least one additional HSI partner or a multi-partner approach to enhance education/teaching programs. Collaborative Grants should build linkages to generate a critical mass of expertise, skill and technology to address education/teaching programs related to the FANH sciences. Grants should be organized and led by an institution with documented project management knowledge and skills to organize and carry out the collaborative effort. Collaborative Grants must not exceed $250,000 per year up to 4 years. Budgets must not exceed $1,000,000, including indirect costs. All partners must have a significant role in the collaboration and each institution’s budget needs to be appropriate to support its activities.

Collaboration applications for this program must be submitted by a group of two or more HSIs forming a bridging arrangement for the purpose of carrying out common objective(s) on the group’s behalf in order to promote and strengthen their abilities to carry out higher education programs related to the FANH sciences. Grants are designed to help institutions develop competitive projects, and to attract new students into careers in high-priority areas of national need. To ensure the cost-effectiveness of funded projects, the institutions will work together to graduate a minimum of fifteen undergraduate and ten graduate students from underrepresented groups to complete Baccalaureate, and MS or PhDs when applicable in the disciplines supported.

Collaboration Projects are designed to build capacity at participating institutions to promote collaboration, open communication, the exchange of information, and the development of resources that accelerate education of underrepresented students.

Applications must:

a) Seek to bring together a team of HSIs to develop and implement a Hispanic-serving initiative to recruit, retain, and support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups;

b) Aim to coordinate efforts and integrate activities among individuals, institutions, states, and regions. Applications should clearly articulate how a Regular or Collaboration award will complement and/or link with existing programs or projects to make a significant impact on the education of underrepresented students;

c) Fund and conduct recruitment activities to select at least 25 students interested in careers in FANH sciences. Include a K-12 outreach and recruitment component supporting the development of a student pipeline;

d) Track students and document student progress to show 90 percent retention until graduation;

e) Recruit an advisory board, including a minimum of five representatives from different institutions that have doctoral programs on the field selected;

f) Include summer programs for screening potential undergraduate or graduate students and enroll them in an agriculture or related program that includes completion of a degree;

g) Negotiate summer paid internships off campus with a USDA/affiliate agency or a local non-profit organization serving the FANH sciences community. Results of each internship should be documented consistently and must demonstrate learning and career/professional development outcomes;

h) Encourage more effective partnerships and reduce duplication of efforts among participating academic institutions;

i) Leverage funding to maximize the number of students participating in the project;

j) Document measurable impacts and target audiences;

k) Develop a project website with information on the students funded;

l) Provide professional development opportunities to participating students, such as resume development, mock interviews, dressing for success, and effective communication;

m) Hold USDA internship application workshops for students twice a year; and

n) Participate on a meta-analysis for collaboration applications. Request and receive

Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval.

Undergraduate and/or graduate students’ activities may include any of the following activities:

a) Cross-institutional and multi-disciplinary exchanges that will give students brief exposure to work at a collaborating institution and a new team;

b) Summer internships (or research/extension experiences) for undergraduate students;

c) Opportunities for students to serve as institutional ambassadors to recruit other students into their programs;

d) Curricula and training that incorporates the principles of professionalism and professional ethics (undergraduate and graduate levels);

e) A degree-appropriate understanding of the scientific method, experimental design and methodologies, and analyzing, interpreting, and communicating data;

f) International experiences leading to an understanding of global issues;

Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students’ activities must:

a) Lead to measurable, documented changes in learning, actions, or conditions;

b) Include academic guidance and tutoring as required as well as an internship search;

c) Include travel support for a minimum of four students to attend professional conferences and make presentations;

d) Include academic support mechanisms so that participating students maintain good standing of a 3.0 GPA or higher with a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester as an undergraduate;

e) Provide resources to support assigned faculty in mentoring activities.

f) Provide opportunities for students to acquire research experience with faculty;

g) Recruit students to replace any dropouts and meet the minimum students’ goal; and

h) Collect letters of commitment from students that indicate their accordance with all expectations. Students must confirm their understanding of any potential circumstances if they do not fulfill the requirements of the program, such as loss of reimbursement privileges.

4) Conference Grants:

Conference Grants support scientific meetings that bring together educators to identify research, education/teaching, and/or extension needs, update information, or advance an area of education/teaching. Support for a limited number of meetings covering subject matter encompassed by this solicitation will be considered for partial or, if modest, total support. Individual conference grants must not exceed $50,000 for up to two years and are not renewable. Indirect costs are not permitted on Conference Grant awards.

Application Submission Limitations

For the FY 2017 program, an applicant may not submit more than four Regular applications and two Collaboration applications to this program, as a lead institution. Only two awards will be made to the same lead institution. Up to one Regular and Collaboration application will be funded per institution.

Individually accredited institutions are recommended to follow the submission guidelines below:

Application Type Maximum Number of Submissions Regular Awards (Bridge awards will be selected from Regular submissions)

Collaboration Awards 2 Conference Awards 2

E. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

For information about the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research, see http://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research.

http://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Applications may only be submitted by HSIs. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

When a grant provides a particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, the grant recipient must match awarded USDA funds with cash and in-kind contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources (see Part IV, B, 6 for details).

NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a grant if we determine that:

(a) The results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or

(b) The project involves a minor commodity, the project deals with scientifically important research, and the grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement.

In accordance with Section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3371), as added by section 7128 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), for grants awarded after Oct. 1, 2014, the recipient of an award from the HSI program must provide matching funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded by NIFA unless one of the exemptions described herein is applicable. Note that NIFA included information at https://nifa.usda.gov/new-matching-requirement-table to further assist you in determining if you must meet the matching requirement.

The matching funds requirement does not apply to grants awarded:

1. To a research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); or

2. To an entity eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program

(as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)), including a partner (see Part VIII, D., Definitions, for definition of partnership) of such an entity.

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

a. 1862 land-grant institutions, including State Agricultural Experiment Stations receiving funding under the Hatch Act of 1887

b. 1890 land-grant institutions

c. 1994 land-grant institutions https://nifa.usda.gov/new-matching-requirement-table

d. Entities eligible to receive funds under the of Continuing Animal Health and Disease, Food Security, and Stewardship Research, Education, and Extension Program Funds — Capacity and Infrastructure Program (CIP)

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

f. Insular area schools eligible to receive funds from the Distance

Education/Resident Instruction Grant Programs

g. Entities eligible to receive funds under the of McIntire-Stennis

Cooperative Forestry Program Funds

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

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

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

Proposal submissions to this RFA may indicate that multiple entities will complete work as a collaborative partnership. All partners must have a substantial involvement in the project throughout the life of the project. Proposals for partnerships among multiple entities must clearly identify the following:

1) A narrative that clearly establishes each entity’s role in the project;

2) How each project partner will contribute to execution of project objectives;

determine experimental design; develop the project work plan and time table; and submit collaborative, timely reports; and

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

200) to the total project budget costs.

If a proposal indicates that multiple entities, as partners, complete work on the project, and at least one entity is exempt from the matching requirement under #2 above, the entire project will be exempt from the matching requirement. Any partner entity may serve as the lead entity on the project. All partners must be significantly involved in the project.

NIFA will examine proposals recommended for award to determine if the proposed division of work reflects substantial involvement of all entities involved. If a proposal is http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html recommended for award to a lead entity that is not otherwise exempt from the matching requirement, and the proposal does not reflect substantial involvement of at least one partner that is exempt under #2 above, then the matching requirement will apply.

Exemption from the matching requirement for an entity not otherwise exempt is limited to the project for which it is a partner.

Waiver of Match: NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a recipient for one year for a competitive grant that involves research or extension activities that are consistent with the priorities established by the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB) for the year involved. Refer to the 2014 Research, Education and Economics Action Plan to determine whether proposed activities are consistent with the priorities of the NAREEEAB. See R&R Budget under Part IV, B, of this RFA.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/ree-action-plan

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package

Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov to NIFA in response to this RFA.

We urge you to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For information about the pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html.

New Users of Grants.gov

Prior to preparing an application, we recommend that the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) first contact an Authorized Representative (AR, also referred to as Authorized Organizational Representative, or AOR) to determine if the organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through Grants.gov. If not (e.g., the institution/organization is new to the electronic grant application process through Grants.gov), then the one-time registration process must be completed PRIOR to submitting an application. It can take as long as two weeks to complete the registration process so it is critical to begin as soon as possible. In such situations, the AR should go to “Register,” in the top right corner of the Grants.gov web page (or go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html), for information on registering the institution/organization with Grants.gov. Part II,1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the registration process. Refer to item 2, below, to locate the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.”

Steps to Obtain Application Package Materials

To receive application materials:

1. You must download and install a version of Adobe Reader compatible with Grants.gov to access, complete, and submit applications. For basic system requirements and download instructions, see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. Grants.gov has a test package that will help you determine whether your current version of Adobe Reader is compatible.

A. To obtain the application package from Grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html and enter the funding opportunity number

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-HSI-006206

From the search result, click “Select Package” to access the application package. A Grant Application Package is tied to a particular funding opportunity. You may submit an application ONLY to the particular funding opportunity to which the Grant Application Package is associated.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://get.adobe.com/reader/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html

Contained within the application package is the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.”

This guide contains an introduction and general Grants.gov instructions, information about how to use a Grant Application Package in Grants.gov, and instructions on how to complete the application forms.

If you require assistance to access the application package (e.g., downloading or navigating Adobe forms) or submitting the application, refer to resources available on the Grants.gov website (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html). Grants.gov assistance is also available at:

Grants.gov customer support 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035

Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays.

Email: support@grants.gov

Grants.gov iPortal (see https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants):

Top 10 requested help topics (FAQs), Searchable knowledge base, self-service ticketing and ticket status, and live web chat (available 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST).

Have the following information available when contacting Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Name of agency you are applying to

• Specific area of concern

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

You should prepare electronic applications following Parts V and VI of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section A of this part). The following is additional information you need to prepare an application in response to this RFA. If there is discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this RFA is overriding.

Note the attachment requirements (e.g., PDF) in Part III, Section 3 of the guide. ANY PROPOSALS THAT ARE NON-COMPLIANT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS (e.g., content format, PDF file format, file name restrictions, and no password protected files) WILL BE AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM NIFA REVIEW. Grants.gov does not check for NIFA required attachments or whether attachments are in PDF format; see Part III, Section 6.1 of the guide for how to check the manifest of submitted files. Partial applications will be excluded from NIFA review. We will accept subsequent submissions of an application until close of business on the closing date in the RFA (see Part V, 2.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further information).

For any questions related to the preparation of an application, review the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide and the applicable RFA. If assistance is still needed for preparing application forms content, contact:

• Email: electronic@nifa.usda.gov

• Phone: 202-401-5048

• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants mailto:electronic@nifa.usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/

1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 2 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. See Part V, Section 2.18 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances (e.g., Prohibition Against Entities Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements).

2. SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s) Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 3 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

3. R&R Other Project Information Form Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 4 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 7. Project…