FY22-EGP-RFA-508-MOD1.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Equipment Grants Program

MODIFICATION: pages 15, 16, and 17

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year 2022

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 15, 2022

ANTICIPATED FUNDING: $4,800,000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-OP-009103

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.519

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing: The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.519.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines

Task Description Deadline

Application: 5:00 P.M. Eastern, June 15, 2022 [Ref to Part I § C of this RFA]

Number of Proposal Limit

Two proposals total per eligible institution

Letter of Intent: Not Required

Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice (NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

DATES FOR APPLICATIONS: This RFA solicits applications for funding cycle FY 2022.

Applications for FY 2022 funding cycle must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date indicated above. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. NIFA recognizes research, education, and extension efforts will have the greatest impacts when equity is grounded in the programs. NIFA is committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of programs and encourages individuals, institutions, and organizations from underserved communities to apply to funding opportunities as lead, co-lead, or subaward recipient(s), and to engage as leaders in the peer panel review process to support the development of strong networks and collaborations. NIFA encourages applications that engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities to address current and future challenges.

Stakeholder Input. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks comments on all request for applications (RFAs) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service. NIFA considers comments, to the extent possible when developing RFAs and uses comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.

7613(c)(2)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov (email is for comments only). Please use the following subject line: Response to the EGP RFA.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside the proposing organization.

Proposals to the EGP must involve acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument. Well-integrated means that the ensemble of equipment that defines the instrument enables specific fundamental or applied research experiments in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems; separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude that research from occurring or succeeding. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project.

The EGP does not support the acquisition of suites of equipment (common, general purpose ancillary equipment) to outfit research laboratories/facilities or to conduct independent experiments simultaneously. Similarly, the EGP does not fund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratory and/or is relatively easily procured by the organization or through other NIFA grant programs. Rather, it is intended to help fund items of equipment that will upgrade infrastructure. Moreover, EGP does not fund research projects, including research that uses the equipment acquired with support from the program nor does it support installation, modification of facilities, training on equipment operation, or operation and maintenance of facilities or equipment.

The amount available for support of this program in FY 2022 is approximately $4,800,000.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

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

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

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

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

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

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

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

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

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

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: Program Key Information Table 3. Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 4: Help and Resources Table 5: Key Application Instructions

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority The Equipment Grants Program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 3310a, which allows the Secretary to make competitive grants for the acquisition of special purpose scientific research equipment for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs of eligible institutions.

“Special purpose equipment" is defined in 2 CFR 200.1 as equipment which is used only for research, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. See also 2 CFR 200.1 Equipment and General purpose equipment.

B. Purpose and Priorities The Equipment Grants Program (EGP), Assistance Listing 10.519, serves to increase access to shared special purpose equipment/instruments for scientific research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs in our Nation's institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Services. The program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing organizations with opportunities to acquire equipment/instruments that supports the research, research training, and extension goals of the organization. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers and extension agents both within and outside the proposing organization.

EGP is designed to strengthen the fundamental and/ or applied research capacity (extension) of institutions by funding the purchase of one shared-use piece of equipment that may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project. Proposals to the EGP are for the acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument. Well-integrated research instrument means that the ensemble of equipment that defines the instrument enables specific fundamental or applied research experiments in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems. It also means that separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude any experiments from occurring or succeeding. Requests for computer equipment are allowed only if the equipment is part of a well-integrated instrument.

The program does not fund research projects costs, including personnel costs, associated with the use of the equipment acquired with support from this program. The program does not support installation, modification of facilities, training on equipment operation, or operation and maintenance of facilities or equipment including the purchase of supplies/consumables to operate the equipment. The EGP does not support the acquisition of a suite of equipment to outfit research laboratories/facilities or to conduct independent experiments simultaneously. Similarly, the EGP does not fund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratory and/or is relatively easily procured by the organization or through other NIFA funding programs. EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications.

The EGP emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers and extension agents both within and outside the proposing organization. The EGP is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Goals:

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1. Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources and Communities;

2. Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous;

3. Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers;

4. Strategic Goal 4: Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food;

Additional requirements on expected performance goals, indicators and targets may be required as a condition of award.

C. Program Area Description The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared special purpose equipment for scientific research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs in our Nation’s institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research in food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems, by providing institutions with opportunities to acquire instrumentation that increases the research capacity of the institution, contributes to their research training or extension goals, and advances food and agricultural sciences.

The EGP emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers both within and outside the proposing institutions. The EGP is intended to assist with acquisition that may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs (such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Hatch, Evans-Allen, or 1890 Facilities Grant Program). An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project. EGP projects are four years in duration in order to document the impact of the acquired equipment on the institution’s research capacity. Equipment in a plant or animal health diagnostic laboratory will be appropriate if the data produced is used for research.

The acquired equipment may be a well-integrated ensemble that requires more than one component to enable a specific fundamental or applied research experiment in the food and agricultural sciences programs to be undertaken. Separating or removing one element or component of such an instrument would preclude that research from occurring or succeeding.

Operations and maintenance of the acquired equipment. Shared-use research equipment can be expensive to operate and maintain over its useful lifetime. Proposals should demonstrate the institution’s commitment to maintaining and operating the instrument for the benefit of a community of users engaged in research and training or extension in the Management Plan.

EGP provides funding for purchase of equipment used in research or produces data used in research, but:

1. does not fund research project costs themselves or personnel salaries or wages, including research or personnel that use equipment acquired with support from the program.

2. does not fund education or extension projects directly. However, descriptions of planned uses of acquired equipment in training of students, community outreach or other practical applications for consumers may be included, if desired, to illustrate the potential impacts of such equipment acquisition.

3. does not fund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratory or is relatively easily procured by other funding sources (for the purposes of this program, General Purpose Equipment is defined in 2 CFR 200.48).

4. does not support the installation, training, operation, consumable supplies, insurance, or maintenance of facilities, equipment, or research laboratories, or renovation of facilities that house the acquired equipment.

5. does not support the acquisition of a suite of instruments to outfit research laboratories/facilities.

For additional resources on EGP, including frequently asked questions, visit the EGP webpage.

Table 2: Program Key Information Title Description

Program Code: EGP Program Code Name: Equipment Grants Program

CFDA Number 10.519 Project Type: Equipment projects only Grant Type: Standard Grants

Application Deadline: June 15, 2022, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Number of Proposal Limit: Two proposals total, regardless of type, per eligible institution Grant Duration: 48 Months

Anticipated # of Awards: 10 Minimum Award Amount: $25,001 Maximum Award Amount: $500,000

For FY 2022, an eligible institution may not submit more than two applications, regardless of type, to this program as a lead institution and no more than one award will be made per lead institution. Prospective applicants/project directors are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

https://nifa.usda.gov/program/egp

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The anticipated amount available for the Equipment Grants Program in FY 2022 is $4,800,000.

These funds are available for equipment grants. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

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

B. Application Restrictions NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA. For FY 2022, applications are limited to the following type:

New application: This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to NIFA. New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

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

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

C. Project and Grant Types The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:

1. Project Types: In FY 2022, the EGP will accept Equipment Projects only. These projects are for the acquisition of research equipment and does not fund research project costs, including personnel costs, associated with the use of the equipment acquired with support from this program. Other project types submitted to this program will not be considered for review. EGP projects support the purchase of equipment that will be used for fundamental or applied research.

a. New Capacity: equipment that will support new activities in either fundamental or applied research at the applicant institution. Fundamental research is research that increases knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena, has the potential for broad application and has positive influence on the food and agriculture sciences. Applied research includes field testing or expansion of the findings of fundamental research. It may involve outreach or cooperative extension to uncover practical ways in which new food and agriculture science knowledge can be advanced to benefit individuals and society.

b. Enhanced Capacity: equipment that updates or expands the application of current instrumentation to substantially improve the institution's capabilities to conduct leading-edge research and move science into practice. These activities can be fundamental and/or applied research area.

Priority for funding will be given to applications clearly addressing EGP goals.

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

2. Grant Types: The EGP will only support Standard Grants where:

a. Standard Grant: funding request from $25,001 up to $500,000 total budget for the acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument and a project duration of 48 months. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project period; the remainder of the project period will document impacts and outcomes of the investment.

All Equipment Grants submitted will be reviewed using the same evaluation criteria, with separate funding considerations given to $25,001-$250,000 budget applications and $250,001 up to $500,000 budget applications.

EGP does not fund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratory and/or is relatively easily procured by the organization or through other NIFA funding programs.

Well-integrated means the ensemble of equipment that defines the instrument to perform a specific fundamental or applied research experiment in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems, programs to be undertaken; separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude that research from occurring or succeeding.

An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project. EGP projects are four years in duration in order to document the impact of the acquired equipment on the institution’s research capacity.

EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications of other NIFA programs. Rather, they are intended to help fund items of equipment that will upgrade infrastructure. Requests for computer equipment are allowed only if the equipment is to be used to enhance an activity integral to the proposed project.

Application Submission and Award Limitations: For FY 2022, an eligible institution may not submit more than two applications to this program as a lead institution and no more than one award will be made per lead institution. Prospective applicants/project directors are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

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

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PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements Eligibility is limited to the following institutions, as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103:

1. a College or University

a. In general. The terms "college" and "university" mean an educational institution in any State, the District of Columbia, and any insular area which, (i) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate,

(ii) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education, (iii) provides an educational program for which a bachelor's degree or any other higher degree is awarded, (iv) is a public or other nonprofit institution, and (v) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.

b. Inclusions. The terms "college" and "university" include a research foundation maintained by a college or university described in subparagraph (A).

2. State Cooperative Institution including:

a. 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions;

b. State-certified Schools of Forestry as stipulated in accordance with 16 U.S.C.582a et seq. (the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962);

c. State Agricultural Experiment Stations located in the 50 States, the District of

Columbia and the Insular Areas in accordance with 7 U.S. C. 361a et seq. (the Hatch Act of 1887);

d. "Cooperative extension services" meaning the organizations established at the land-grant colleges and universities under the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 372–374, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 341–349), and section 209(b) of the Act of October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1428, as amended; D.C. Code, sec. 31–1719(b));

e. Accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine or State agricultural experiment stations that conduct animal health and disease research in accordance with section 1433(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977;

f. Hispanic-serving institutions as defined in section 1101a of title 20; and

g. Eligible institutions in insular areas including, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

Guam; American Samoa; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

the Federated States of Micronesia; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; the Republic of Palau; and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

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

Applications that do not satisfy all the screening criteria will be returned without review.

Returned applications may not be resubmitted (with or without revision) under this solicitation.

The initial screening criteria are the following:

1. Application must be received by the due date and time from an eligible institution.

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2. The application must meet the Content and Form of the Application requirements as described in this RFA. This includes page length requirements, all required forms, and all files in Portable Document Format (PDF).

3. The proposed budget request must fall within the dollar amounts identified in the RFA.

4. The application does not exceed the limit of no more than two applications submitted to this program from an eligible lead institution.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – submissions of duplicate or predominantly overlapping applications is not allowed. An eligible applicant may submit multiple applications on behalf of multiple faculties as long as they are not essentially duplications of the same project or portions of the same project to multiple programs. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For additional information or clarification please contact the NIFA POC listed in this RFA.

Application Submission and Award Limitations: For FY 2022, an eligible institution may not submit more than two applications to this program as a lead institution and no more than one award will be made per lead institution. Prospective applicants/project directors are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required. The EGP has NO matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

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

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this RFA electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this RFA and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

Table 3. Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action

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

Step Two:

Download Adobe

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

Step Three: Find Application

Using this funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-OP-009103 search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess Readiness

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

Table 4: Help and Resources

Grants.gov Support NIFA Support

Grants.gov Online Support Telephone support: 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035 Email support: support@grants.gov Self-service customer-based support:

Grants.gov iPortalgrantapplicationquestions@usda.gov Key Information: Customer service business Hours 24/7, except federal holidays.

Email: grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

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

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

Table 5: Key Application Instructions

Instruction References (All references are to the Application

Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

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

Part IV

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part IV

Follow the submission instructions. Part V

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

Part V

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

N/A

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

N/A

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

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

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

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

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). The PN must not exceed the total page limit of 10 pages including written text, figures, and tables. The font size should be no smaller than 12 points Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Written text must be 1.5-spaced and Tables may be single-spaced. Page limits outlined here ensure fair and equitable competition. Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project. Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit. The project narrative must include subsections (a)-(e) and address the merits and potential impacts https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

(e.g., local, regional, or national) of the proposed effort. Applications exceeding the page limitation will be returned without review.

a. Description of the Research Equipment and Needs. Proposal should include a technical description of the requested equipment, including manufacturer and model number where appropriate. This section should clearly explain why the requested equipment model is needed. The existence and availability of comparable instrumentation at institutions in close geographical proximity, or otherwise accessible through collaborations or cyberinfrastructure should be outlined in the proposal. For any proposal that purports to represent an integrated instrument, explain how the acquisition meets the EGP guidance for a well-integrated single piece of equipment in which separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude the intended experiments from occurring or succeeding. The budget narrative must be sufficiently detailed to assess how the equipment or well-integrated instrument is comprised. A quote or estimated cost from the equipment provider is highly recommended.

Note: NIFA will not fund equipment purchase that is duplicative or overlaps substantially with efforts already funded (or to be funded) by other federal agencies or with other federal funds.

b. Research Activities to be Enabled. In narrative or tabular form, briefly describe the

1) research areas that will use the equipment; 2) degree to which the planned uses of the proposed equipment will advance fundamental and/or applied research activities at the organization; 3) potential contributions to the food and agricultural sciences.

Researchers using this equipment need not be supported by NIFA or the Federal government, but reviewers should understand how users of the instrument will support and disseminate their fundamental and/or applied research activities advancing food and agriculture.

c. Project Timeline and Instrument Location. Describe the administrative timeline, and how the project will be governed, as well as a strategy to enhance coordination, collaboration, communication, and data sharing and reporting among members of the project team and stakeholder groups. The plan must also address how the project will be sustained for the life of the instrument beyond termination of an award; as well as a description of procedures for allocating the instrument time, if appropriate, and plans for attracting and supporting new users. Include information on anticipated usage and downtime.

Indicate in a single separate line the physical location of the proposed instrument as well as how the chosen location supports shared-use access to the instrument.

Note: Instruments to be deployed in the field may require additional information to assess compliance with any applicable laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Endangered Species Act.

d. Data Management Plan: Within the narrative, also describe how data generated by the instrument will be managed including: expected data type, data format, data storage and preservation, data sharing, protection and public access, roles and responsibilities of users and staff. Guidance can be found at:

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects

e. Cooperation and institutional involvement. Describe the degree to which the project will strengthen the institution’s fundamental or applied research as well as research recruitment, training and/or extension capacity, if appropriate. Elements include the institution’s commitment to the project, the adequacy of institutional resources (administrative, facilities, equipment, and/or materials) available to carry out the project, potential for research enhancement, faculty, student, and staff recruitment, and plans for equipment maintenance and use for the life of the instrument beyond the period of USDA support. Letters of support documenting institutional resources are strongly encouraged. Sufficient details should be given to enable reviewers to evaluate whether there is appropriate technical expertise and infrastructure to allow effective usage of the instrument, and whether effective multi-user accessibility will be available.

Proposals must meet administrative and technical requirements to be accepted for the EGP competition. Some key reasons for Return without Review: Proposals that are missing key documents, documents not in PDF, or applicant’s organization are not eligible. (See Part III.

Eligibility Information: Eligibility Requirements).

3. Field 12, Add Other Attachments. See Part V of the Application Guide.

R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded). See Part V of the Application Guide for profile requirements, details about the biographical sketch, and suggested support templates.

R&R Personal Data. This information is voluntary and is not a precondition of award (see Part V of the Application Guide).

R&R Budget. See Part V of the Application Guide.

1. Match – If an applicant concludes that the matching requirements described under Part III

§ B of this RFA is not applicable to them; the applicant must include an explanation of their conclusion in the budget justification. NIFA will consider this justification when determining final matching requirements or if required matching can be waived. NIFA retains the right to make final determinations regarding matching requirements.

Grants that require matching funds as specified under Part III § B of this RFA must list in their budget justification the matching sources, the identification of the entity(ies) providing the match, and the total pledged amount. A written verification of commitments of matching support (a pledge agreement) is not required. However, applicants are subject to the documentation, valuing and reporting requirements, as specified in 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the Uniform Guidance),” and 7 CFR 3430, “Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-Formula Federal Assistance Programs – General Award Administrative Provisions.”

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=39448527cdd5ebd0a063b91b8b44f0f5&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=39448527cdd5ebd0a063b91b8b44f0f5&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=39448527cdd5ebd0a063b91b8b44f0f5&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1a74011311d649ff6313ca273791b131&mc=true&node=pt7.15.3430&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1a74011311d649ff6313ca273791b131&mc=true&node=pt7.15.3430&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1a74011311d649ff6313ca273791b131&mc=true&node=pt7.15.3430&rgn=div5

2. Indirect costs (IDC) – See Part IV § C of this RFA for funding restrictions regarding indirect cost, and Part V of the Application Guide for additional information.

Data Management Plan. A DMP is required for this program. Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage and disseminate the data generated by the project. The DMP will be considered during the merit review process (see Part V § B of this RFA, NIFA’s Data Management Plan). If you need help in preparing a data management plan or have questions about what constitutes a data management plan for this role (including questions about data privacy, etc.), please contact the NIFA program contacts listed at the end of this RFA. PDF Attachment. 2-Page Limit. Title the attachment as ‘Management Plan’ and save file as ‘Management Plan’

Given the relatively high maintenance costs of shared-use research instrumentation, investigators seeking support for such instrumentation must provide detailed business and management plans.

Within two pages, these plans should include:

1. A description of the space or the facility in which the instrument will be placed.

2. A description of the equipment maintenance plan, how and by whom the requested instrumentation will be operated and maintained over the expected lifetime of the instrument. Inclusion of a letter documenting the performing organization's commitment to ensuring successful operations and maintenance over the expected lifetime of the instrument is required as a supplemental document.

3. The anticipated costs and the technical expertise needed to maintain and operate the instrument. If the funds and/or expertise is not currently available, describe how it will be obtained.

4. A description of procedures for allocating the instrument time, if appropriate, and plans for attracting and supporting new users. Include information on anticipated usage and downtime.

5. Sufficient details should be given to enable reviewers to evaluate whether the appropriate technical expertise and infrastructure to allow effective usage of the instrument will be available, and whether effective multi-user accessibility will be available.

Supplemental Information Form. See Part V of the Application Guide.

1. Field 2. Program to which the applicant is applying. Enter the program name (Equipment

Grant Program) and the program code (EGP) Accurate entry is critical.

2. Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. See Part V of the Application Guide.

Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants. This is required for corporate applicants. See Part VI § 2 of the Application Guide for a description of the term, “corporation.”

C. Funding Restrictions No Indirect Cost (IDC). IDC is not authorized for the EGP program. Also, applicants should note that the cost of acquisition or depreciation of equipment purchased with a grant under this section shall not be-

(1) charged as an indirect cost against another Federal grant; or https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

(2) included as part of the indirect cost pool for purposes of calculating the indirect cost rate of an eligible institution.

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process NIFA evaluates each application in a two-part process. First, we screen each application to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in this RFA. All administrative requirements must be met in order for the application to proceed to the next level of review.

Second, a scientific peer-review process will be used to technically evaluate applications that have met the administrative requirements using a review panel (see NIFA Peer Review Process).

Scientific Peer Review Process:

NIFA selects reviewers for the review panel based upon their training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors:

1. the level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities.

2. the need to include experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields.

3. the need to include other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, researchers, public health practitioners, educators, consumers, and commercial reviews) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs.

4. the need to include experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, and private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations.

5. the need to maintain a balanced composition with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and

6. the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness of each application to producers and the general public.

After each peer review panel has completed its deliberations, the responsible program staff of NIFA will recommend that your project is either approved for support from currently available funds or declined due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.

NIFA reserves the right to negotiate with the PD/PI and/or the submitting organization or institution regarding project revisions (e.g., reductions in the scope of work, funding level, period, or method of support) prior to recommending any project for funding.

After the review process has been completed, NIFA sends copies of reviews, not including the identity of reviewers, and a summary (if applicable) of the review panel comments to the PD.

Conflicts of interest. NIFA takes extreme care to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence the review or evaluation (see NIFA Peer Review Process for Competitive Grant Applications).

https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA-Peer-Review-Process-for-Competitive-Grant-Applications_0.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA-Peer-Review-Process-for-Competitive-Grant-Applications_0.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications

B. Evaluation Criteria All Equipment Grants submitted will be reviewed using the same evaluation criteria, with separate funding considerations given to $25,001-$250,000 budget applications and $250,001 up to $500,000 budget applications.

NIFA will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals submitted to EGP in descending order of consideration:

1. Innovativeness of Proposed Approach: This criterion relates to the soundness of the proposed approach including objectives, justification of requested equipment model or well-integrated instrument configuration, plan of operation, timetable, management plan, expected products and results. Justification should also address how the new or enhanced research capacity supports the innovation, multidisciplinary and/or problem-based focus of the proposed approach. A multidisciplinary focus infers the requested equipment supports multiple research programs, cross-disciplinary collaboration, broad-use with potential for significant local, regional, or national impact.

2. Potential Impact on Research Capacity: This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the project will have an impact upon and advance the quality of fundamental and/or applied research activities by strengthening institutional new or enhanced capacities to meet clearly delineated needs. Consideration for impact may include existence and/or availability of comparable instrumentation at the applicant’s institution and/or institutions in close geographical proximity, or otherwise accessible through collaborations or cyberinfrastructure. Elements considered include scientific merit, identification of a problem or opportunity to be addressed, alignment with institutional long-range goals, alignment with USDA’s Goals.

3. Institutional Capability: This criterion relates to the institution's capability to acquire, install, operate the equipment and the degree to which the equipment will strengthen its research capacity and support research training or extension goals. Elements include the institution’s commitment to operation and maintenance of the equipment, the adequacy of institutional resources (administrative, facilities, and/or materials) available to maintain the equipment, adequacy of the number and qualifications of key personnel who will operate and carry out experiments or activities using the equipment, and potential for research enhancement, faculty, student, and staff recruitment as well as plans for continued use beyond the period of USDA support.

4. Budget and Cost-Effectiveness: This criterion relates to the extent to which the total budget adequately supports the equipment acquisition and is cost-effective. Elements considered include the necessity and reasonableness of acquisition costs; and the degree to which the project maximizes the use of limited resources. Note: NIFA will not fund equipment purchase that is duplicative or overlaps substantially with efforts already funded (or to be funded) by other federal agencies or with other federal funds.

C. Organizational Management Information Applicants must submit specific management information relating to an applicant prior to an award and update the information as needed. Applicants may only have to update their information if they had previously provided the information under this or another NIFA program.

NIFA provides the requisite forms during the pre-award process. Although an applicant may be eligible for award under this program, there are factors that may…