FY22-NPDN-FADI-RFA-508-MOD1.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

National Plant Diagnostic Network for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative

MODIFICATION: Page 1, 7, and 8

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year 2022

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 6, 2022

ANTICIPATED FUNDING: $3,000,000

AVERAGE AWARD RANGE: $380,000 to $680,000 (Regional NPDN Center) $250,000 to $275,000 (NDR/IT Center)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-ES-009109

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.304

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE: Not Required

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing: The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (FADI) is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.304.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Task Description Deadline

Application: 5:00 P.M. Eastern, June 6, 2022 [Ref to Part I § C of this RFA]

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)

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 use comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)).

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

Please use the following subject line: Response to the NPDN/FADI RFA.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/agricultural-research-extension-and-education-reform-act-1998 https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/agricultural-research-extension-and-education-reform-act-1998 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7613%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7613)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true mailto:Policy@usda.gov

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This notice identifies the objectives for the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (FADI) projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

NIFA requests applications for the NPDN program for FY 2022 to:

1. Address and reduce the vulnerability of the United States’ food and agricultural system to chemical or biological attack; and

2. Continue partnerships with institutions of higher education and other institutions to help form stable, long-term programs to enhance the biosecurity of the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF TABLES

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority B. Purpose and Priorities

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Application Restrictions C. 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 NPDN is authorized under Section 1484 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 as amended (7 U.S.C. 3351).

B. Purpose and Priorities The purposes of the NPDN, under Assistance Listing 10.304, are to:

1. Reduce the vulnerability of the United States food and agricultural system to chemical or biological attack.

2. Continue partnerships with institutions of higher education and other institutions to help form stable, long-term programs to enhance the biosecurity of the United States. This will include the coordination of the development, implementation, and enhancement of diverse capabilities for addressing threats to the Nation’s agricultural economy and food supply. Special emphasis will be on planning, training, outreach, and research activities related to vulnerability analyses, incident response, and detection and prevention of destructive plant pest technologies.

3. Continue research on counter bioterrorism.

4. Counter or otherwise respond to chemical or biological attack. To attain these purposes, the overarching goals of the NPDN are to:

a. Produced educated and capable first responders (Detection)

b. Provide accurate, reliable, and timely diagnostics and surveillance (Diagnosis)

c. Supply useful, real-time data from innovative information and communication systems (Reporting)

Mission – The NPDN is a premier diagnostic system with the ability to quickly detect and accurately identify plant pests and pathogens and to communicate timely and accurate information.

The priorities of the NPDN are:

1. To provide value to U.S. plant biosecurity by establishing new programs, standards and practices aimed at increasing diagnostics capability and the capacity of the network, and increase the value of NPDN to its’ clientele, partners and stakeholders.

2. To support state and federal regulatory response efforts with accurate, timely, and reliable diagnostics; with collaborations and open channels of communication with regulatory entities; and maintaining of appropriate confidentiality in diagnostics data.

3. To develop standards for diagnostics performance, data quality, and lab management that promote the highest confidence in the network, in NPDN diagnosticians, and in the quality and integrity of the diagnostics records in the NPDN National Data Repository.

4. To provide or develop IT systems that aid diagnostics work by sharing and optimizing diagnostics methods, enhancing professional development and self-assessment, and improving communication among diagnosticians.

5. To provide value to all member labs by enhancing the performance, credibility, and standing of NPDN labs; and provide the training and education foundation necessary for improvement of the labs and NPDN as a whole.

6. To implement tools necessary to track metrics of success and improvement for the different programs and committees.

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Current economic realities require that the network identify new ways to economize and reduce operating costs without losing the most critical biosecurity functions. When practical the NPDN should avoid redundancy and unnecessarily duplicative infrastructure. Regional hub labs are encouraged to identify the state labs that are most important to the sample-surge screening function of the network and propose and develop a system of tiered labs. The tiered lab system should be based on factors including proximity to external threats, importance of major crops, value of agricultural commodities, sample load/contribution to the network, and unique value added to the region, such as special capabilities of the lab or expertise related to regional priorities.

NPDN will coordinate diagnostics activities, strategically invest in technological capabilities, and implement professional development programs that promote enhanced and more cooperative expertise:

1. NPDN regional labs and designated state labs will develop a system of complementary technical expertise. Thus, NPDN does not aim to equip all labs with the same capabilities, but to coordinate small groups of labs in becoming proficient and capable in confirmatory techniques for the most critical pests.

2. NPDN will invest in diagnostics technologies to provide complementary capabilities among NPDN labs to more efficiently utilize technical competencies in support of regional and state needs.

3. NPDN will implement professional development programs that enhance capability, provide access to expertise, and promote cooperation among NPDN labs and their state counterparts.

Handling of baseline data and data collection will be addressed in the Data Management Plan (DMP) in accordance with the Part IV(B) of this RFA.

The NPDN is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026:

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

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

Table 2: Program Key Information Title Description

Program Code: AA-G Program Code Name: Homeland Security

CFDA Number/Assistance Listing: 10.304 Project Type: XXX

Application Deadline June 6, 2022 Grant Duration: 48 Months

Anticipated # of Awards: 5-6 Maximum Award Amount: $680,000 for Regional NPDN Centers, $275,000 for NDR/IT Center https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-fy-2022-2026-strategic-plan.pdf

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for NPDN in FY 2022 is approximately $3,000,000. Awards will be issued as cooperative agreement with future continuation funding dependent on the availability of funding and satisfactory performance.

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.

NIFA anticipates making one NPDN award for each of the five following regions:

1. Great Plains: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming,

2. North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin,

3. Northeastern: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia,

4. Southern: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the U.S.

Virgin Islands, and

5. Western: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and U.S. island territories in the Pacific-American Samoa and Guam.

NIFA also anticipates funding one NPDN National Data Repository (NDR) and Information Technology (IT) Center. Applicants may request up to $680,000 for Regional NPDN Center and up to $275,000 for NDR/IT Center.

Each Regional NPDN Center is expected to coordinate a network of states and territories. Each is expected to administer one high-capacity Regional Lab that houses advanced diagnostics technologies, maintains surge-support capability, and provides diagnostic leadership and support to NPDN member labs in every state/territory within their region, as well as more broadly throughout the national network. NPDN Regional Labs will complement each other with respect to expertise, technologies and capacity with an attempt to reduce unnecessary redundancy and duplicative infrastructure. See the NPDN website for a more thorough description of the roles and responsibilities of Regional NPDN Centers and Laboratories.

The NDR/IT Center mission is to house and manage the NPDN databases, manage the laboratory information management system (LIMS) and other relevant databases, allow the diagnosticians to easily access critical information while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information, house/support the NPDN Web Portal, and lead and coordinate NPDN IT providers’ activities.

The Regional NPDN Centers and the NPDN NDR/IT Center will meet annually to review their progress and plan for future activities, and share information between regions. The group will be expected to form different working groups to strengthen their collaboration, suggest improvement to their operations, and foster communications channels internally and externally.

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

B. Application Restrictions NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA. Application for FY2022 is limited to the following applications types:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

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

In accordance with section 1472(c) of National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), applications may only be submitted by:

State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, all colleges and universities, other research or education institutions and organizations, Federal and private agencies and organizations, individuals, and any other contractor or recipient, either foreign or domestic, to further research, extension, or teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences of the Department of Agriculture.

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.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. 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 NPDN 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 https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf 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 5 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-ES-009109, 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, applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html/ https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-grantsgov-application-guide 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/ 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 7 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 received 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 project goals of the NPDN. See Part V of the Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). The PN must not exceed 21 1.5 spaced pages of written text including figures and tables (the font size for tables should be no smaller than 11 points, Times New Roman). The page limits outlined here ensure fair and equitable competition. Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project. Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit. The PN must include all the following:

a. Introduction;

b. Rational and significance;

c. Objectives;

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-grantsgov-application-guide https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-grantsgov-application-guide

d. Approach;

e. Project timeline;

f. Cooperation and institutional involvement

i. Governance and Network Coordination

ii. Description of the activities to be performed by the sub-contractors as well as the activities to be performed by the center

iii. Description of solicitation of proposals and award processes for sub-contracts;

g. Data management plan (DMP) (two-page limit; the pages for the DMP to not count toward the 21-page limit for the project narrative); and

h. Logic model (three-page limit; the pages for the logic model chart do not count toward the 21-page limit for the project narrative).

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. 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.

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

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

Security and the program code AA-G. 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 Legislative mandated Indirect Cost (IDC). Section 704 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (Pub.L. 116–260) limits indirect costs for NPDN to 10 percent of total direct costs of the agreement. Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants must limit their requests for recovery of indirect costs to 10 percent of the total funds requested.

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

Successful applicants must not use grant funds awarded under the authority of this RFA to renovate or refurbish research, education, or extension space; purchase or install fixed equipment in such space; or to plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct buildings or facilities.

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, and consumers) 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).

B. Evaluation Criteria NIFA will use the following criteria to evaluate this RFA:

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

Proposed Technical Merit and Quality (50 points) This criterion will be used to assess the likelihood that the proposal will have an impact upon and advance goals of the NPDN program area. Elements include:

1. The project proposal is directed to NPDN priorities identified in this RFA and to current or future challenges facing the plant diagnostic community.

2. Adequacy of project objectives to fulfill the NPDN program area priorities within project time, scope, and budget.

3. Description of stakeholder involvement in the project including how stakeholder input was used to determine program goals, and how the NPDN center will engage with stakeholders throughout the project.

4. Description of the proposed NPDN center activities including methodology, expected outcomes; configuration of the NPDN center; potential to engage with stakeholders and other plant diagnostics-related programs; and capacity of the host institution(s) to provide support, and commitment to regional NPDN programs and leadership.

5. Networking with inter- and intra-regional NPDN and NPDN-related programs.

6. Description of audiences and underserved populations, where appropriate.

Qualification of Project Personnel, Adequacy of Facilities, and Project Management (20 points) This criterion relates to the adequacy of the number and qualifications of key personnel who will plan and carry out the proposed project as well as the institution’s(s) capability to perform the project. Elements include:

1. Description of roles of key project personnel.

2. Expertise of key personnel necessary to complete the proposed project.

3. The institutional capacity and competence to complete the proposed are of work.

4. The capacity of support personnel, facilities, and instrumentation to complete the proposed work.

Program Management (20 points) This criterion relates to program management. Elements include:

1. Presentation of the project timeline and key milestones needed to complete project objectives on schedule, administer and manage project partnerships/collaborations.

2. Description of project management, including time allocated for attainment of objectives and delivery of products, maintenance of partnerships and collaborations, and a strategy to enhance communication, data sharing, and reporting among members of the project team.

3. Description of the suitability and feasibility of the data management plan.

Budget and Cost-Effectiveness (10 points) This criterion relates to how well the total budget supports the project and is cost effective. Elements include:

1. Necessity and reasonableness of costs to carry out project activities and achieve project objectives.

2. The appropriateness of budget allocations between the applicant and any collaborating institution(s).

3. The adequacy of time committed to the project by key project personnel.

4. The degree to which the project maximizes the use of limited resources, optimizes educational value for the dollar, achieves economies of scale, and focuses expertise and activity on high-priority educational need areas.

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 exclude an applicant from receiving federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or suspension of an individual, or a determination that an applicant is not responsible).

D. Application Disposition Applicants may withdraw at any time before NIFA makes a final funding decision. NIFA will retain all applications, including withdrawn applications and unfunded applications.

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General Within the limit of funds authorized, the NIFA awarding official will make grants to responsible and eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this RFA. The date specified by the NIFA awarding official as the effective date of the grant must be no later than September 30 of the federal fiscal year in which the project is approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless otherwise permitted by law. The project need not be initiated on the grant effective date, but as soon thereafter as practical so that project goals may be attained within the funded project period. All funds granted by NIFA under this RFA may be used only for the purpose for which they are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, regulations, terms and conditions of the award, applicable federal cost principles, USDA assistance regulations, and NIFA General Awards Administration Provisions, 7 CFR Part 3430, subparts A through E.

Award Notice. The award document will provide pertinent instructions and information as described in 2 CFR 200.211 (see NIFA’s Terms and Conditions).

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Several federal statutes and regulations apply to grant applications and the projects outlined in this RFA (some are listed here: Federal Regulations). Unless specifically noted by statue or award-specific requirements, NIFA Policy Guide applies to all NIFA awards.

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PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget Delegation of fiscal responsibility. Unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise, awardees may not in whole or in part delegate or transfer to another person, institution, or organization the responsibility for use or expenditure of award funds.

Changes in Budget or Project Plans. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.308, awardees must request prior approval from NIFA for the following program or budget-related reasons (the awardee is subject to the terms and conditions identified in the award):

1. Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program without prior written approval (even if there is no associated budget revision requiring).

2. Change in a key person specified in the application or the federal award.

3. Disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project.

4. Inclusion of costs that require prior approval in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E

(Cost Principles), or 45 CFR Part 75 Appendix IX, (Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development under Awards and Contracts with Hospitals), or 48 CFR, unless waived by the federal awarding agency,

5. 48 CFR Part 31, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures;

6. Transfer of funds budgeted for participant support costs to other categories of expense

(2 CFR 200.456 Participant support costs);

7. Sub-awarding, transferring or contracting out of any work under a federal award, including fixed amount sub-awards (see 2 CFR 200.333, Fixed Amount Sub-awards), unless described in the application and funded in the approved federal awards. This provision does not apply to the acquisition of supplies, material, equipment, or general support services.

8. Changes in the approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the non-federal entity; and

9. The need for additional federal funds to complete the project.

B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of NIFA transaction records, which are available to the public. Information that the Secretary of Agriculture determines to be confidential, privileged, or proprietary in nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, applicants should clearly mark any information within the application they wish to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary. NIFA will retain a copy of an application that does not result in an award for three years. Such an application will be released only with the consent of the applicant or to the extent required by law. An applicant may withdraw at any time prior to the final action thereon.

C. Regulatory Information This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with state and local officials. Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the collection of information requirements contained in this notice have been approved under OMB Document No. 0524- 0039.

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APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

Program Contacts Name Email Telephone

Amer Fayad amer.fayad@usda.gov 816-894-7228

For administrative questions related to:

1. Grants.gov, see Part IV of this RFA

2. Other RFA or application questions, please email grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

3. Awards under this RFA, please email awards@usda.gov

U.S. Postal Mailing Address:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 419205, MS 10000 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

Courier/Package Delivery Address:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture 2312 East Bannister Road, MS 10000 Kansas City, MO 64141-3061 mailto:amer.fayad@usda.gov mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov mailto:awards@usda.gov

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Name Acronyms Authorized Representative AR Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance/ Assistance Listing CFDA Data Management Plan DMP Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative FADI Indirect Costs IDC National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 NARETPA National Institute of Food and Agriculture NIFA National Plant Diagnostic Network NPDN Portable Document Format PDF Project Director PD Project Narrative PN Project Summary PS Request for Application RFA United States Department of Agriculture USDA

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

Refer to 7 CFR 3430 Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Federal Assistance Programs – General Award Administrative Provisions for additional definitions.

Terms Definitions Continuation Award An award instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined period of time with a statement of intention to provide additional support at a future date, provided that performance has been satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and continued support would be in the best interest of the federal government and the public.

Matching The process through which a grant recipient match awarded USDA funds with cash and in-kind contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The matching funds must derive from non-Federal sources.

New Application An application not previously submitted to a program.

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