FY24-TCRGP-RFA-508.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2024

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE:

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Not Required

*December 31, 2024

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: **$7,200,000

AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL AWARD

RANGE:

$150,000 - $2,500,000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-TCRGP-010673

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.227

*Phase 1 Deadline 5 PM Eastern Time, July 20, 2024 Phase 2 Deadline 5 PM Eastern Time, October 1st, 2024 Phase 3 Deadline 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024

**The amount available for the FY 2024 Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program is approximately $7,200,000 which includes $4,500,000 of FY 2024 funding, $134,480 of FY 2020, $419,286 of FY 2021, $1,900,000 of FY 2022, and $164,903 of FY 2023.

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): The Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.227.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Task Description Deadline

Application: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, December 31, 2024.

[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 (DEIA). The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recognizes research, education, and extension efforts will have the greatest impacts when programs are grounded in DEIA. 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. 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.Please use the following subject line: Response to the Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program RFA.

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

NIFA requests applications for the Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program (TCRGP) for Fiscal Year 2024 to enhance research capacity at 1994 American Indian Land-Grant Institutions hereafter referred to as 1994s; and develop research projects of Tribal, state, or national importance. This RFA has several research options set at funding levels designed to provide 1994s with the opportunity to engage in research at the optimum level commensurate with their institutional capacity. All applications must include at least one research collaborator from the approved list of research institutions.

The amount available for the FY 2024 Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program is approximately $7,200,000 which includes $4,500,000 of FY 2024 funding, $134,480 of FY 2020, $419,286 of FY 2021, $1,900,000 of FY 2022, and $164,903 of FY 2023.

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

TCRGP has an open submission for FY2024. Projects can be submitted anytime between publication of this RFA and 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024. NIFA will conduct three panels with funding split approximately evenly for each panel throughout FY 2024. There will be three phases of acceptance with three different panel dates. Phase 1 will accept awards through grants.gov until 5 PM Eastern Time, July 20, 2024. These projects will be paneled together in phase 1 of the panel process for TCRGP. NIFA intends to allocate approximately $1.500,000 for phase 1 funding. To be considered for phase 2 of the panel process, projects need to be submitted through grants.gov to NIFA no later than 5 PM Eastern Time October 1, 2024.

The funding amount will be approximately $1,500,000 for the second phase of funding. Projects submitted by 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024, by will be considered for funding for phase 3. There is approximately $4,000,000 available for phase 3 of the panel process. Phase three of the panel process will review all proposals submitted through Fiscal Year 2024 TCRGP RFA for the 1994 Research Capacity Center project type. Only one 1994 Research Capacity Center award will be made in FY 2024. If there are unspent funds in phase 1 and phase 2, those funds will roll over to the next phase of the panel process. USDA is not committed to fund any application or to make a specific number of awards.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

KEY INFORMATION

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 D. Limited English Proficiency

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

KEY INFORMATION

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 Legislative authority for TCRGP is contained in section 536 of the Equity in Educational Land- Grant Status Act of 1994 as amended and codified at 7 U.S.C. 301 note. The term "1994 Institution" means one of the 1994 Institutions defined in section 532 of the same Act.

B. Purpose and Priorities Subject to the legislative authority described in Part I, A and the availability of funds, the Secretary of Agriculture may award competitive grants to 1994s to conduct agricultural research that addresses high priority concerns of tribal, national, or multi-state significance.

The TCRGP is aligned with the following:

USDA Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026 Goals:

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

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

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

4. Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities

USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023–2026 priorities:

Priority 1: Accelerating Innovative Technologies & Practices;

Priority 2: Driving Climate-Smart Solutions;

Priority 3: Bolstering Nutrition Security & Health;

Priority 4: Cultivating Resilient Ecosystems;

Priority 5: Translating Research into Action.

TCRGP also focuses on development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities that are necessary to prepare students to be globally competitive with other students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. “Traditional ecological knowledge is regarded as a suitable educational program topic for a TCRGP program-funded project, provided it fits to the program's priorities and goals as described in this RFA.”

Research Collaboration Requirement: All applications must, by Congressional authorization, include one of four research collaborators from the list below. The application must contain a signed collaboration agreement indicating the role the collaborating institution will play.

Additional collaborations are optional. The approved collaborators are:

1. An 1862 or 1890 land-grant institution.

2. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) headquarters, state, or regional laboratory.

3. A Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA) (as defined in section 1404 of the

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977). Updated requirements and a list of certified NLGCA are located at NIFA-21-003 Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) List.

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4. A forestry school funded under the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program. The partner must be the McIntire-Stennis-funded department and not another entity.

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

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

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

For a program informational webinar please visit the NIFA calendar for dates, event registration, and link. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the informational webinars listed, please contact the event host listed no later than 10 days prior to the event.

Table 2: Program Key Information Title Description

Program Code: ZY Program Code Name: TCRGP

Assistance Listing Number 10.227 Project Type: Research Grant Type: Collaborative Grant Type

Application Deadline TCRGP has an open submission and proposals can be submitted for consideration of funding for Fiscal Year 2024 until 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024.

Grant Duration: 24-60 Months Anticipated # of Awards: 20

Maximum Award Amount: $2,500,000

C. Program Area Description Grant Type: Maximum Award 1994 Research Capacity Center: $2,500,000 Area of Expertise: $650,000 New Discovery: $350,000

Applied Faculty/Community: $150,000 Conference Grants: $150,000

The TCRGP develops 1994 institutional research capacity to address American Indian priority issues of concern to the Tribal community and reservations. Research options are designed to provide opportunities for institutions with varying degrees of research capacity to participate in the program. Traditional Ecological Knowledge projects are encouraged. NIFA encourages post- Doctoral candidates and visiting researchers and scientists be located at the Tribal College and University (TCU) to help build research infrastructure. Release time for faculty with heavy teaching loads who are included in the proposal to conduct research is mandatory. NIFA encourages Project Directors to work with the prospective Institution’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and/or Tribe to create a framework for data collection, storage, and data sovereignty. If the college or university is proposing to do research, teaching, and training on vertebrate animals, the proposed project must be approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Project Directors will need to budget for one Project Director meeting with the location to be determined by NIFA. Please include this PD meeting in your budget.

Student Participation: All applications must contain a student component. NIFA will not make an award that does not involve some level of 1994 student participation. TCRGP projects that integrate social and biological sciences to provide experiential learning opportunities and internships 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 by engaging in heathy lifestyles and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for the FY 2024 Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program is approximately $7,200,000, which includes $4,500,000 of FY 2024 funding, $134,480 of FY 2020, $419,286 of FY 2021, $1,900,000 of FY 2022, and $164,903 of FY 2023. USDA is not committed to fund any application or to make a specific number of awards.

TCRGP has an open submission for FY2024. Projects can be submitted anytime between publication of this RFA and 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024. NIFA will conduct three panels with funding split approximately evenly for each panel throughout FY 2024. There will be three phases of acceptance with three different panel dates. Phase 1 will accept awards through grants.gov until 5 PM Eastern Time, July 20, 2024. These projects will be paneled together in phase 1 of the panel process for TCRGP. NIFA intends to allocate approximately $1,500,000 for phase 1 funding. To be considered for phase 2 of the panel process, projects need to be submitted through grants.gov to NIFA no later than 5 PM Eastern Time October 1, 2024.

The funding amount will be approximately $1,500,000 for the second phase of funding. Projects submitted by 5 PM Eastern Time, December 31, 2024, by will be considered for funding for phase 3. There is approximately $4,000,000 available for phase 3 of the panel process. Phase three of the panel process will review all proposals submitted through Fiscal Year 2024 TCRGP RFA for the 1994 Research Capacity Center project type. Only one 1994 Research Capacity Center award will be made in FY 2024. If there are unspent funds in phase 1 and phase 2, those funds will roll over to the next phase of the panel process. USDA is not committed to fund any application or to make a specific number of awards.

For the FY 2024 program, the Research Capacity Center Grant Type will only award one $2,500,000 award to help build Research Capacity at a multi-institutional scale. Only one application per institution is allowed. It is expected only one 1994 Research Capacity Center will be awarded among the 35 1994 Tribal Colleges and Universities.

For Grant Types, Area of Expertise, New Discovery Research, Faculty and Community and Conference Grants, there are no restrictions in the number of applications that an eligible institution may submit. NIFA will generally only award any one institution: (1) Up to two awards in the New Discovery grant type, (2) One award for Area of Expertise, (3) Up to two awards in Faculty/Community and, (4) one award for Conference Grants. There is generally a limit of three awards total to any one eligible institution in response to this RFA (Refer to Part II, C. Project and Grant Types).

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. Application for FY2023 is limited to the following application types:

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

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

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

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

C. Project and Grant Types

1. Project Types Research Projects Single-function Research Projects support fundamental or applied research conducted by individual investigators, co-investigators within the same discipline, or multidisciplinary teams. Fundamental research means research that (i) increases knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and has the potential for broad application and (ii) has an effect on agriculture, food, nutrition, or the environment.

Applied research means research that includes expansion of the findings of fundamental research to uncover practical ways in which new knowledge can be advanced to benefit individuals and society. Multi-disciplinary projects are those in which investigators from two or more disciplines collaborate closely to address a common problem. These collaborations, where appropriate, may integrate the biological, physical, chemical, or social sciences.

2. Grant Type

Collaborative Grant

A Collaborative Grant supports projects with at least one additional partner or a multi-partner approach to enhance research programs. Collaborative Grants should build linkages domestically and internationally to generate a critical mass of expertise, skill, and technology to address research programs related to the food and agricultural sciences.

Grants can reduce duplication of efforts and/or build capacity and should be organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management knowledge and skills to organize and carry out the initiative.

a. 1994 Research Capacity Center ($2,500,000 maximum dependent on available funding) grant will build a focused area of strategic research among multiple 1994 institutions. A minimum of three other 1994 institutions should benefit from this grant type. This Collaborative Grant Type aims to build the research capacity among 1994 institutions through funding the expansion of research by using innovative approaches to increase the ability of the 1994 institutions to conduct groundbreaking focused research. This can be done by partnering with organizations, such as the Agriculture Research Service or other established research institutions. These institutions could provide research scientists, including postdoctoral fellows, research faculty, visiting scientists or Federal scientists, that would be located at the 1994s to help expand research capacity, teach courses at the 1994s, mentor undergraduate students, etc. Collaboration with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium is highly encouraged.

Establishing undergraduate research opportunities must be part of this Grant Type and a mentor plan is recommended. Projects incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge are highly encouraged. A data management plan that indicates how indigenous knowledge within the 1994 will be protected is required. This Grant Type should be focused on developing sustainable funded research including improving research grantsmanship, increasing scholarly publications and participation in professional societies to allow for research to continue in this space. This Collaborative Grant Type should focus on preparing students for graduate level research and building graduate level programs at the 1994’s.

b. Area of Expertise ($650,000 maximum) grant seeks to enhance existing research completed or nearly completed for TCRGP New Discovery and Applied Faculty/Community grants that have been awarded in the past five years or enhance the area of expertise at the institution that has been funded by other sources. It is designed for 1994 Land-Grants that have, or are developing, focused areas of expertise in one or more of the food and agricultural sciences or Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This grant is intended to support a research endeavor where existing research, extension and education resources have already developed some level of expertise in an area that is important to their students and communities. The maximum amount of this grant is $650,000.

Explain thoroughly how your proposal is building on existing research at the institution funded by NIFA in the past, or other funding sources, and how this funding will assist the 1994 institution into becoming a top research institution in the area identified. The Area of Expertise needs to have a clear experimental design, citations, or acknowledgement from elders of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and evaluation plan. Please describe the impacts and outcomes of the proposed project including any publications, students or community members impacted, and capacity building at the institution. Letters of Commitment from collaborators, community members and elders are required. Subscriptions to professional journals are encouraged.

c. New Discovery ($350,000 maximum) projects should be on a level of research complexity that could lead to an enhancement in the body of scientific knowledge and problem-solving on relevant Tribal issues. Projects based around Traditional Ecological Knowledge are encouraged. Applicants are expected to possess appropriate research capacity and faculty expertise to conduct scientific inquiry.

Research undertakings should be at a standard where results may help solve problems of a regional, state, or national level. New Discovery projects are also required to offer meaningful research including Traditional Ecological Knowledge involvement for 1994 students. The maximum amount for a New Discovery application is generally $350,000 total for the entire project period.

Subscriptions to professional journals are encouraged.

d. Applied Faculty/Community ($150,000 maximum) funds faculty, community and student research that addresses practical tribal community needs and opportunities. Investigations should result in knowledge or best practices useful to the Tribal community and readily available to college extension offices, teaching faculty, and community development organizations. Research may be on skillful adaptations of existing knowledge to address unique community needs requiring a culturally sensitive approach.

e. Conference Grants ($150,000 Maximum) would host groups of 1994s, partners and other organizations and Federal agencies to address the needs of Tribal Communities and help to spur scientific inquiry. Cost of the grant can include airfare, hotel, and conference location and materials in the budget.

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 Applicants for the TCRGP must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Applications may only be submitted by Tribal Colleges or Universities designated as 1994s under the Equity Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301, as amended). Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. 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.

The eligible 1994s are listed below:

1) Aaniiih Nakoda College

2) Bay Mills Community College

3) Blackfeet Community College

4) Cankdeska Cikana Community

College

5) Chief Dull Knife College

6) College of Menominee Nation

7) College of the Muscogee Nation

8) Dine College

9) Fond du Lac Tribal and Community

College

10) Fort Peck Community College

11) Haskell Indian Nations University

12) Ilisagvik College

13) Institute of American Indian and

Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development.

14) Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

15) Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College

16) Leech Lake Tribal College

17) Little Big Horn College

18) Little Priest Tribal College

19) Navajo Technical University

20) Nebraska Indian Community College

21) Northwest Indian College

22) Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

23) Oglala Lakota College

24) Red Lake Nation College

25) Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

26) Salish Kootenai College

27) Sinte Gleska University

28) Sisseton Wahpeton College

29) Sitting Bull College

30) Southwestern Indian Polytechnic

Institute

31) Stone Child College

32) Tohono O'odham Community College

33) Turtle Mountain Community College

34) United Tribes Technical College

35) White Earth Tribal and Community

College

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – For the FY 2024 program, there are no restrictions in the number of applications that an eligible institution may submit. NIFA will generally only give one 1994 Research Capacity Center award among all the 1994’s and to any one institution: (1) Up to two awards in the New Discovery Research option, (2) One award for Area of Expertise, (3) Up to two awards in Faculty/Community and (4) one award for Conference Grants. There is generally a limit of three awards total to any one eligible institution in response to this RFA (Refer to Part II, C. Project, and Grant Types).

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B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required - The Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program has NO matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this RFA electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this RFA and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 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-TCRGP-010673, 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 iPortal 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 NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this RFA. The RFA overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. Applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grants-101/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide 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/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://grants.gov/applicants/search-for-opportunity-package https://www.grants.gov/support mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide 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 NIFA Grants

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 IV

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 90 days of the application deadline.

N/A

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

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

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

1. Field 7. Project Summary (PS)/Abstract.

The PS must show how the project goals align with the project goals of the TCRGP. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN).

For all TCRGP research options, the project narrative shall not exceed 15, 1.5 spaced pages of written text, and up to 2, 1.5 spaced additional pages for figures and tables (the font size for the PN and 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 the following:

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide

a. Introduction: Identify the Project Type clearly and the collaborating organization.

Include a clear statement of the long-term goal(s) and supporting objectives of the proposed activities. Summarize the body of knowledge or other past activities that substantiate the need for the proposed project. Describe ongoing or recently completed significant activities that relate to the proposed project including the work of key project personnel. Include preliminary data/information pertinent to the proposed project. In addition, this section is to include in-depth information on the following, when applicable:

i. estimates of the magnitude of the issues and the relevance to reservation and/or tribal community, stakeholders and ongoing state-federal, or international food and agricultural research, education, and extension programs;

ii. the role of tribal stakeholders in problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation, as appropriate; and

iii. indicate the likelihood that research capacity will be enhanced at the proposing institution.

iv. if vertebrate animals are being used in the research project, an IACUC must be submitted to NIFA before the start of the project.

b. Objectives: All applications must include a statement(s) of specific aims of the proposed effort in clear, concise, complete, and logically arranged terms.

c. Methods: Explicitly state the procedures or methodology you will apply to the proposed effort. This section is to include:

i. Proposed project activities.

ii. A clear hypothesis and experimental design or objectives.

iii. Plans to communicate results to tribal stakeholders and relevant Tribal communities.

iv. Role of post-Doctoral or visiting scientists if applicable.

v. Plans for your college to subscribe to professional journals or publish results and/or share knowledge with the community.

vi. Role to be played by the collaborating institution(s).

vii. Indicate the role of students in this project.

viii. Discuss possible limitations of the proposed procedures, obstacles, or unintended consequences and how they will be addressed.

ix. If vertebrate animals are used, you must submit an IACUC to NIFA before the start of the project.

d. Project Timetable: The proposal timetable is to include all important phases as a function of time, year by year, for the entire project.

e. Include a Project Directors meeting in the budget. The location of the meeting will be up to NIFA’s discretion and will be mandatory for all Project Directors. Budget staff working on the TCRGP are recommended to attend the National Extension and Research Administrative Officers Conference (NERAOC) conference.

f. 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.

R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded). See Part V of the NIFA Grants 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 NIFA Grants Application Guide).

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

Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. Applicants should submit a budget for all years of the grant award including a cumulative budget.

2. Applicants should submit a budget narrative for each year and for the cumulative budget.

3. Applicants should include separate budget pages for sub-awards to collaborating institutions for all years of the award including a cumulative budget.

4. The 1994s should retain at least 70 percent of the total grant award.

5. Budgets must follow the amounts indicated in the chosen Research Option:

a. 1994 Research Capacity Center-$2,500,000

b. Area of Expertise - $650,000

c. New Discovery Research - $350,000

d. Applied Faculty/Community and Student Research - $150,000

e. Conference Grants - Approximately $150,000

Funding Limitations per Institution:

1. For each award, the submitting 1994 institution must retain at least 70 percent of the overall award.

2. While at least one approved research collaborator is required, there is no requirement to make a sub-award if the collaborator agrees to this arrangement.

3. For further information and instructions regarding indirect costs, refer to Part V, section.

of the NIFA Grants Application Guide. For indirect cost funding restrictions, refer to Part IV, C. of this RFA.

Indirect Costs (IDC) – See Part IV, C of this RFA for funding restrictions regarding IDC and Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for additional information.

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

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

“TCRGP” and the program code “ZY”. Note that accurate entry of the program code is very important for proper and timely processing of an application.

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

Other Attachments:

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide

Mentoring Plan – PDF Attachment: Title the attachment as “Mentoring Plan” in the document header and save file as “Mentoring Plan Undergraduate Students or Mentoring Plan Graduate Students or Mentoring Plan Postdoc” as applicable. If the proposal anticipates requesting funding for student or postdoctoral support including scholarships or fellowships, it must include a maximum of a one- to two-page Mentoring Plan (MP) for all recipients. If various tiers of students or scholars are represented in the proposal, please provide separate mentoring plans for each educational or professional level targeted (e.g., high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, etc.). The Mentoring Plan should incorporate:

a. the roles and responsibilities of the Project Director and Co-Project Directors in managing the mentoring process;

b. training for and/or credentials of individuals who will serve as mentors (i.e., mentor training). Mentors may be experienced mentors from academia, industry, or government, or student peers at various levels who are expected to provide guidance, cultural support, and sense of community with the activities and facilitate the amplification of program-specific perspectives and accomplishments of the mentees;

c. a description of mentoring activities that may include, but are not limited to, peer mentoring or layered mentoring, whereby a set of mentees are progressively mentored by others at a higher level in their careers; please incorporate these activities into the overall project timeline;

d. a description of processes to ensure reasonable accommodations for program participants with disabilities or challenges with accessing program activities. Scholarship programs should include plans to accommodate scholarship recipients who find it necessary to interrupt their program of study because of health, personal, or other reasonable non-academic and non-disciplinary cause(s).

C. Funding Restrictions The maximum funding period is generally three years. Please see Part II, C of this RFA for the different Collaborative Grant Types.

1. Indirect Cost (IDC) is not to exceed 30 percent of the recipient’s Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA). 7 U.S.C. 3310 limits the recovery of IDC for the overall award to 30 percent of the TFFA under a research, education, or extension grant. The maximum allowable IDC amount recoverable under the award, including the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, is the lesser of the following and is determined by calculating the amount of IDC using:

a. the sum of an institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate and the indirect cost rate charged by sub-awardees, if any; or

b. 30 percent of TFFA.

If the result of number one is the lesser of the two amounts, the grant recipient is allowed to charge the negotiated IDC rate on the prime award and the sub-award(s), if any. Any sub-awards would be subject to the sub-awardee’s negotiated IDC rate. The sub-awardee may charge its negotiated IDC rate on its portion of the award, provided the sum of the IDC amount charged under the award by the prime awardee and the sub-awardee(s) does not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3310%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3310)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

If the result of number two is the lesser of the two amounts, then the maximum IDC allowed for the overall award, including any sub-award(s), is limited to 30 percent of the TFFA. That is, the IDC of the prime awardee plus the sum of the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, may not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

In the event of an award, the prime awardee is responsible for ensuring the maximum indirect cost allowed for the award is not exceeded when combining IDC for the Federal portion (i.e., prime, and sub-awardee(s)) and any applicable cost-sharing. Amounts exceeding the maximum allowable IDC are considered unallowable. See sections 408 and 410 of 2 CFR 200.

If the applicant does not have a negotiated rate and NIFA is the cognizant agency, the applicant may request an IDC rate. Applicants are not required to complete the IDC package during the application process and need only to calculate a rate to serve as a basis for requesting IDC. If awarded, the applicant will be required to submit a complete IDC proposal package to obtain a negotiated rate.

Organizations that do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, may elect the de minimis rate (2 CFR 200.414(f)). Currently the Uniform Guidance offers the option of electing to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total indirect costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. OMB has updated the 2 CFR allowing an indirect cost de minimis rate increase from 10 to 15 percent effective October 1, 2024.

Budgets for indirect costs will be increased accordingly if the recipient selects the de minimis indirect cost recovery option. As described above and in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be charged consistently as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If elected, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which it may do at any time.

See NIFA Indirect Costs for information including additional resources and NIFA Indirect Cost Guidance Chart.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99b0d2f1cf782a71783f992ece47bb5a&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1408 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99b0d2f1cf782a71783f992ece47bb5a&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1410 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99b0d2f1cf782a71783f992ece47bb5a&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414#p-200.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/indirect-cost-additional-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/nifa-19-009-indirect-cost-chart https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/nifa-19-009-indirect-cost-chart

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 race, ethnicity, gender representation, and an equitable age distribution.

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 A reviewer’s written evaluation entails two levels of assessment. First, the reviewer summarizes how well the application addressed each evaluation criterion. After the application has been assessed for strengths and weaknesses of each criterion, the reviewer then evaluates the overall 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 likelihood that the project will have significant outcome and impact. These written reviews are used to begin panel discussions with other reviewers serving on the peer review panel. Through these discussions, peer review panelists come to consensus on the final rating and ranking of proposals. A complete description of NIFA’s peer review process can be found at the NIFA website: NIFA Peer Review Process for Competitive Grant Applications.

We will use the evaluation criteria below to review applications submitted in response to this RFA. The criteria below are not equal in merit but are listed in descending order of importance.

Applications are evaluated primarily for overall merit, with emphasis placed on the proposed approach to advance quality of research using sound program management and strong cooperative linkages in order to build institutional capacity:

1. Potential for Advancing the Quality of Research

This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the project will have an impact upon and advance the quality…