FY26-FADI-EDEN-NOFO-P.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 21, 2026

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: $382,400

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-ES-011939

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.304

ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): The Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (FADI) Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) 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 Time, July 24, 2026 [Ref to Part I, C of this NOFO]

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

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to the extent permitted by law, will no longer make grants or otherwise fund programs or activities that improperly discriminate on the basis of race or sex, including discrimination in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Instead, USDA will prioritize merit and efficiency. USDA recognizes programs and initiatives will have the greatest impact when these programs and initiatives put American farmers, ranchers, and foresters first by:

• solving the most pressing challenges they face;

• protecting America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply to enhance national security;

• supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers;

• expanding and developing domestic markets;

• training the next generation of agriculturalists; and

• fueling innovation to keep American farmers at the forefront of productivity.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to advancing these principles and encourages applicants to actively engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters when applying for funding opportunities to ensure relevancy and adherence to them. NIFA also encourages agricultural leaders to engage in the peer review panel process to ensure American producers are better served through research, education, and extension activities.

Projects submitted under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should align with USDA Secretary’s Memorandum 1078-020 Directive on Departmental Research and Development Priorities:

1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers

2. Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products

3. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species

4. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land

5. Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf

Stakeholder Input. NIFA seeks comments on all NOFO 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 NOFOs 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 FADI-EDEN NOFO.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The goal of the FADI-EDEN program is to support the Cooperative Extension System’s (CES) ability to maximize the resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to biosecurity risks, weather events and disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks through the EDEN. EDEN is a national, collaborative network of CES professionals who are dedicated to 1) improving all-hazards management of domestic disasters and 2) supporting all-hazards capacity-building efforts for peer CES professionals so that they are prepared for and skilled in directly providing education and technical assistance to farmers, youth and families, small businesses, and communities. The FADI-EDEN program provides coordination support to EDEN so that they can achieve their mission.

The FADI-EDEN program will fund one Extension Project that will address the FY 2026 Scope of Work. The amount available in FY 2026 is approximately $382,400. If the award recipient’s performance is satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and continued support is in the best interest of the Federal government and the public, additional funds may be provided in FY2027 and FY 2028.

This notice identifies the objectives for FADI-EDEN projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

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. 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 C. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

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

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF 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 The Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative was authorized in section 1484 of National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), 7 U.S.C 3351.

Under this authority available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall use funds made available to carry out agricultural research, education, and extension activities for continuation of partnerships with institutions of higher education and other institutions to help form stable, long-term programs to enhance the biosecurity of the U.S. These agreements are issued using NIFA’s authority section 1472 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), 7 U.S.C. 3318.

B. Purpose and Priorities Background It is necessary to mitigate threats to sustain the overall competitiveness of U.S. agriculture to maintain an abundant, safe food supply for people and livestock; to support the farmers, ranchers who drive the U.S. food and agriculture sector; to maintain the vitality of rural communities; and to ensure profitability across the agricultural sector and affiliated industries. The CES, with its local and direct-education delivery model, is positioned to reach individuals, families, businesses, and communities to reduce biosecurity risks, weather events and disasters risks, cyber threats, and exposures to other shocks.

Diseases that affect livestock and backyard flocks can have a significant impact on animal health and production, live animal trade, and consumer confidence in meat and other animal products.

Preventing the introduction and/or spread of plant pests and diseases is a critical component to plant life and health and are vital strategies to securing a crop production system that supports a safe and affordable food supply for people and livestock. Weather events and disasters, caused by natural hazards such as droughts, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, derechos, and hurricanes impact lives and livelihoods. Such incidents pose significant threats to the food and agriculture sector and can escalate biosecurity risks. As the food and agriculture sector becomes more dependent on technology and online services, cyber threat actors pose legitimate risks to breaching such systems.

The FADI-EDEN program is aligned with the following USDA Research and Development Priorities:

• Increasing Profitability for Farmers and Ranchers

• Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species

• Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land

• Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality

FADI-EDEN Program The goal of the FADI-EDEN program, under assistance listing 10.304, is to support CES’s ability to maximize the resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to biosecurity risks, weather events and disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks through the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). EDEN is a national, collaborative network of CES professionals who are dedicated to improved all-hazards management of domestic disasters. EDEN supports https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3351%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3351)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3318%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3318)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true all-hazards capacity-building efforts for peer CES professionals so that they are prepared for and skilled in directly providing education and technical assistance to farmers, youth and families, small businesses, and communities. The FADI-EDEN program provides coordination support and administrative leadership to EDEN so that it can achieve its mission.

The strength of the FADI-EDEN program has been its direct support to EDEN. CES professionals who are engaged with EDEN have expertise in agriculture and natural resources, individual and family health and well-being, youth development, and community and economic development. Through EDEN, CES professionals collaborate to respond to incidents that impact the U.S. food and agriculture sector; create and deliver educational resources and experiences aimed at the phases of the disaster management cycle; develop and/or enhance their skills and expertise in technical topics and direct education; and partner with local, state, Tribal, territorial, and Federal organizations and agencies to strengthen collaborations and reduce duplication of efforts and services.

The primary purpose of the FADI-EDEN program is to support a project that provides coordination support and administrative leadership for long-term and effective, all-hazards public outreach activities across the CES through EDEN. It is expected that such coordination support and leadership activities for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of multi-faceted extension activities will enhance and expand the CES’s abilities to share science-based information with intended audiences at the local, regional, and national levels.

The project will be administered for the CES by a cooperating entity that will be selected competitively. The FADI-EDEN program will fund one project that addresses the priorities as presented as a FY 2026 Scope of Work.

FY 2026 Scope of Work

1. Executive Committee Support: The successful applicant will participate in and coordinate logistics for virtual monthly Executive Committee meetings and two in-person annual meetings (EDEN annual meeting in the spring and the mid-year meeting in the fall); participate in Standing Committee meetings; collaborate with Officers and Executive Committee members to provide administrative support for EDEN business that includes but is not limited to calendars, virtual meeting platforms, and committee meetings and projects; monitor and facilitate, as needed, efforts related to the implementation of EDEN’s 2026-2028 strategic plan; and allocate $35,000 or greater to the Executive Committee in broader support of EDEN. Anticipated outputs: Monthly Executive Committee meetings, at least two in-person meetings, calendar invitations, virtual meeting platform, committee meetings, and committee deliverables.

2. Advisory Boards and Liaisons Support: The successful applicant will participate in and coordinate logistics for virtual and in-person 1890 Land-grant University Advisory Board meetings and 1994 Land-grant Institution Advisory Board meetings; collaborate with the Advisory Board liaisons and the Sea Grant liaisons to provide administrative support for business that includes but is not limited to calendars, virtual meeting platforms, projects, and Advisory Board and Liaisons meetings; provide technical assistance related to the development and delivery of outreach programs and resources;

and allocate $60,000 or greater to the Advisory Board and Liaisons efforts in broader support of EDEN. Anticipated outputs: Advisory Boards and Liaisons meetings, calendar invitations, virtual meeting platform, and outreach, resources, and programmatic deliverables.

3. Administrative Logistics for Programming: The successful applicant will collaborate with EDEN Officers and Executive Committee members and coordinate logistics, as needed, related to onboarding new EDEN state points of contact, delegates, and Executive Committee members; support the work of Standing Committees; work directly with EDEN Officers to review and refresh EDEN operating documents to ensure accurate and timely content; oversee EDEN databases and information (i.e., committee listings, Directory), make recommendations to EDEN, and implement enhancements as directed;

oversee the logistics to capture incident impacts across the CES through Response Notes or a similar tool; provide frequent and substantive updates on project progress at Executive Committee meetings; and allocate $25,000 or greater to the Executive Committee in broader support of EDEN. Anticipated outputs: Onboarding meetings, onboarding documents and resources, EDEN databases and information, incident reporting tool, progress and budget drawdown reports, and Committee programmatic deliverables.

4. Project Management: In collaboration with EDEN, the successful applicant will manage a co-developed project for the CES that promotes innovation for and integration of extension activities and applied disaster research activities; oversee, with Executive Committee input, the process for any subawards and/or contracts which includes pre-award, award, post-award management strategies, and opportunity announcements;

implement post-award management strategies that include impact reporting and monitoring subaward and/or contract recipient performance; and allocate $30,000 or greater to the project in broader support of EDEN. Anticipated outputs: Protocol that includes all stages of the subaward and/or process, list of subaward and/or contract recipients with their project objective(s), subaward and/or contract recipient performance reports, opportunity announcement, subaward and/or contract recipient announcement, and a repository of project processes and data used to support EDEN.

5. Website Administration: The successful applicant will manage the EDEN website and collaborate with the Executive Committee members and EDEN’s state points of contact and delegates to ensure the public-facing Directory, Resource Dashboard, and Annual Meeting page are accurate and timely; facilitate reviews of website content that includes but is not limited to calendars, news and events, EDEN operating documents and information for CES professionals, and CES resources; work with Executive Committee members and EDEN’s state points of contact to perform regular updates; oversee the website’s security, domain registration, and software license; and allocate $15,000 or greater for expenses. Anticipated outputs: EDEN directory, directory update reports, Resource Dashboard, documentation of annual review of Resource Dashboard, calendar invitations, news and events announcements, website domain registration confirmation with expiration date, list of software licenses purchases with expiration dates, and website revision reports.

6. Communication: The successful applicant will provide a platform to send regular newsletters and special communications (i.e., annual conference information) to the CES and partners to keep them informed and to promote EDEN efforts; collaborate with the Executive Committee members and the Marketing Standing Committee chair to plan and prepare communications, outreach, and brand products; implement an internal communication platform for EDEN state points of contact and delegates to crowd-source answers to timely questions, find relevant resources, and share situational awareness;

provide administrative support for regular (as determined by the Professional Development committee) professional development webinars and learning opportunities;

and allocate $15,000 or greater for expenses. Anticipated outputs: EDEN newsletters, communication deliverables about the EDEN annual meeting, internal communication platform, internal communication platform usage reports, professional development webinars and events, webinar reports with participant data, and EDEN resources for outreach activities.

7. Annual Meeting Administration and Coordination: The successful applicant will collaborate with the EDEN Officers and the annual meeting host institution liaison to coordinate logistics, as needed, for the annual meeting (held in the spring); allocate $8,000 or greater for a subaward to the meeting host institution to support the development and/or enhancement of CES professionals’ skills and expertise in technical topics and direct education that ultimately benefit farmers, families, and communities;

and oversee timely updates to the EDEN website related to the annual meeting that includes but is not limited to meeting announcements, calls for proposals, meeting agenda, and post-meeting updates. Anticipated outputs: Annual Meeting webpage with 2027 and subsequent years’ information, co-developed prospectus for Extension professionals’ skills and expertise development, post-meeting report with participant data, and list of recommendations to improve participant experiences at future EDEN meetings so that they are better equipped to directly help farmers, families, and communities.

8. Task Force Support and Administration: The successful applicant will participate in and coordinate logistics for existing and/or emerging EDEN task forces to support ongoing and future work; and provide administrative support for EDEN business that includes but is not limited to calendars, virtual meeting platforms, and task force meetings and projects. Anticipated outputs: Calendar invitations, virtual meeting platform, task force meetings, and task force deliverables.

9. Partnerships and Public Engagement: The successful applicant will collaborate with and represent EDEN, when permitted, at various partnership meetings and public engagement opportunities that include but are not limited to National Animal Health Laboratory (NAHLN); the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN); Sea Grant Institutions; Federal Emergency Support Function #11/USDA APHIS, and the Food & Agriculture Sector Councils; prepare and give EDEN presentations as necessary; provide communications products to the EDEN, as needed, for their outreach and engagement activities; and support the EDEN’s efforts to incorporate the CES into response frameworks at the local, state, Tribal, territorial, and Federal levels. Anticipated outputs:

Presentation slide decks, official reports and communications deliverables for partners and potential partners, post-meeting reports, communications products, and documentation of engagement with partners and potential partners.

10. Evaluation and Assessment: The successful applicant will oversee the project’s evaluation activities; identify and determine evaluation metrics that capture project activities and impact that support the FY 2026 Scope of Work; provide updates on project progress at Executive Committee meetings using data; prepare a mid-year progress report https://www.npdn.org/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/emergencyresponse/esf11-contacts/esf11-contact for NIFA and Executive Committee members; and prepare an annual progress report through NIFA’s reporting system and share the report with Executive Committee members. Anticipated outputs: Project evaluation metrics, regular progress reports with data, mid-year progress report, and official annual progress report.

11. Timely and Responsive Support: Due to the highly evolving nature of EDEN, there may be times when the FADI-EDEN project needs to provide EDEN with timely and responsive support, especially as new priorities emerge. The successful applicant will manage project tasks in flexible ways to ensure the EDEN’s and CES’s needs are met;

collaborate with the EDEN Officers and Executive Committee members to identify and prioritize efforts; meet with NIFA and EDEN Officers on a regular basis (to be determined) to provide updates on progress and to receive feedback on upcoming plans;

and participate in post-incident debrief discussions with EDEN and NIFA to improve support efforts for EDEN operations and to update FADI-EDEN project plans.

Anticipated outputs: Calendar invitations, virtual meeting platform, meetings, related deliverables, and post-incident debrief reports.

The project budget must reflect all elements of the FY 2026 Scope of Work using a tentative project period of November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2027. Budgetary guidance is provided for some elements of the Scope of Work. Funds may be used for salary of personnel, travel expenses, supplies, and indirect cost.

Table 2: Program Key Information

Title Description Program Code: AA-G

Program Code Name: FADI-EDEN

ALN: 10.304

Project Type: Extension Project Grant Type: Cooperative Agreement

Application Deadline September 21, 2026 Grant Duration: 12 months

Anticipated # of Awards: 1

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for the FADI-EDEN program in FY 2026 is approximately $382,400. If the award recipient’s performance is satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and continued support is in the best interest of the Federal government and the public, additional funds may be provided in FY2027 and FY 2028.

The award will be issued as a cooperative agreement, which is a legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the United States Government and a State, local government, or other recipient when:

1. The principal purpose of the relationship is to transfer a thing of value to the state, local government, or other recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stipulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring (by purchase, lease, or barter) property or service for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government.

2. Substantial involvement is expected between the executive agency and the state, local government, or other recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated in the agreement (31 U.S.C. 6305).

Through the cooperative agreement, NIFA agrees to:

1. Assign a National Program Leader (NPL) with appropriate expertise who will monitor the project as it is being implemented and operated, maintain communication between the project director (PD), key personnel and the EDEN Executive Committee, and make recommendations concerning planning and procedures to be followed to ensure that the FY 2026 Scope of Work is achieved.

2. Provide FY 2026 funds in the approximate amount of $382,400 for project costs that are allowable, allocable, and reasonable as specified on the Notice of Award and the budget.

3. Review and, if determined appropriate, approve annual plans of work, progress reports, and financial status reports.

4. Coordinate with the PD to review the annual progress reports and the final technical report to determine effectiveness.

5. Provide technical assistance and guidance regarding the project, specifically related to project opportunities and ways to address implementation challenges.

NIFA is issuing the cooperative agreement on a continuation basis. A continuation award is an award instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a pre-determined 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.

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

NOFO.

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B. Application Restrictions NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO. Application for FY2026 is limited to the following application types:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO and are subject to the due dates herein (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 Type: Applicants must propose an Extension Project.

2. Grant Type: Applicants must select a Cooperative Agreement.

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 FADI-EDEN program must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. 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 About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

In accordance with section 1472(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), applicants may be: 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.

USDA will not accept competitive applications for grant proposals for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required - The FADI-EDEN program has no matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion. While not required, cost share is encouraged.

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PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this NOFO electronically; no other method or response is accepted.

The electronic application for this NOFO 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-ES-011939, 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 NOFO. The NOFO 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 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://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/ 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://grants.gov/applicants/search-for-opportunity-package https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants 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.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide number to all applications that meet the requirements of this NOFO. 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 30 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 describe how the project will address the purpose and priorities of the FADI-EDEN program and EDEN’s mission through the Scope of Work. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates. The PS must include the following elements: 1) Project title, 2) list of project director and co-project directors and institution/organization affiliations, and 3) concise description of the project (250 words or less).

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). The PN must not exceed 20 pages; this page limit includes the Project Timeline and any tables and figures. The page limit ensures fair competition. The PN must be formatted using 1-inch margins, single line spacing (i.e., no more than six lines per vertical inch), and 12-point, Times New Roman font. A one-page Table of Contents is permitted and does not count towards the PN’s 20-page limit.

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

Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project.

Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit. In the PN, do not link to external references; proposals must be self-contained. The PN must address Year 1 (12 months) of the proposed FADI-EDEN project. Applicants must organize the PN using the sections listed below and are strongly encouraged to use the header titles below as prompts for each section:

a. Introduction: Describe the critical elements necessary to address the resilience of the

U.S. food and agriculture sector related to biosecurity risks, weather events and disasters, cyber threat actors, and other shocks. Describe the state of all-hazards disaster education across the Cooperative Extension System. Explain the value of EDEN across local, state, Tribal, territorial, and Federal levels. Describe EDEN’s need for coordination support and strategic administrative leadership through a FADI- EDEN project.

b. Rationale and Significance: Describe the target audience(s) of the project and explain the potential benefit of the proposed project to them. Provide background information on the applicant organization’s capabilities and capacity to implement the FADI- EDEN project. Justify the applicant organization's strength to the FADI-EDEN project, EDEN, and target audience(s). Describe how the proposed project will support the continuity of previously funded FADI-EDEN projects.

c. Scope of Work: In lieu of goals and objectives, the proposed project must incorporate all elements of the FY 2026 Scope of Work as presented in Part 1, B of this NOFO. Describe the reasonable activities that can be accomplished within the resource and time constraints (FY 2026, Year 1) for all 11 elements of the Scope of Work. Include a Project Timeline of activities, with key milestones, over the course of Year 1 using a tentative project period of November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2027.

d. Description of Approaches: Describe the intended approaches for and philosophies about coordination support and strategic administrative leadership that will be used to co-strengthen EDEN operations. Explain techniques and activities that will be used to collaborate and/or communicate with EDEN Officers, EDEN Executive Committee members, state points of contact, and delegates. Explain techniques and activities that will be used to collaborate and/or communicate with the NIFA National Program Leader. Describe familiarity and past experiences in working with a group that uses a collaborative decision-making model and explain how related experiences may be applied to the proposed project. Acknowledge the limitations and anticipated challenges related to carrying out the FY 2026 Scope of Work and describe the ways in which the limitations and challenges will be addressed.

e. Project Management Plan: Provide a detailed description for how the FADI-EDEN project will be managed as it relates to the FY 2026 Scope of Work. Describe the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of the proposed project’s key (senior and other) personnel, including the percentage of time each person will dedicate to the project. Justify the roles of non-key personnel (contracts and/or consultants) on the proposed project and include their responsibilities and percentage of time each person will dedicate to the project. If the proposed FADI-EDEN project represents collaboration with at least one or more partners, provide an explanation of how the relationship, responsibilities, and communication will be managed. Describe relevant work that demonstrates each partner’s ability to successfully execute the applicable

Scope of Work elements. Describe how the implementation of the Scope of Work will be communicated to EDEN, the CES, USDA NIFA, and the target audience(s).

Explain what approaches will be used to ensure continuity of the previously funded FADI-EDEN project to the proposed FADI-EDEN project.

f. Fiscal Oversight: Identify the fiscal and administrative oversight activities that will be used for the project. Such activities may include how the EDEN Officers, the Executive Committee, EDEN, the CES, and USDA NIFA are informed about the financial status and budget transparency of the proposed project and FY 2026 Scope of Work achievements. Define the process for subawards and/or contracts, which includes pre-award, award, and post-award management strategies. Explain the process to select subaward and/or contract recipients. Describe post-award management strategies that include reporting and monitoring performance. Describe specific activities related to the Scope of Work to be performed by subaward and/or contract recipients. Describe the organizational commitment to the project including the institutional resources (administrative, facilities, equipment, and/or materials) available to carry out the Scope of Work. Do not describe the budget in this section;

the project budget and budget narrative will include a breakdown of costs.

g. Project Performance Assessment: Indicate how the anticipated outputs associated with each FY 2026 Scope of Work element will be measured. Explain how the proposed project’s activities will be evaluated and its impact measured. Describe how evaluation data will be shared with EDEN Officers, the Executive Committee, EDEN, the CES, and USDA NIFA. Provide details about how the evaluation data will improve overall project performance and effectiveness. Explain who on the project team will provide the project performance assessment oversight. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include people with expertise in and skills related to project performance measurement and/or evaluation and who can support the project’s efforts to carry out the Scope of Work.

3. Field 9. Bibliography & References Cited. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide. Title the attachment as “Bibliography & References Cited” in the document header and save the file as Bibliography. There is no page limit for the Bibliography. All work cited in the proposal should be referenced in this section of the application. All references must be complete and include titles and all co-authors, conform to an acceptable journal format, and be listed in alphabetical order using the last name of the first author or listed by number in the order of citation.

4. Field 12, Add Other Attachments. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

a. Data Management Plan (DMP). 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 NOFO, NIFA’s NIFA’s Data Management Plan) and is not to exceed 2 pages. Title the attachment as “Data Management Plan” in the document header and save the file as DMP.

b. Appendices to the PN. Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project. Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit. Title the attachment as “Appendices to the Project Narrative” in the document header and save the file as Appendices.

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

c. Key Organization Commitment. Attach signed letters from key organizations involved in the project acknowledging their contributions and/or commitment.

Letters are limited to no more than 2 pages per key organization. Combine all letters into one file and save the file as Letters. Other more general letters of support (i.e., from those who are not committing to a specific role in the project) are not needed and should not be included.

Do not add any other attachments not specifically requested in this NOFO. For example, do not attach examples of curricula or other appendices. Attaching additional narrative or figures or tables other than those specifically requested in this NOFO will result in disqualification from review.

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.

1. Indirect Costs (IDC) – See Part IV, C of this NOFO 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 name “FADI-

EDEN” and the program code “AA-G”. Accurate entry is critical.

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

C. Funding Restrictions

1. Legislative mandated Indirect Cost (IDC). Section 704 of the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) limits indirect costs for FADI-EDEN to 10 percent of the total direct cost of the agreement. Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants must limit their requests for recovery of IDC to 10 percent of total funds requested.

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)). The Uniform Guidance offers the option of electing to charge a de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. 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 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.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2471/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2471/text https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A%2Fchapter-II%2Fpart-200%2Fsubpart-E%2Fsubject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455%2Fsection-200.414%23p-200.414(f)&data=05%7C02%7Cjoseph.perez2%40usda.gov%7C4f531cc06d7f48f95a8a08dccd0e89c9%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638610709532095655%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vu%2F%2FohVj6S7x%2FdBdkkEwUrTcaLw%2FQICuOPF4zAWEHZY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A%2Fchapter-II%2Fpart-200%2Fsubpart-E%2Fsubject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53%2Fsection-200.403&data=05%7C02%7Cjoseph.perez2%40usda.gov%7C4f531cc06d7f48f95a8a08dccd0e89c9%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638610709532106512%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nOEhOJNeD%2FmcJDd3qZDCHUWeUAqnnWfjatzM8MSop2o%3D&reserved=0 all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which it may do at any time.

2. NIFA awards may not be used to support the procurement of unmanned aircraft systems to process, store, or transmit Federal information (as defined in OMB Circular A-130) unless the grant is specifically available for procurement of such equipment and grantees describe in their application how they will comply with the information security requirements outlined in Appendix B of M-26-02 Ensuring Government Use of Secure Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Supporting United States Producers and develop a risk-based approach to applying those requirements to procurement solicitations to potential vendors under the resulting Federal award. This information, if provided, will be evaluated by NIFA as part of its evaluation process. If such procurement is approved, specific information security requirements may be included in the terms and conditions of the grant to ensure that the grantees will incorporate those requirements in procurement solicitations of unmanned aircraft systems under the Federal award. Additionally, projects must ensure that they are in adherence to Secretary’s Memorandum (SM) 1078- 014 and are not using unallowable 3-D printers which can be found at National Security and Unallowable Costs.

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