Military Families Learning Network

The purpose of the Military Families Learning Network is to develop, utilize, and disseminate innovative and effective resources and programming that would support the professional development needs of providers in both the traditional Military Famil

The primary objective for this project is to develop, utilize, and disseminate innovative and effective resources and programming that would support the professional development needs of providers in both the traditional Military Family Support Program and civilian communities. This objective will be accomplished through fulfilling the following activities: • Management of the delivery of virtual learning using the theory and practice of adult education (andragogy) through the following concentration areas: Personal Finance, Family Development/Early intervention, Family Transitions, Military Caregiving, Network Literacy, and Nutrition and Wellness. Community Capacity building concepts shall be integrated into all concentration areas. These concentration areas must be staffed with several Extension Foundation Communities of Practice that provide resources/staff for this effort. • A consolidated, issue driven Virtual Learning Event (VLE) must be spearheaded by a leadership team and built on collaboration of all concentration areas. The VLE should demonstrate the power of the Family Readiness System, the DoDs practice of integrated social service delivery. The direction of these efforts is to continue to provide and find innovative and effective resources and programming that would support the professional development needs of providers in both the traditional Military Family Support Programs and civilian communities.

Funds may be used only for the purpose for which they are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, regulations, terms and conditions of the award, applicable federal cost principles, USDA assistance regulations, and NIFA General Awards Administration Provisions, 7 CFR Part 3430, subparts A through E.

Use Restrictions will be identified in the NOFO. 7 U.S.C. 3310(a) limits indirect costs for the overall award to 30 percent of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA) under a research, education, or extension grant.

NIFA will evaluate applications using the evaluation criteria described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. In general, NIFA evaluates applications using a two-part process. First, NIFA screens each application to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 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 is used to technically evaluate applications that have met the administrative requirements using a review panel.

Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the NOFO. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) 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; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the NOFO.