Funding-Limited Submission - USDA – FY 2013 Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program; July 9, 2013

Many individuals and families living in rural areas and communities, including farm families, experience disparities in nutrition, health and health care services. Negative health behaviors and familial, occupational, and environmental risk factors underlie such chronic health conditions as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, agricultural respiratory diseases, traumatic brain injury, and vision/hearing impairment.  In addition, the opportunity to receive health information, or engage in health promotion activities is often limited and, when available, may not be appropriate for the diverse populations living in rural areas.  

In FY 2013 the Rural Health and Safety Education Program will focus on supporting:

1) Rural Health and Safety Education projects at state and regional level.  Proposed budgets must not exceed $200,000. The proposed Extension outreach education project should include programs and activities that deliver science-based knowledge and informal educational programs to rural audiences, enabling them to make practical decisions. Projects are expected to lead to measurable, documented changes in knowledge, actions, behaviors or practices in relation to rural health and safety. Program delivery may range from individual to group and community-based audiences and use communication methods from face-to-face to electronic, or combinations thereof.

2) National Common Measures for Rural Health and Safety Education projects.  Approximately $50,000 will be made available, in the form of a cooperative agreement to identify common measures for individual and family health education Extension programs from a Family Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences perspective.  These common measures will help increase capacity of the state and regional projects to: a) report on outcomes and impacts of their project objectives; and b) inform state, regional and national efforts aimed at protecting and promoting rural vitality. 

An organization may submit only one (1) proposal per project area under this competition.

See the complete program announcement for additional details and requirements:  http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/rural_health.html

Because the Department of Agriculture only allows an organization to submit one application per project area, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Individuals interested in submitting to this program are to submit the following materials electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at limitedsubmissions@uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, July 9, 2013:

• Names and departments of UK Project Director and key personnel
• Program – Specify application is for the USDA FY 2013 Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program
• Identify project’s area of focus: 1) Rural Health and Safety Education or 2) National Common Measures for Rural Health and Safety Education.
• Provide a short description (1-2 pages) of the proposed project including the target population and need for the project, objectives, and methods.

A committee will be appointed to review the information and make a recommendation.  Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

The USDA deadline is July 26, 2013.