FOA-Limited Submission – USDA/NIFA - Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program – Organic Transitions (USDA-NIFA-ICGP-008060); March 15, 2021

 

Purpose: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program – Organic Transitions (ORG) to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems. One of the primary goals and objectives of the ORG program is to address practices and systems particularly associated with organic crops, organic animal production, and organic systems that integrate crop and animal production. Applications are expected to contain descriptions of stakeholder involvement in the research process from problem identification, planning, implementation, transfer of knowledge and technology, and evaluation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to assemble project teams that include those with expertise in research, education, extension, and evaluation, and to utilize a systems approach. Projects should plan to deliver applied production information to producers, students, or their information providers, such as extension agents/educators, agricultural consultants and other service providers, or college teaching faculty.

 

Priority 1: Document and understand the effects of organic practices on soil health and fertility; greenhouse gas mitigation; enhanced biodiversity; and understanding of weeds, pests and diseases dynamics for better management.

 

Priority 2: Develop improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics to document, describe, and optimize the ecosystem services and the climate variability adaptation and mitigation ability of organic crop, livestock, and integrated crop-livestock production systems.

 

Priority 3: Develop cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from NOP’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

 

Priority 4: Overcome barriers to organic transition. Projects under this priority should address major barriers that limit the transition to organic agriculture in a specific region, crop, or animal production systems and develop practical information and tools for producer use.

 

Cost Sharing/Match: 1:1 required (NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a grant if the results of the project under certain conditions. See program guidelines.)

 

Funding Amount/ Project Period: up to $200,000 total costs per year for up to 4 years; total award not to exceed $600,000.

 

Link to Funding Opportunity Announcement

 

Institutional Limit: 1

 

Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process,please submit the following, assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal, with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by February 2, 2021:

·        Names and departments or affiliations of the Project Director and other key personnel or partners

·        Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number

·        Brief project description (2 pages maximum)

·        Brief biographical sketch

·        Budget, including source of matching funds

 

A committee will be convened to review the material and make a recommendation. For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.

 

Agency Deadline: March 15, 2021