20th Annual NSPAATechnical Assistance

June 2-5, 2015Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel

Outline• About our NIFA,

• About its programs,

• About FY 2016 budget,

• About AFRI funding program

• How to Increase funding rate on your campus

INVESTING IN SCIENCE | SECURING OUR FUTURE

NIFAFUNDING

United States Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NIFA OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIESFUNDING

TOM VILSACKSecretary, USDA

DR. CATHERINE WOTEKI

Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics (REE)and USDA Chief Scientist

DR. SONNY RAMASWAMY

Director, NIFA

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

• Mission “Invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. “• Vision“Catalyze transformative discoveries, education, and engagement to address agricultural challenges.”

FRAMEWORK TO ADVANCE SCIENCE:

1. Focus on a societal challenge (New Biology).

2. Scale work to make a difference through supporting transdisciplinary work—often across disciplines and institutions.

3. Focus + Scale = Impact

Focus and scale (combination of fundamental and applied science) result in impact on the societal challenge.

SOCIETAL CHALLENGES

Food security

Biofuels/bioproducts

Climate resilient agriculture:o adaptation and o mitigation

Food safety

Nutrition to promote lifelong health

Water

NIFA APPROACH

RESEARCH enables us to develop the knowledge needed to solve many of the issues facing our nation

EDUCATION strengthens schools and universities to train the next generation of scientists, educators, producers, and citizens

EXTENSION brings the knowledge gained through research and education to the people who need it most—in the United

NIFA APPROACH (CONT’D)

INTEGRATION brings the three components of the agricultural knowledge system (research, education, and extension) together around a problem area or activity. Integration occurs when the components complement one another and are truly necessary for the ultimate success of the project or program.

NIFA HAS MORE THAN 30 DIFFERENT COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING:

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative ($325M)

Specialty Crop Research Initiative ($80M)

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension

Initiative ($25M)

Other Competitive Programs

• Biotechnology Risk Assessment Program• Risk Management Education Program• Organic Agriculture Research and Extension

Initiative• Biomass Research and Development• Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development

Program • Small Business Innovation Research• Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education

Program

Budget Talk

Want to take just a moment to talk about the Federal budget, what is currently happening, and what is likely for the future.

New folder\FY2016 Budget.pdf

http://nifa.usda.gov/budget

o NIFA FY 2016 President's Budget Proposal (Brochure)o Explanatory Notes (Congressional Justifications)o Agricultural Act of 2014o Office of Budget and Program Analysis—budget summaries

and tables on all USDA agencies.

Considering FY 2016• NIFA seeks resources to:

– Develop a comprehensive approach to addressing the agriculture-health nexus, and

– Ensure the health and wellbeing of our nation by supporting cutting-edge research, education, and extension initiatives that further sustainable agricultural production systems and provide for an abundant and quality food supply.

New Initiatives

• Enhance the renewable agricultural and forestry enterprises that underpin the bioeconomy, and

• Support resiliency of rural communities, create jobs, and promote economic wellbeing.

PRIMARY BUDGET INITIATIVES

• Significant increases – approx. 38 percent – in the investment of AFRI science priorities will focus on numerous challenges in agriculture and health, ensuring food security and solutions for water management, tactics of adapting to and mitigating impacts of climate variability and change, strategies to improving nutrition and health, promotion of foundational science, and strengthening education and literacy.

AFRI initiatives for FY 2016 • Pollinator Health Initiative • Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative • Feedstocks for Biobased Products Initiative • Challenge Areas to include:

– Food Security, Water for Agriculture, Climate Variability and Change, Nutrition and Health, Bioenergy, Food Safety

• Significant increase (approx. 42 percent) in Foundational Science, and will include Critical Agricultural Research and Extension program and Exploratory Research

• Education and Literacy Initiative• Inter-Agency Collaborations

Competitive Capacity Awards Program (1862s and 1890s)

• The program will complement existing capacity programs and competitive programs in addressing national and regional problems in food, agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, human sciences

• This Competitive Program requires 100 percent non-federal match

A total of $20 million will support this competitive program allocated through:

• Hatch Act: $12.5 million;

• Smith-Lever 3(b)&(c): $4 million;

• Evans-Allen Act: $2.5 million; and

• 1890 Extension: $1 million

• $1.5 million for pollinator health

Increase support to enhance Minority-Serving Institutions.

• Increase of $13 million in Evans-Allen, 1890 Capacity Building

Grants, 1890 Extension and 1890 Facilities programs to

accommodate Central State University.

• Increase of $0.6 million in the 1994 Research, Tribal Colleges

Education Equity, and Extension Services at 1994 Institutions

programs to accommodate the College of the Muscogee Nation

and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College.

• A request of $10 million for establishment of endowment fund for

Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE:FINDING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

NIFA | INVESTING IN SCIENCE | SECURING OUR FUTURE

AFRI

United States Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NIFA OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIESFUNDING

INVESTING IN SCIENCE | SECURING OUR FUTURE

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (AFRI)

FINDING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

WHO’S ELIGIBLE?

State agricultural experiment stations

ALL colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher)

WHO GETS AFRI GRANTS?

LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES80% of applications and 75% of grants

NON-LAND GRANT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES5% of applications and 5% of grants

PRIVATE COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES5% of applications and 7% of grants

PRIVATE RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS4% of applications and 4% of grants

OTHER (FEDERAL, INDUSTRY, INDIVIDUAL)the balance

FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM RFA

Plant health and production and plant products

Animal health and production and animal products

Food safety, nutrition, and health

Renewable energy, natural resources, and environment

Agriculture systems and technology

Agriculture economics and rural communities

Childhood obesity prevention

Climate change

Global food security

Food safety

Sustainable bioenergy Water

CHALLENGE AREA RFAS

Offer individual fellowships for pre- and postdoctoral students (NIFA Fellows)

Focus on the broad challenge areas

We just completed the review Process of the applications

NIFA FELLOWSHIPS GRANT PROGRAM RFA

Pre-doctoral fellowship grants (new) Postdoctoral fellowship grants New investigator grants (restricted

eligibility) Strengthening grants (restricted

eligibility)- sabbatical grants- equipment grants- seed grants- strengthening standard / strengthening CAP grants

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCEENHANCEMENT (FASE) GRANTS

Funded from 7.5% set aside from AFRI appropriation (7.5 of $264M in FY12 is more than $19M)

Eligibility limited to - EPSCoR states- small to mid-sized institutions (<17,500 enrolled with limited institutional success– not in the top 100)- Minority Serving Institutions

Just meet one of these requirements and you are eligible

FASE STRENGTHENING AWARDS

Standard Strengthening- full research grant $300k to $30M

Career Enhancement Award- sabbatical (1 year of salary + travel and supplies)

Seed Grants- up to $150k

Equipment Grants- the only AFRI grant type requiring a match

STRENGTHENING AWARD TYPES

Grant limit of $50k- equipment may cost $10 to $250k

Match of $1:$1 is required- non-federal match (please note that this is the only type of AFRI grant requiring a match)

An opportunity to double your non-federalequipment budget

EQUIPMENT GRANTS

Also called Sabbatical Awards

Include one year of salary plus travel and supplies ($120k)

Can be structured and phased so that it is not a year away from your home university

Be creative. Acquire new skills. Forge connections. Expand your horizons.

CAREER ENHANCEMENT AWARDS

A regular research or integrated proposal (includes CAPs)

Proposal has two chances to be funded:- first chance:

if the proposal ranks high enough (top 10-15) it is funded out of the regular program funds

- second chance:from strengthening funds (awards made according to ranking, but of eligible proposals. First eligible proposal may rank substantially below 20.)

STANDARD STRENGTHENING

Now eligible in research and integrated programs

Now eligible every year in research and integrated programs (not every 5 years as previously set)

Now only the lead project director needs to be eligible in research and integrated programs (lead teams that include larger institutions)

STRENGTHENING ELIGIBILITY

USDA SBIR Program• Award Grants Only - Ideas are Investigator-Initiated

• Awards Based on Scientific and Technical Merit, PI and Company Qualifications, and Commercial Potential

• Proposals Reviewed by Confidential Peer Review Using Outside Experts From Non-profit Organizations

• Funds Allocated to Topic Areas in Proportion to Number of Proposals Received

• Subcontracting to Universities and USDA Labs Permitted and Encouraged

USDA SBIR Program

• Phase I Grants = 8 Months/$100,000

• Phase II Grants = 2 Years/$500,000

• 12 Month No-cost Extension Available

USDA SBIR Topic AreasForests & Related ResourcesAddress the health, diversity and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands through the development of environmentally sound approaches to increase productivity of forest lands, improve sustainability of forest resources, and develop value-added materials derived from woody resources.

Plant Production and Protection – BiologyEnhancing crop production by applying biological approaches to, reduce the impact of harmful agents, develop new methods for plant improvement, and apply traditional plant breeding methods and new technologies to develop new food and non-food crop plants.

Animal Production and ProtectionDevelops innovative, marketable technologies that will provide significant benefit to the production and protection of agricultural animals.

Air, Water and SoilsDevelops technologies for conserving and protecting air, water and soil resources while sustaining optimal farm and forest productivity.

Food Science and NutritionResearch focusing on developing new and improved processes, technologies, or services that address emerging food safety, food processing and nutrition issues. 36

USDA SBIR Topic AreasPlant Production and Protection – EngineeringEnhance crop production by creating and commercializing technologies that enhance system efficiency and profitability and that protect crops from pests and pathogens in economically and environmentally sound ways. Small and Mid-Size FarmsThe Small and Mid-Size Farms topic area aims to promote and improve the sustainability and profitability of small and mid-size farms and ranches (where annual sales of agricultural products are less than $250,000 for small farms and $500,000 for mid-size farms - hereafter referred to as small farms).

AquacultureDevelops new technologies that will enhance the knowledge and technology base necessary for the expansion of the domestic aquaculture industry as a form of production agriculture.

Biofuels and Biobased ProductsPromotes the use of biofuels and non-food biobased products by developing new or improved technologies that will lead to increased production of industrial products from agricultural materials.

Rural and Community DevelopmentApplications may be submitted for the development of new technology, or for the utilization of existing technology, that address important economic and social development issues or problems in rural America.

Technology Areas Supported by the USDA/SBIR

• Information Technology

• Robotics• Electronics• Biotechnology• Nanotechnology• Microelectro

Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

• Acoustics

• Genetic Engineering• Material/Coatings• Food Safety• Biofuels• Machine Vision• Precision Agriculture• Engineering• Physics • Chemistry• Remote Sensing

U.S. Department of Agriculture SBIRDr. William Goldner

Biofuels and Biobased Products

Dr. Jodi WilliamsFood Science and Nutrition

Dr. Shing KwokPlant Production and Protection –

Biology

Dr. Denis EbodagheSmall and Mid-Size Farms

Scott Dockum Program Coordinator, SBIR

Elden HawkesProgram Specialist, SBIR

Dr. Charles ClelandForests and Related Resources

Dr. Gene KimAquaculture

Dr. Brent ElrodRural and Community

Development

Dr. Robert SmithAnimal Production and Protection

Dr. Charles ClelandAir, Water and Soils

Dr. Kitty CardwellPlant Production and Protection -

Engineering

KEYS TO COMPETITIVE SUCCESS

Understand NIFA’s mission Explore the full range of programs

- many options; find your advantage Communicate with the national program

leader(s) in your area of interest Participate

- Ad hoc reviewer to panelist - Grantsmanship workshops - Applicant to awardee

Panelists from minority serving institutions (MSI) are needed

Faculty from all levels (assistant, associate, and full professor)

In 2001 less than 2% from MSI; in 2010 7.6% from MSI for AFRI panels

Contact the national program leader listed in the RFA if interested in serving

PANEL PARTICIPATION

Panel is a large workload. There will be about 15 applications to review. This takes most reviewers about 40 hours before panel.

Administrators must work with faculty to free up this time (release from teaching or other duties)

Panels are on a fixed timeline that may conflict with teaching or other assignments. Administrators

must work with faculty to cover assignments while faculty member is in D.C. for the week of the panel.

PANEL PARTICIPATION: ADMINISTRATOR’S ROLE

Provide overview of programs to applicants

Mock peer review panel

Face-to-face interaction with national program leaders

Tips on grant-writing from experts

Travel fellowships for attendees from MSIs

Offered in Washington, D.C.- planning now underway- dates announced on our website; search “grantsmanship”

GRANTSMANSHIP WORKSHOPS

Structured for faculty who will be preparing applications

Do your homework–check the website for programs of interest and the associated NPL(s)

Use your time to engage- introduce yourself to NPLs in your areas of interest- offer to serve on a panel (follow up with an email to

the NPL with your 2-page CV)- network with others from your region who might

team with you in the future on larger applications

GRANTSMANSHIP WORKSHOPS: YOUR ROLE

Begin early

Read the Request for Applications (RFA)

Letters of intent may be required before application submission – check dates in the RFA

All applications submitted through Grants.gov

Work with administrative team at your institution

Late applications are not accepted

Contact NIFA with questions (use contact information in the RFA – not general information from website)

SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Will Rogers

See the NIFA website for more information:www.nifa.usda.gov

Contact Dr. Ali Mohamed, Division

Director, Environmental Systems202-720-5229

amohamed@nifa.usda.gov

Questions?