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The NRCS - Arkansas State Office, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking support from and opportunities to partner with likeminded natural resource conservation partners. The overall intent of this solicitation is to solicit partnerships to help enhance the implementation of key conservation objectives and priorities outlined further in this document. Proposals will be accepted from Arkansas. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2018 will be approximately $3,000,000. Proposals are requested from eligible entities, non-profits, governmental or non-governmental organizations, and institutions of higher learning for competitive consideration of awards for projects between one and three years in duration. This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant applications will be eliminated from competition and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant. The Arkansas State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications. NRCS will accept applications under this notice for single or multiyear applications submitted by eligible entities.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service; Commodity Credit Corporation Funding Opportunity Title: Cooperative Conservation Agreements - Fiscal Year {FY) 2019 Announcement for Program Funding - CONNECTICUT Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-CT-CCA-19-GEN0010217 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.902, 10.912 and 10.931 SUMMARY The Natural Resources Conservation Service {NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing potential availability of cooperative agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration and developing state- and community-level conservation leadership. Proposals will be accepted for projects located in the state of Connecticut. Proposals are requested from federally recognized tribal governments, state and local units of government, non-governmental organizations, and institutions of higher learning for competitive consideration of agreement awards for projects between one (1) to five (5) years in duration. This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions for projects. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncom pliant proposals will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant.

The interagency Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) intends to request proposals through one or more formal Funding Opportunity Notice (FON) announcements beginning approximately September 8, 2017 and remaining open through November 16, 2017 for FONs 1 and 2 and December 14, 2017 for FON 3. The intent of this notice is to provide an early alert to investigators interested in the topics listed below so that they can begin considering responsive ideas with potential partners and collaborators.

On February 11, 2014, President Obama issued the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. Incorporating recommendations from the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking, the Implementation Plan was released on February 11, 2015 to guide and direct the efforts of Federal agencies in executing the Strategy. The Plan followed the structure and objectives of the three Strategic Priorities identified in the Strategy: Strengthen Enforcement (including both U.S. Domestic Enforcement and Global Enforcement), Reduce Demand for Illegally Traded Wildlife, and Expand International Cooperation and Commitment. Twenty-four objectives fall under these three Strategic Priorities, each including a number of Next Steps that identify discrete actions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is identified as a lead or participating agency in all 24 Implementation Plan Objectives, reflecting the commitment and history of USFWS International Affairs and Office of Law Enforcement in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. To complement and facilitate existing efforts, USFWS has developed this Notice of Funding Opportunity to provide financial assistance to projects that advance counter-wildlife trafficking activities (wildlife defined to include terrestrial and aquatic species and timber) as outlined in the Next Steps of the National Strategys Implementation Plan

On February 11, 2014, President Obama issued the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. Incorporating recommendations from the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking, the Implementation Plan was released on February 11, 2015 to guide and direct the efforts of Federal agencies in executing the Strategy. The Plan followed the structure and objectives of the three Strategic Priorities identified in the Strategy: Strengthen Enforcement (including both U.S. Domestic Enforcement and Global Enforcement), Reduce Demand for Illegally Traded Wildlife, and Expand International Cooperation and Commitment. Twenty-four objectives fall under these three Strategic Priorities, each including a number of Next Steps that identify discrete actions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is identified as a lead or participating agency in all 24 Implementation Plan Objectives, reflecting the commitment and history of USFWS International Affairs and Office of Law Enforcement in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. To complement and facilitate existing efforts, USFWS has developed this Notice of Funding Opportunity to provide financial assistance to projects that advance counter-wildlife trafficking activities (wildlife defined to include terrestrial and aquatic species and timber) as outlined in the Next Steps of the National Strategys Implementation Plan

With this Dear Colleague Letter, NSF is providing advance notice of a change in the eligibility of prospective applicants to the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) to allow the community to plan accordingly. Effective as of the 2017 competition (Fall 2016 deadlines), NSF will limit graduate students to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school. No change is made to the eligibility of undergraduates, of bachelor's degree holders without any graduate study, or of individuals who have had an interruption in graduate study of at least two consecutive years.

The Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic salmon is one of the eight critically endangered species included in the "Species in the Spotlight: Survive to Thrive" initiative. This new initiative involves targeted efforts vital for stabilizing these species and preventing their extinction. We are soliciting competitive proposals for grants and cooperative agreements that work to address any of the four key actions identified in the Priority Action plan for Atlantic salmon. Total funding available under this notice is not anticipated to exceed $300,000. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2016 Federal appropriations. Award amounts will be determined by the proposals and available funds; one or more awards may be granted.

In September, Miami received notice from the government that our new F&A rates are: 44.5% for On Campus Organized Research 44.0% On Campus Sponsored Instruction 39.0% On Campus Other Sponsored Activities 26.0% Off Campus All Programs These rates are effective beginning September 1, 2014. Awards received beginning in September and all proposal submissions going forward will be required to use the new rates.

Under this APS, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) will consider applications for the development and dissemination of Supporting Emergency Agriculture Design and Standards (SEADS). Applicant Eligibility Information for this award is described in Section C of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO). Subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to award a single Cooperative Agreement to a responsible applicant whose application best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity and the selection criteria contained herein. USAID reserves the right to fund one or more or none of the applications submitted.

The primary objective of the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program is to provide technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups through cooperatives and Cooperative Development Centers. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a Notice published in the Federal Register and an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

USAID intends to award one Cooperative Agreement in the form of a Leader with Associates (LWA) mechanism pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. This NFO seeks applications from organizations with demonstrated expertise in seed systems and proven management capabilities with the broad range of needed seed-related support services as well as innovative tools, approaches, information, and methods to develop and deploy those critical support services. The goal of Seed Systems Support Activity (S3A) is to enhance farmers' access to a full range of seed choices and options to maximize their responsive decision making and planning for production. The Activity seeks to improve functioning of national seed sector in Feed the Future countries and in countries with resilience and emergency seed security programs.

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2019 Quality Samples Program (QSP). The QSP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of CCC. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit proposals from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2019 and to set out the criteria for the awarding of funds under the program. Future announcements of funding availability for the QSP program will be made through the Grants.gov website. DATES: To be considered for funding, applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on Friday, June 8, 2018. Any proposals received after that date will be considered only if funds remain available. FAS anticipates that the initial funding selections will be made by the end of December 2018, with the initial award dates estimated to be by the end of February 2019.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2019 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. The TASC program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of CCC. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit proposals from the U.S. private sector and government agencies for fiscal year 2019 and to set out the criteria for the awarding of funds under the program. Future announcements of funding availability for the TASC program will be made through the Grants.gov website.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2019 Emerging Markets Program (EMP). The EMP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of CCC. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit proposals from the private sector and from government agencies for fiscal year 2019 and to set out the criteria for the awarding of funds under the program. Future announcements of funding availability for the EMP will be made through the Grants.gov website.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Food Security (BFS), Office of Strategic Planning and Program Management (SPPM), Monitoring and Evaluation Division (MEL), invites applications for funding from qualified U.S. and non-U.S., non-profit or for-profit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations to carry out activities that develop, test or apply innovative methods for monitoring or evaluating Feed the Future/Global Food Security Strategy activities or programs. This Notice of Funding Opportunity serves as BFS's Monitoring and Evaluation team's Annual Program Statements (APS). An APS is issued when USAID intends to support a variety of creative approaches towards developing methodologies to assess and implement development objective activities. The purpose of this APS is to disseminate information to prospective applicants so that they may develop and submit applications for USAID funding. This APS: (a) describes the types of activities for which applications will be considered; (b) describes the funding available and the process and requirements for submitting Concept Papers and applications; (c) explains the criteria for evaluating Concept Papers and applications; and (d) refers prospective applicants to relevant documentation available on the internet.

U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) requests a three year cooperative agreement for a project titled: "Assessing the impact of future climate on Hawaii's aquatic ecosystems." NCCWSC synthesizes and integrates climate change impact data and develops tools that the Department of Interior's managers and partners can use when managing the Department's land, water, fish and wildlife, and cultural heritage resources.

The following programs have due dates that fall between October 1 - 25, 2013, and these dates are being revised due to the Federal  government shutdown. These revised dates apply whether the proposal is being submitted via the NSF FastLane System or  Grants.gov. Due to compressed proposal deadlines resulting from the shutdown, proposers are advised that they may experience a  delay when contacting IT Help Central with technical support questions. Frequently asked questions regarding these date changes  are available on the Resumption of Operations page on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/postshutdown.jsp. 

We are pleased to announce that the new OARS website is up and running (although the new Research Compliance and Undergraduate Research sections are still in development).   If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, we hope you will soon.  Once you've visited, we'd be grateful if you'd give us five minutes of your time to let us know how we're doing by completing a brief eight-question survey at https://miamioh.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_erhRsEFwwWVP6m1 Finally, don't forget to update any bookmarks you may have to material on our old website!

For fiscal year (FY) 2015, BRDI will require that funded projects address only one (1) of the following three (3) legislatively mandated technical areas: 1. Feedstocks development - The intent of this Topic Area is to address research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities regarding feedstocks and feedstock logistics (including harvest, handling, transport, preprocessing, and storage) relevant to production of raw materials for conversion to biofuels and biobased products. The BRDI program is designed to support near-term commercial systems. Projects should emphasize development and optimization of existing feedstocks that will be available for testing and demonstration during the life of the project. Proposals that include breeding or genetic improvement of feedstocks should reconcile this work with the Program's emphasis on near-term impacts. 2. Biofuels and biobased products development - The intent of this Topic Area is to address RD&D activities to support (i) development of diverse cost-effective technologies for the use of cellulosic biomass in the production of biofuels, bioenergy, and biobased products; and, (ii) product diversification through technologies relevant to the production of a range of biobased products (including chemicals, animal feeds, and cogeneration power) that potentially can increase the feasibility of fuel production in a biorefinery. 3. Biofuels development analysis - The intent of this Topic Area is to apply systems evaluation methods that can be used to optimize system performance and market potential and to quantify the project's impact on sustainability; therefore, successful applications will consider the lifecycle (cradle-to-grave) impacts including environmental, social, and economic implications that are attributable to the project. Successful projects should include these sustainability data in engineering process models and be used over the life of the project to improve the system and quantify sust

Water and salt management are vital to agricultural sustainability in Yuma, Arizona, which is located within the Lower Colorado River Basin. Irrigation water contains salts and because the shallow ground water in the valleys, which fluxes up through the fine textured soil by capillarity, also contains salts, some level of excess irrigation (beyond consumptive use) must be applied to leach salts below the crop root zone. Effective leaching is especially important in the Lower Colorado River Basin because many of the crops produced are sensitive to salinity. To reduce risk of loss of crop yield, there is some level of excess irrigation (beyond crop consumptive use) that must be applied to leach salts below the crop root zone.

The EMP is established to develop, maintain, or expand markets for exports of United States agricultural commodities and to promote cooperation and exchange of information between agricultural institutions and agribusinesses in the United States and emerging markets. The EMP assists U.S. entities in developing, maintaining, or expanding exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products by funding activities that enhance emerging markets' food and rural business systems, including reducing trade barriers. The EMP is intended primarily to support export market development efforts of the private sector, but EMP resources may also be used to assist public organizations. The EMP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation.