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The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Iowa is requesting proposals to provide implementation of restoration activities on eligible Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetlands Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE). With the signing of the 2014 Farm Bill, the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) was de-authorized and program purposes were assimilated into ACEP-WRE. While both WRP and ACEP-WRE easements will undergo wetland restoration activities under this agreement, for consistency with current program offerings all references from this point forward will be made to ACEP-WRE. The objective of ACEP-WRE is to provide technical and financial assistance to landowners in planning, designing and implementing wetland and associated upland restoration plans that maximize wildlife habitat in wetland systems, as well as provide water quality improvements, reduced soil erosion, reduced impacts of flooding and provide wildlife habitat opportunities for threatened and endangered species. Applicants will be responsible for assisting NRCS and landowners by providing technical assistance necessary to implement ACEP-WRE restoration plans, while at the same time improving and protecting wetland habitat for environmental benefits. Performance may include any part or all operations necessary to implement, provide inspection, and management activities for various wetland restoration and enhancement practices and other related conservation practices that meet NRCS standards and specifications.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the  Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) under which the Secretary of Agriculture may make competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension to address food and agricultural sciences (as defined under section 1404 of the National  Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3103)), as amended, in six priority areas. The six priority areas include: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food  safety, nutrition, and health; 4) renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities. 

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. 

This Challenge Area Focuses on the societal challenge to end obesity among children, the number one nutrition-related problem in the US. Food is an integral part of the process that leads to obesity and USDA has a unique responsibility for the food system in the United States. This program is designed to achieve the long-term outcome of reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents 2-19 years. The Childhood Obesity Prevention Program supports Multi-function Integrated Research, Education, and/or Extension Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants.

FDA announces the availability of funding and requests applications for Grants to Enhance Food Safety: National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Competitive Grants Program for fiscal year (FY) 2015 to address the needs of small and medium-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers, especially as they relate to the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  Projects will help increase their understanding and adoption of established food safety standards, guidance, and protocols. Projects will also facilitate the integration of food safety standards and guidance with a variety of agricultural production systems, encompassing conventional, sustainable, organic, and conservation and environmental practices.

Help create a sustainable, competitive, and healthy US food system. Use USDA data to create working, interactive applications to get farmers the information they need - and help feed America. What to Create: Submit a working, interactive application that integrates one or more of the required USDA datasets.  Static data visualizations will not be eligible. Applications must include interactive functionality (e.g. the user can change parameters to update the visualization and/or result). Eligible Platforms: Smartphone or tablet (iOS, Android, Blackberry, Kindle, Windows 8 Mobile) Web (mobile or desktop) Desktop (Windows PC, Mac Desktop) Software running on other publicly available hardware (including, but not exclusive to, wearable technology, open source hardware, etc.) Supplemental Material: You must submit a demo video (hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku) that walks through the main functionality of the application via screencast or video. You must also submit a text description and at least one image/screenshot of your working application. Testing: You must make your app available for testing by providing a link to access your installation file, an uploaded installation file, a beta distribution build, etc. See full testing access options. New & Existing Solutions: Apps may be newly created or pre-existing. If the submitted app existed prior to the competition's submission start date, it must have been updated to integrate the required USDA data during the submission period.

The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics; Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing); new innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops.

The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.

FSMIP provides matching funds on a competitive basis to assist eligible entities explore new market opportunities and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U.S. agricultural marketing system. The 2016 allocation for grants is approximately $1 million. Proposals may focus on addressing barriers, overcoming challenges or realizing opportunities manifesting at any stage of the marketing chain including direct, wholesale, and retail. Proposals must have a strong marketing focus, must involve research, and the primary beneficiaries must be agricultural producers and agribusinesses. Proposals that involve training or education programs must include a research component that tests the effects of the program on the marketing goals. Proposals may involve small, medium or large scale agricultural entities but should benefit multiple producers or agribusinesses. Proposals that benefit one agribusiness or individual will not be considered. Proposals that address issues of importance at the State, multi-State, or national level are appropriate for FSMIP. Of particular interest are proposals that reflect a collaborative approach between the States, academia, the farm sector and other appropriate entities and stakeholders. FSMIP will also consider unique proposals on a smaller scale that may serve as pilot projects or case studies useful as models for others. Such proposals should include an objective to analyze opportunities and formulate recommendations with regard to how the project could be scaled up or expanded to other regions. FSMIP will hold a teleconference to review the Request for Applications and answer questions on Thursday, March 24 at 2:00 pm Eastern time. If you would like to participate in the teleconference, please send an email to janise.zygmont@ams.usda.gov to receive instructions.

The AFRI Foundational Program is offered to support research grants in the six AFRI priority areas to continue building a foundation of knowledge critical for solving current and future societal challenges. The six priority areas are: 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; and Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities. Single-function Research Projects, multi-function Integrated Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants are expected to address one of the Program Area Priorities (see Foundational Program RFA for details).

The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry (as defined in Part VIII, D of the RFA) by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.

The Noble Research Institute is accepting applications for its 2019 Lloyd Noble Scholars in Agriculture program, which provides students with the opportunity to work alongside agricultural professionals at one of the nation's foremost agricultural research organizations. The Noble Research Institute offers opportunities in its core areas of expertise: animal science and livestock management (emphasis on forage-based ruminant systems), agricultural economics, agronomy, horticulture, range management, soils and crops, and wildlife and fisheries. Scholars work alongside agricultural researchers and consultants who assist farmers, ranchers, and other land owners operating in the cattle belt of the Southern Great Plains to attain financial, production, and quality-of-life goals. Scholars will develop valuable applied agriculture skills, interact with and assist in identifying solutions to real-world issues encountered by producers, and further enhance communication and leadership skills necessary to be effective advocates for agriculture. The objective of the scholar experience is to provide participants a competitive advantage in the development of a career in a leading agricultural field of study, thus enabling them to positively impact the agriculture industry of tomorrow. At the conclusion of the summer program, scholars present their findings to the Noble Research Institute agriculture and research community.

We invite entrepreneurs, researchers, and advocates to submit their business, research, or policy proposals for funding consideration. Submissions will be reviewed by experts who will provide issuespecific insights and vet applications for boldness, viability, and impact. Best-in-class candidates will be selected to receive equity and debt financing for their businesses. A cash prize will be awarded to Soil GroundBreakers - rising stars working in research, social enterprise, or advocacy. GroundBreaker nominations will be accepted from FoodShot's diverse community of partners and aligned organizations, including a range of food system innovators, investors, and thought leaders.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Partnerships and Operational Policy (OPOP), Office of Partnerships (OP), is announcing the availability of up to $2,100,000 in FY 2019 to be awarded under Limited Competition to State animal food regulatory programs.  The intended outcome of this FOA is to advance efforts for a nationally integrated animal food safety system through the implementation and advancement of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) by State animal food regulatory programs. The AFRPS allows for the development of risk-based animal food safety programs by establishing a uniform basis for measuring and improving the performance of State animal food regulatory programs in the Unites States.  By achieving and sustaining implementation of these program Standards, Federal and State food regulatory programs can better direct their regulatory activities toward reducing foodborne illness attributed to animal food safety hazards in animal food material/supply facilities.  Consequently, the safety and security of the United States animal food supply will improve.

The overall goal of the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) is to support the development and implementation of research, extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices. NIFA administers the ORG program by determining priorities in U.S. agriculture through Agency stakeholder input processes in consultation with the NAREEEAB. ORG will continue to prioritize environmental services provided by organic farming systems in the area of soil conservation, pollinator health, and climate change mitigation, including greenhouse gases (GHG), as well as the development of educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other agricultural professionals who advise producers on organic practices, and development of cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from the National Organic Program's National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. It is expected that all projects will integrate research, education and extension activities, as appropriate to project goals, although some projects may be weighted more heavily than others in one or more of these areas. However, all proposals should have activities and impact in research and at least one of the other areas: education and extension.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announces funding for the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP). Organizations funded under RAPP implement strategies that encourage the development of agricultural and food systems related services that will improve the livelihoods, physically and economically, of refugee families. These strategies work to provide sustainable and/or supplemental income, improved access to healthy foods and better nutrition, psychosocial development, and enhanced integration into communities by refugee families. Required activities under RAPP include: 1) Access to land; 2) Farming Production; 3) Training and Technical Assistance; and 4) Coordination with the Refugee Resettlement Community.

The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program seeks to: (a) promote and strengthen secondary education and two-year postsecondary education in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences in order to help ensure the existence of a workforce in the United States that's qualified to serve the FANH sciences system; and (b) promote complementary and synergistic linkages among secondary, two-year postsecondary, and higher education programs in the FANH sciences in order to advance excellence in education and encourage more young Americans to pursue and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in the FANH sciences.

The purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within a broadly defined arena of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. Priority will be given to those projects that enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and maximize the development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs.

The Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to increase yields and quality; improve harvest and storage systems; develop methods to estimate forage yield and quality to support marketing and reduce producer risks; explore new and novel uses for alfalfa; and conduct life cycle analysis to enhance field to market opportunities.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is issued to announce the availability of a Cooperative Agreement designed to assist the FDA in developing, implementing, and improving a nationally consistent system of support which facilitates the implementation of state and territorial produce safety regulatory programs that are modernized and aligned with the standards set forth in the FDA's Regulation: "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption" (commonly referred to as the Produce Safety Rule). This goal shall be accomplished in partnership with the FDA by identifying, generating, sharing, and leveraging resources and information which aid in the development and implementation of national, state, and territorial produce safety regulatory programs that are nationally uniform and consistent with the Produce Safety Rule, and which improve their effectiveness and enhance their capabilities.