Grants for State governments - Agriculture

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Funding Opportunity Title: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Classic for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2024 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPP-24-NOFO0001354 Assistance Listing: 10.932, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Due Date: NRCS must receive proposals by 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12, 2024. Note: The RCPP Classic and Alternative Funding Arrangement (AFA) FY 2024 notices of funding opportunity (NFO) will run concurrently. For information on AFA proposals please see Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NRCS-NHQ-RCPPAFA-24-NOFO0001355. The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services. Using guidance contained in this notice, partners propose projects that generate conservation benefits by addressing specific natural resource concerns in a state or multistate area by addressing one or more priority resource concerns within an NRCS-designated critical conservation area (CCA). NRCS and partners collaborate to design, promote, and implement RCPP projects on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land. Through RCPP, NRCS may provide both financial assistance (FA) and technical assistance (TA) funds to project partners and agricultural producers for implementing projects. RCPP proposals are evaluated through a competitive proposal process based on three criteria: impact, partner contributions, and partnership and management. Up to $1.5 billion is available for RCPP projects through this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement, which includes $300 million of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) funding and $1.2 billion of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Proposals are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and U.S. territories in the Pacific Island Areas (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS will prioritize using IRA funds for projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture and forestry conservation activities as described in section F.(3)a. of this announcement. Up to $100 million is being made available specifically for NRCS to enter into programmatic partnership agreements with Indian tribes. This set aside will be shared by this announcement and the FY 2024 AFA announcement. Any unused funds may be available for other partnership agreements. Submissions: Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal. See section E of this announcement for information on using the RCPP portal to submit proposals. Access to the RCPP portal requires a level 2 eAuthentication credential or a Login.gov credential. Obtaining a new Login.gov credential involves multiple steps and can take several days to complete. Instructions are posted on the How to Apply to RCPP web page listed below. For More Information: Applicants are expected to contact the appropriate State Conservationists and state RCPP coordinators prior to submitting a proposal. NRCS will use a state conservation questionnaire to record the results of this conversation. Proposals without a completed questionnaire may have their score and ranking reduced. A list of state RCPP coordinators (as of the date of this announcements posting) is on the NRCS How to Apply to RCPP web page. Applicants can also email the RCPP inbox ([email protected]) with any questions about the announcement. The RCPP website is also a great source of current information about the program. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in one or more of the webinars below to learn about the program and how to apply. 2024 RCPP NFO Applicant Outreach Webinar This webinar will provide general information for applicants submitting proposals for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The same material will be covered at both webinars followed by a question-and-answer section. Please refer to the RCPP website for more information. Regional Conservation Partnership Program Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) April 23, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/e2f45f75-7ea4-410b-b1c9-567537cd2454@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 May 30, 2024, RCPP Applicant Outreach Webinar Registration Link 2pm to 4pm EDT - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/226dcb51-0b57-43b1-b340-95e535238713@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697 NRCS will schedule additional webinars on RCPP easements and providing outreach to tribal applicants. Information on all webinars will be posted to the RCPP how to apply page.

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe 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 to assist with conducting important coastal restoration throughout Massachusetts. NRCS recognizes the importance of shellfish, salt marsh, and eelgrass restoration and the beneficial outcomes it can have on the environment and climate change. Restoration of rare and declining communities, including coastal habitats has been an underutilized practice in Massachusetts. This agreement will be used to encourage the restoration of coastal habitats through the use of this NRCS practice by conducting outreach, providing training, identifying and completing projects, and monitoring of outcomes.NRCS-Massachusetts is making a funding opportunity available for applicants to submit proposals with an award ceiling of $600,000 and a minimum project award of $300,000. NRCS will be awarding a cooperative agreement for up to a five-year period. If, in coordination with NRCS, additional resources are needed at a rate that exceeds this schedule, NRCS may add funds to this agreement to support continued partnership over the performance period.The primary goal is to expand coastal restoration to NRCS customers throughout eastern Massachusetts. The project list ranges in size from less than an acre private or leased property to several hundred-acre private properties. Applicants will identify the average number of projects they could complete with a minimum of five being acceptable for this agreement. NRCS will work with the selected applicant to make the choice of priority restoration sites each year of the agreement based on interest and need. Applicants will be required to hold 1-2 restoration trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to expand their knowledge on the subject. Applicants should provide a list of training ideas to NRCS for the length of the agreement. Applicants will be awarded based on the specified scoring criteria in Section E of this announcement. Eligible applicants are identified in Section C of this announcement. Applicants should be familiar with all applicable state, federal, local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to coastal restoration in the locales of Massachusetts.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024, and expects to execute awards by August 15, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

This program provides funding to Wisconsin farmers and their partners to conduct research on improving nitrogen use in agriculture through collaborative field studies.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local governments and nonprofit organizations for projects that improve tourism facilities and enhance visitor experiences in Tillamook County.

This funding opportunity supports researchers in developing innovative tools that can speed up drug development and improve regulatory processes, ultimately enhancing public health by facilitating faster access to effective treatments.

The Texas Water Development Board's Agricultural Water Conservation Program focuses on promoting water conservation in the agricultural sector through various initiatives, including Ag Conservation Loans and Grants. These efforts aim to support infrastructure improvements and innovative practices for efficient water use among political subdivisions, state agencies, and producers. The grant program offers up to $1.5 million annually, encouraging applications from political subdivisions and state agencies, with producers also eligible to participate in projects. A local match, typically 50%, is required. The program emphasizes collaboration with stakeholders to implement best management practices, education, and outreach to optimize irrigation efficiency and water conservation across Texas.

This funding opportunity supports Arizona grain producers by financing research projects that address production challenges and promote sustainable practices in the grain industry.

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production in the United States and its territories. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands. The CIG program is not a NRCS producer financial assistance program. Project outcomes should benefit a region of a state or the entire state and not just benefit one farm. NRCS will prioritize projects that will implement climate-smart agriculture conservation activities which are targeted to assist agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forestland owners in directly improving soil carbon, reducing nitrogen losses, or reducing, capturing, avoiding, or sequestering carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production. All CIG projects must involve EQIP-eligible producers that meet EQIPs eligibility requirements listed in 7 CFR 1466.6(b)(1) through (3).

This funding opportunity provides financial support to government entities, non-profit organizations, and universities in Michigan for projects aimed at preventing, detecting, managing, and eradicating invasive species in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

This grant provides up to $750,000 in matching funds to public entities for the cleanup and restoration of local landfill sites, with the aim of protecting public health, safety, and the environment.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary NRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the state of Kansas. A total of up to $250,000 is available for the Kansas CIG competition in FY 2024. All non-Foreign, non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2024 is $125,000. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Friday, September 06, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by November 29, 2024, and expects to execute awards by February 01, 2025. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Background The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the public health by ensuring that medical products intended to be marketed in the United States are safe and effective for their intended use. FDA stakeholders are exploring innovative ways to produce scientific evidence in support of regulatory submissions, including the development of new data sources, study designs, methodologies, and technologies. FDA encourages and facilitates the use of such innovative approaches while ensuring that the scientific evidence supporting marketing approvals meet our high evidentiary standards. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act VII (PDUFA VII) commitment letter represents the product of discussions between the FDA, regulated industry, and public stakeholders, as mandated by Congress. The performance and procedural goals and other commitments specified in the PDUFA VII commitment letter apply to aspects of the human drug review program that are important for facilitating timely access to safe, effective, and innovative new medicines for patients. The commitment letter includes goals relating to the use of digital health technologies (DHTs) to support drug development and review. A DHT is a system that uses computing platforms, connectivity, software, and/or sensors, for health care and related uses. DHTs for remote data acquisition in clinical investigations can include hardware and/or software to perform one or more functions. DHTs may rely on or work with other technologies that support their operation, such as general-purpose computing platforms (e.g., smartphones) and communication networks. Among other activities relating to the use of DHTs, FDA has established a Framework for the Use of DHTs in Drug and Biological Product Development to guide the use of DHT-derived data in regulatory decision-making for drugs (hereinafter Framework ). The Framework highlights FDA’s DHT efforts including workshops and demonstration projects; engagement with stakeholders; establishment of internal processes to support the evaluation of DHTs for use in drug development; promotion of shared learning and consistency regarding DHT-based policy, procedure, and analytic tool development; and publication of guidance documents. In addition, FDA’s webpage DHTs for Drug Development (available at: https://www.fda.gov/science-research/science-and-research-special-topics/digital-health-technologies-dhts-drug-development) provides an overview of the ongoing DHT efforts, including demonstration projects. A variety of project types are welcomed under this NOFO, applicable to drugs and biologics (not devices). FDA is particularly interested in projects that evaluate the use of DHTs in drug development. Project Objectives The overarching goal of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to explore the role of DHTs (e.g., actigraphy, photography, environmental sensors) in the evaluation of new drugs. These projects may involve engagement with researchers from academia, the biopharmaceutical industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders. The objectives of these projects are to advance DHTs for clinical drug development, expand the ability to capture early manifestations of chronic diseases, determine outcomes in populations with unmet medical needs and enhance convenience for trial participants by allowing for remote data acquisition in clinical investigations. The scope includes, but is not limited to, projects that focus on: Comparing digital measurements to traditional measurements in clinical trials to evaluate drugs Developing and evaluating novel endpoints using DHTs to address unmet needs for drug clinical trials (e.g., use of environmental sensors to capture apnea in pediatric patients) Comparing metrics to evaluate continuous measurements (e.g., maximum activity and stamina) Capturing early manifestations of chronic diseases (e.g., dementia) through the use of DHTs

This program provides funding to Illinois-based nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities to enhance the specialty crop industry, focusing on food safety, research, and support for underserved farmers.

The purpose of the SNAP Fraud Framework Implementation Grant Program is to support State agency efforts to improve and expand recipient fraud prevention, detection, and investigation efforts using the procedures, ideas and practices outlined in the SNAP Fraud Framework.Organizational Management: This objective aims to help States establish and communicate priorities, organize employees, and manage both large-scale and day-to-day processes. Many of the concepts described in this component are the foundation for successful program integrity initiatives.Performance Measurement: This objective offers recommendations encouraging States to consistently capture and analyze their own performance.Recipient Integrity Education: This objective provides targeted integrity education initiatives to help ensure recipients have the necessary information and tools to use SNAP benefits as intendedpreventing fraud before it occurs. When producing recipient integrity education materials, States are encouraged to educate the public and applicants about SNAP fraud, rather than emphasize the consequences as a deterrent to applying.Fraud Detection: Here, the SNAP Fraud Framework stresses the importance of proactively detecting fraud from the application process and continuing throughout the recipients time in the Program.Investigations and Dispositions: This objective aims to provide states with tools and suggestions to improve fraud case management from initial fraud referral through disposition.Analytics and Data Management: This objective details the necessary people, processes, and technology to launch and maintain an analytics capability. Data analytics can play a valuable role in preventing, detecting, and investigating SNAP fraud.Learning and Development: The final objective contains recommendations for States to invest in training and professional development opportunities to promote employee engagement and to ensure employees are aware of new and emerging trends in fraud.Please read the entire request for applications (RFA) for additional information.

The Tourist Development Council Arts, Culture & Heritage (ACH) funding program, administered by the St. Johns Cultural Council, aims to bolster the economic impact of local tourism. Its core mission is to encourage exceptional arts, culture, and heritage programming while enhancing advertising and promotion for these tourism opportunities. This aligns with a broader strategy to position St. Johns County as a culturally rich and vibrant destination, utilizing a portion of the Tourist Development Tax to support relevant operations and promotions that specifically attract visitors. The program targets organizations and events within St. Johns County that are dedicated to arts, culture, or heritage and primarily seek to draw tourists. Beneficiaries include for-profit businesses, private institutions of higher education, and municipalities that are qualified to operate in Florida. The ultimate impact goal is to increase the positive economic contributions of tourism through cultural engagement. The ACH Grant Program prioritizes activities that attract visitors, evidenced by promotion to tourists. It offers two main funding options: "Out-of-Area Marketing Support" for existing, unchanged events or programs, and "Program and Marketing Support" for new or significantly improved programs/events. A significant focus is on marketing efforts that reach audiences outside St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam, Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties, with reimbursement based on the percentage of documented out-of-area reach. Expected outcomes include enhanced advertising and promotion of St. Johns County's cultural offerings, leading to a greater influx of tourists. Measurable results will likely be tied to the documented out-of-area reach of marketing campaigns and the overall increase in tourism-related economic activity within the county. The program's strategic priority is to leverage arts, culture, and heritage as key drivers for tourism, thereby contributing to the county's economic vitality.

This funding opportunity supports clinical trials aimed at developing new therapies for rare neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, and is open to a wide range of eligible organizations, including universities and nonprofits.

Dates: Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 12, 2024, through Grants.gov. Applications received after this date may be considered if funds are available.Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA), requests applications for the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program, collectively referred to as the OCCSP, for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The purpose of the OCCSP awards is to defray the costs of receiving and maintaining organic certification.In FY 2024, the available funding for these two programs is approximately $9.5 million for the NOCCSP and $943,000 for the AMA. FSA awards the OCCSP funds to eligible State Agencies* that serve as administering entities, to reimburse organic operations for specific organic certification costs. This is the initial request for applications, which outlines the eligibility and performance criteria for State Agencies seeking NOCCSP and AMA funding in FY 2024. For eligible certification costs incurred from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, organic operations may request reimbursement until October 31, 2024, unless the State Agency requests and receives approval for a different application deadline. The State Agencies may provide reimbursements to certified organic operators for 75% of the operations total allowable certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope: crops, livestock, wild crops, handling (i.e., processing), and State Organic Program fees. * The use of State Agencies throughout this document refers to the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. Territories including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

This funding opportunity provides up to $100 million to various organizations for innovative projects aimed at developing vaccines, therapeutics, and research strategies to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza in the U.S. poultry industry.

This program provides funding for research and projects that improve food safety, agricultural productivity, and sustainability, targeting academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations involved in agriculture and food sciences.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2024. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. The purpose of this NFO is to encourage and promote conservation planning and conservation practice implementation in urban, suburban, and other small-scale type agricultural operations. Emphasis will be placed on projects that establish new demonstration community gardens, or enhance and expand existing community agriculture projects. Proposals should seek to: 1. Provide conservation learning experiences to urban, suburban, and Tribal communities. 2. Address concerns regarding food deserts. 3. Advance Tribal food sovereignty. 4. Achieve positive and measurable natural resources conservation outcomes. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 22, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by June 21, 2024 and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.