The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP) for fiscal year (FY) 2023 to implement applied programs that serve public needs in preparation for, during, and after a disaster or disaster threat.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/06/2023
Size of the Grant: $150,000
Grant Duration: 24-36 months
Details:
This program supports innovative, education-based approaches to address disaster preparedness and specific responses related to disasters or disaster threats caused by natural, human-made, or technological hazards, or by other factors that contribute to the exposure or vulnerability of a community.
The purpose of the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP), Assistance is to support innovative, education-based approaches to address disaster preparedness and specific responses related to disasters or disaster threats caused by natural, human-made, or technological hazards, or by other factors that contribute to the exposure or vulnerability of a community. The goals and objectives of SLSNCGP include supporting quality of life in communities across the United States by addressing disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation in food and agricultural systems. The SLSNCGP also seeks to continue to provide information and resources to USDA stakeholders and collaborators to improve decision-making before, during, and after disasters.
Grant funds will support innovative extension education initiatives that address risks, hazards, and threats that may lead to disasters. The SLSNCGP enables the Cooperative Extension System (CES) to assist in preparing for, providing an educational response to, recovering from, and mitigating disasters and disaster threats. Types of hazards and disaster-related projects that were funded in previous years included uncertainties caused by losses of economic infrastructure, extreme weather or other disasters, security breaches, human disease, volunteerism, local coordination, or high consequence animal diseases and plant pests. The SLSNCGP promotes awareness and capacity building of urban and rural communities’ response to disasters by strengthening individual, family, farm, and small business disaster preparedness, particularly for those who have been historically underserved, through education and collaborations with other agencies/volunteer organizations.
- Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources, and Communities
- Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous
- Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities
NIFA intends to fund SLSNCGP projects to implement applied extension programs that serve public needs in preparation for, during, and after disaster or disaster threats. Regional, multistate, or national efforts are prioritized. Highly replicable single-state projects may be considered if they have a strong plan for scalability and transferring successful methods to other states.
NIFA is soliciting applications for SLSNCGP national, regional, multi-state, or state projects under the following key areas:
- Education and technical assistance
- Inter-disciplinary education, training, and technical assistance programs and demonstration projects
- Long-range family, farm, and community planning projects
- Food security and health equity projects
- Communication delivery of key information
To be considered for funding, projects must support extension activities through at least one of the following strategies:
- Enhance networks
- Provide communications leadership
- Develop and/or strengthen partnerships
- Deliver extension education
Project Types
NIFA is soliciting applications for SLSNCGP national, regional, multistate, or state projects under the following areas:
- Extension Standard
- Extension Planning
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $462,000
- Standard Grant: $150,000
- Planning Grant: $15,000
Project Duration
- Standard Grant: 24-36 Months
- Planning Grant: 12 months
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for the for the SLSNCGP (Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grant Program) must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
Applications may only be submitted by 1862 land-grant institutions in the 50 states and the U.S. territories, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. The 1862 land-grant institutions may partner with each other as well as with other land-grant institutions (e.g., 1890s and 1994s), nonland-grant institutions, and non-governmental organizations within their state or their region on joint proposals.
Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – Duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
