ANR Update

EPA: Stop use of pesticide Dacthal (DCPA)

We wish to inform you that the EPA has issued an emergency order suspending the registrations of all pesticide products that contain DCPA (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate), also known as Dacthal. This order will prohibit the use of existing stocks of DCPA for any purpose, effective immediately. This decision has been made in response to its identified health risks, recent health assessments, and safety evaluations that highlight the potential dangers associated with DCPA.

Therefore, all UC locations systemwide must immediately cease all uses of DCPA. There is no phase-out or “grace period” for existing stocks. 

Health effects of DCPA:

DCPA has been linked to several adverse health effects, including but not limited to:

• Respiratory Issues: Prolonged or high-level exposure can cause respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
• Skin and Eye Irritation: Direct contact with DCPA may lead to irritation of the skin and eyes, causing redness, itching and discomfort.
• Birth Defect: Frequent contact could harm unborn babies by altering fetal thyroid levels, leading to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills.
• Potential Carcinogenicity: Recent studies have raised concerns about the long-term cancer risks associated with DCPA exposure, particularly in environments where it is used extensively.

If your location is using pesticides, we ask that you reinspect the inventory of your pesticides immediately. If you have determined that your location has any DCPA in stock, all DCPA should be removed from your inventory by disposing of the material as hazardous waste, or by returning the unused product to the manufacturer AMVAC.

Disposal Instructions:

To ensure safe and responsible disposal of any existing DCPA products, please follow these guidelines:

1. Do Not Use: Cease any use of DCPA immediately. Do not apply or handle this substance further.
2. Contain and Store: Store any remaining DCPA in its original container, securely closed, and in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
3. Contact Local Authorities or Hazardous Waste Vendor: Reach out to your local waste management authority or your hazardous waste vendor for information on designated drop-off locations or scheduled collection services for hazardous materials.
4. Follow Proper Disposal Procedures: Ensure that the disposal process adheres to all local, state and federal regulations concerning hazardous waste.

For further information, please consult the EPA emergency order: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-17431/emergency-order-suspending-the-registrations-of-all-pesticide-products-containing-dimethyl.

Thank you for your attention in this important matter and your cooperation in adhering to this ban and contributing to a safer community environment. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please reach out to Jim Farrar (jjfarrar@ucanr.edu) at Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or Duwon Choi (dwchoi@ucanr.edu) at Risk & Safety.

Duwon Choi
Risk & Safety Specialist

Science-to-Practice Grant Program 2024-25 request for proposals

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites proposals to the Science-to-Practice (S2P) Grant Program for new projects that integrate research and extension. The S2P program provides funding to support the formation and development of teams proposing to explore innovative methods, structures, and projects that foster the translation of research into programs and outputs for dissemination and implementation.

Interdisciplinary teams of eligible participants can apply for grants up to $10,000 for one year, renewable as funding permits for up to three years. In addition, UC ANR's Research and Extension Center System will match funding levels awarded, up to $10, 000 per year, to offset the cost of any research and extension conducted at one of its nine Research and Extension Centers.

The S2P program's purpose is to foster integrated research and extension teams to address pressing, complex challenges requiring multiple perspectives and modes of knowledge. The S2P supports applied research-based activities that prioritize the development of collaborative networks in the UC ANR system across research and extension faculty, specialists and/or advisors as well as engaging partners beyond, such as practitioners, decisionmakers and thought leaders in the field.

Eligibility

The team must be composed of a research leader and an extension leader, both of whom will serve as the principal investigators co-leading the project. Team leadership must meet the following criteria:

1.    Research PI must be a faulty member (tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure-track)with a research appointment in one of the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) designated campuses and have an active Hatch or USDA multistate project.

2.    Extension PI must be a Cooperative Extension specialist or advisor.

Additional participants are encouraged and may be from UC ANR, from other UC-affiliated campuses or from outside the university. All funds must be used to directly support UC ANR activities and personnel. Funds cannot be used to support graduate students, employees or other persons not employed by or not enrolled in a UC ANR program.

Proposal Requirements

The full proposal will be submitted online as a PDF. The required components are outlined below with page limits and guidelines.

Proposal information:

A.    Project Participants

1. Designate only the research and extension principal investigators who will co-lead the project. Refer to the eligibility requirements stated above.

           i. Applicant may be either research or extension lead; include the other project lead in the “Co-Applicant” field.

           ii. Include the two project leads and all other team participants in the Team Roles section.

B.    Summary (300 words maximum)

1. Summarize the integrated project, including the primary stakeholders or clientele standing to benefit by the project, a brief statement of the goal(s) and the integrative strategy.

C.    Total Research and Extension Budgets

Unified PDF must contain all the following components:

D.    Title and Project Narrative (90 points)

Three pages maximum for new proposals does not include team roles, budget and justification or references.

1. Research Component (20 points)
• What is the research problem, defined in the context of a field of research or discipline?
• What are the gaps in data or knowledge that make this project significant?
• What is this project's potential to impact knowledge advancement in a particular research field/discipline/area?
• Identify research-specific activities required to advance the integrative strategy outlined below, including defined research-related deliverables (e.g., publications, grant applications, etc.) and expected outcomes and impacts.
2. Extension Component (20 points)
• What are the learning objectives that will deliver the science-based knowledge generated through the research component?
• What is the significant public benefit of this project?
• Who will benefit from or be affected by this project?
• Identify education-specific activities required to advance the integrative strategy outlined below, including defined extension-related deliverables and expected outcomes and impacts.
3. Integrative Strategy (40 points)
• What is the strategy that combines the generation, translation, and transfer of technology and/or knowledge into practical applications or practices?
• How do the research and extension components complement one another?
• Why does this project require an integrated approach and interdisciplinary team to create societal value through research-based education relevant to identified stakeholders' needs?
• How will the identified stakeholders be engaged in the research and extension activities?
4. Project Timeline (10 points)
• Outline significant benchmarks along this project's timeline that can illustrate the team's vision and trajectory during and beyond this proposal's timeframe. The benchmarks should align with the objectives described above in the research, extension and integrative strategies.
• Identify all approvals required to complete the project (e.g., IRB, IACUC, etc.) and the timeline for obtaining them.
• This may be presented as a diagram or table.

E.     Team Member Roles (10 total points)

1. Briefly describe the roles and expertise of the research and extension PIs.
2. Include a coordination plan for integrating team members across UC ANR functions and units and university and external partners.
3. List all team members with their affiliations. Describe the role and responsibilities of each member, including how the expertise of each will contribute to the research, extension or integrated activities. A balanced team representing both research and extension is important.

F.     Budget and Justification

1. Provide a two-column budget, dividing research and extension expenses.
2. Successful projects will be awarded up to $10,000, with the funding period beginning on January 1, 2025.

          i. All budgets should be constructed so that up to $5,000 in expenses support research activities and up to $5,000 support extension activities.

          ii. If the project's research and/or extension will be conducted at a Research and Extension Center, a budget should be developed in collaboration with the specific REC Director to ensure funding levels requested are aligned with the Center's recharge rates and do not exceed $10,000 for the funding period.

          iii. Please note that submissions to this internal competition do not require the budget to be created through the UC ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OGC).

     3. Include a detailed budget justification, providing a brief description and explanation of need for costs associated with project activities.

     4. Funds used to pay part-time wage-payroll must be for activities outside of any job description currently paid for by UC ANR, or it must support work on a new activity.

          i. Part-time wage-payroll must be paid through the UC ANR system (funds cannot be transferred to county systems).

     5. All other project costs typically allowed by federal extramural sponsors are allowed in this program.

     6. Funds cannot be used for the following:

          i. Faculty salaries (including supplemental) or standing appointment salaries

          ii. Travel to professional meetings

          iii. Out-of-country travel

          iv. Equipment purchases exceeding $5,000

          v. Support of non-UC ANR personnel

     7. Funds to support personnel outside the UC ANR must be obtained from other units and require a letter of commitment from the non-UC ANR unit, submitted with the proposal as a supplemental document.

     8. Budgets are constructed for a maximum of one year and must be expended by Dec. 31, 2025. No carryover is allowed.

     9. Funded projects can be competitively renewed up to two times, for three years of support; unexpended funds in one year will not carry over. Extensions for unexpended funds are not allowed for any projects.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the following criteria:

• Presents a clear plan for building or supporting an interdisciplinary team
• Demonstrates the potential for effective strategies to integrate research and extension activities
• Proposes activities that help to initiate, advance and strengthen teams and projects to obtain extramural support
• Defines both research and extension deliverables and provides clear benchmarks for achieving expected outcomes and impacts
• Incorporates audiences traditionally not targeted
• Projects that demonstrate considerable opportunities to achieve the UC ANR mission and our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are especially encouraged
• Identifies outcomes that are easily measurable and scalable
• Contributes to the knowledge base through distribution of results that benefit other efforts.

Submission and Review Process

Full proposals must be submitted as a single PDF by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2024. Proposals are to be emailed to Brent Hales, Associate Vice President, at bdhales@ucanr.edu and to Kathryn Stein at kathryn.stein@ucop.edu.

Proposals will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers established by the Associate Vice President. Applicants will be notified of decisions by mid-November 2024.

Please direct any questions regarding your proposal to Brent Hales at bdhales@ucanr.edu.

Reporting Guidelines:

The period of performance for S2P grants will begin Jan. 1, 2025, and terminate Dec. 31, 2025. Projects may be renewed for up to three years of support. Proposals for renewal can

Be submitted in the next cycle for the S2P grants. An interim report for all awarded proposals will be due on July 15, 2025. Final reports will be due Jan. 15, 2026.

Advisory on Political Activities

Dear Colleagues,

As we enter the full swing of campaign season, now is a great time to re-post an advisory from the UC Office of General Counsel regarding political campaign activities. Please take time to review the resources below and familiarize yourself with what is/is not permissible. This is not to be taken lightly - there are state and federal laws prohibiting the use of public resources for political and campaign activities and the misuse of these resources could result in criminal and civil penalties.

The University strongly supports civic engagement by members of the University community. At the same time, we need to recognize that we are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and therefore prohibited from engaging in certain political campaign activities. UC's legal team is available to answer your questions and provide guidance.

Below is an excerpt from the UC's Office of General Counsel advisory on political activities. The full advisory is linked below.

The University strongly supports public and civic engagement by members of the University community, in both their professional and personal capacities. At the same time, as both a Section[1] 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization and a state entity, the University is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in political campaign activities: 1) supporting or opposing candidates for elective public office (“electioneering”); and 2) supporting or opposing measures that have qualified for the ballot. These restrictions apply to the activities of the University overall, as well as to activities of individual University faculty and staff acting in their capacity as representatives of the University and/or using University resources.

This advisory, previously issued in 2019, is being re-issued now in light of the upcoming election cycle to remind the University community of the applicable rules and about the importance of complying with them.

… It is important for all University employees to comply with these rules. There are potential criminal and civil penalties for misuse of public resources, and, in the case of the federal rules that govern tax-exempt charitable organizations, the University's tax-exempt status could be revoked (and/or substantial tax penalties imposed) by an activity that constitutes electioneering.

Please visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2024/02/ogc-guidance-on-political-activities.html for details.

If you have any questions, please contact UC ANR Government and Community Relations at ammegaro@ucanr.edu, (530) 750-1218 or Sheron Violini, Associate Director at sviolini@ucanr.edu, (530) 461-3441. You may also contact UC Office of General Counsel directly as posted on the advisory website.

Anne Megaro
Government and Community Relations Director

 

Letter to the UC community from President Michael V. Drake, M.D.

Dear University of California Community,

I have informed UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly that I will step down from my role as president at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. My plan is to take a sabbatical, after which I will return to the faculty.

My time with the University of California began five decades ago as a medical student at UC San Francisco. In every role since then — as a practicing physician, a faculty member, a research scientist, and an administrative leader — I have been privileged to be part of a community that champions excellence and opportunity, the pursuit of new knowledge, and public service on behalf of Californians and people everywhere.

I am immensely proud of what our students, faculty, and staff have accomplished these past several years. You have weathered a global pandemic and historic natural disasters, dealt with international conflict and domestic political uncertainty, navigated the stresses and opportunities of daily life, all while making our University stronger, more resilient, more impactful, and more inclusive than ever before. It has been my honor to serve as your president.

Over the next year, we will continue the work that we have focused on during my tenure. That includes expanding student support and creating paths to a debt-free UC education, ensuring that more California students can reap the benefits of a UC degree, building on the University's academic and research excellence, and working to promote a safe and respectful community that fosters a free exchange of ideas.

On a personal note, Brenda and I have been touched and humbled by the expressions of gratitude, encouragement, and support we have received from thousands of you over these many years. Thank you very much.

Fiat Lux!

Michael V. Drake
President of the University of California

Employee Comment: Proposed revisions to Program Attachments #3-7 to the Policy on Vaccination Programs

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on proposed Program Attachments #3–7 to the Policy on Vaccination Programs. The policy is proposed to include the following key issues:

• Students will be required to be Up-To-Date on their MMR, MenACWY, Tdap, and VZV vaccinations, provide proof of immunity for those diseases, or obtain a University-approved exception, as a condition of Physical Presence at a University Location or in a University Program. 
• Students may request exceptions to any of these vaccination requirements premised on medical contraindications, religious objections, or disability. There are no exceptions permitted for students' mandatory completion of a tuberculosis screening questionnaire to evaluate their risk of latent tuberculosis. 
• In the event that applicable law or public health orders impose stricter vaccination requirements, students would be required to comply with those stricter requirements.
• Students who are not Up-To-Date with the relevant vaccination requirements (which includes those who have been granted exceptions) or who have not satisfied the tuberculosis screening requirement may be subject to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (e.g., masks and testing) above and beyond those who have demonstrated compliance and may be excluded from the Location or site of an outbreak.
• Additionally, students who are not compliant with the vaccination programs and/or screening program must participate in any Vaccine Education required by their Location Vaccine Authority (LVA). Additional Vaccine Education may be required by the LVA in the event of an outbreak or consistent with applicable federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or accreditation standards.

The proposed revisions are posted here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/PCPA/Revisions/.

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment on this policy revision, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than Oct. 25, 2024. Please indicate “Vaccination Policy Programs” in the subject line.

 

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