Dear Colleagues,

The U.S Economic Development Administration's STEM Talent Challenge aims to build STEM talent training systems to strengthen regional innovation economies. The FY23 STEM Talent Challenge will award a total of $4.5 million in grants to organizations that are creating and implementing STEM talent development strategies that complement their region's innovation economy.  

Projects should aim to identify opportunities in high-growth potential sectors, and to expand and empower the innovation economy workforce, including by:

• Engaging regional entrepreneurs, innovators, and the organizations that support them to assess and forecast current and future talent needs and to develop collaborative solutions with work-based programs;
• Building highly skilled talent and connecting it to highly technical opportunities that foster professional development and provide continuing advanced skills training to develop the technical and scientific workforce that regional innovation initiatives need;
• Strengthening collaboration among entrepreneurs, industry leaders and employers, educational organizations, established corporations, economic and/or workforce development organizations, and the public sector to enable better access to skilled workers and to develop demand-driven workforce pipelines for the innovation economy; and
• Placing new employees into immediate job openings with regional employers in need of STEM talent.

Competition applicants may request up to $500,000 for implementation of a 24-month program. A 1:1 funding match is required.

For more information or to apply, please see STEM Talent Challenge website.

Thank you.

Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)

Dear Colleagues,

****NIFA has announced the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP) funding program to implement applied scientific programs that serve public needs in preparation for, during and after local or regional emergency situations.

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. Regional, multi-state, 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. The SLSNCGP will also fund the development of educational programs and demonstration activities focusing on disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. The most competitive proposals will provide educational and communication leadership across an optimized mix of these and other resources.

In FY23, key areas include a.) Education and technical assistance through disaster/threat training programs and demonstration projects for problem solving, especially those which build upon already existing strengths and those that contribute to or expand the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and/or extension educational materials related to disaster preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery; b.) Inter-disciplinary education, training, and technical assistance programs and demonstration projects that promote dialogue to address complex issues, societal vulnerabilities, historically underserved audiences, and cultural understanding; c.) Long-range family, farm, and community planning projects that enhance implementation of programs that serve public needs in preparation for, during, and after disasters within impacted states and across impacted regions; and d.) Food security and health equity projects that address access to nutritious, safe food and to healthy communities of opportunities in preparation for, during, and after disasters.

NIFA is offering two Extension grant types. Standard awards will not exceed $150,000 total project. The amount requested will vary depending on the geographic scope of the project (national, regional, multi-state, or state) and the urgency of the need(s) being addressed. Project periods range from 24 to 36 months. Planning Grants will not exceed $15,000 for a maximum of 12 months duration. Indirect costs are not permitted.

Applications are due April 13, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. PT.  For additional information, please review the SLSNCGP request for application: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/smith-lever-special-needs-competitive-grants-program

****NIFA requests applications for the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program for FY 2023 to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers, and maintain the national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management.

Applications must address one or both of the following objectives: 1.) Maintain and expand the already established national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management knowledge and skills for producers of a variety of crops and livestock throughout multiple regions of the United States, and 2.) Establish or expand collaborative farm management educational programs with farm organizations or associations that will contribute data to the existing national farm financial management and benchmarking database to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of all agricultural producers.  Proposed budgets must not exceed $500,000 total or request funding for more than three years.

The FBMB application deadline is April 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. PT. To apply, please see the complete request for applications: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/FY23-FBMB-RFA-508-F.pdf

****NIFA has announced $5 million in available funding for the Rural Health and Safety Education (RHSE) Competitive Grants Program to support community-based outreach education programs.  Such Human Science extension outreach programs provide individuals and families with: a.) information as to the value of good health at any age; b.) information to increase individual or family's motivation to take more responsibility for their own health; c.) information regarding rural environmental health issues that directly impact human health; d.) information about and access to health promotion and educational activities; and e.) training for volunteers and health services providers concerning health promotion and health care services for individuals and families in cooperation with state, local, and community partners. Proposals submitted to the RHSE program in FY 2023 may focus on the prevention and/or reduction of opioid and other substance misuse and abuse per Congressional guidance for this program.

The maximum award is $350,000 over a 36 month duration.

The deadline for RHSE applications is April 28, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. PT. For additional information, please review the request for applications at https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/rural-health-safety-education-competitive-grants-program

****NIFA is seeking applications to the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network (FADI-EDEN).   The goal of the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network (FADI-EDEN) program is to maximize the resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to biosecurity risks, extreme weather events and disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks.

The FADI-EDEN program will award one (1) Extension project that will address the following priorities:

1. Foster interdisciplinary and multi-state education and outreach programs
2. Build and/or enhance strategic partnerships
3. Support collaboration among state Cooperative Extension organizations
4. Facilitate coordination within the Network, including with the EDEN officers, EDEN executive committee, and USDA NIFA

The amount available for the FADI-EDEN program is approximately $382,400, with an annual renewal for a total of four years (FY 2024, FY 2025, and FY 2026) based on availability of funding in subsequent years and satisfactory performance of the project.

Required Letters of Intent are due March 23, 2023.  Applications close on May 11^th.  For more information, read the FADI-EDEN funding opportunity: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/food-agriculture-defense-initiative-extension-disaster-education-0?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Please contact the ANR Office of Contracts & Grants with any questions about these upcoming opportunities.

Thank you.

Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)

Dear Colleagues,

The FY23 UC ANR Mini-Grant Program deadline has been extended to Monday, March 6th. 

UC ANR is seeking to support collaborative projects that add value to the impact of Statewide Programs and Institutes (SWP/I) or Research and Extension Centers (REC). Projects should develop and/or support the continuum of research dissemination or curriculum development in support of SWP/I or REC efforts. Priority will be given to projects completed by June 30, 2023.

Eligibility. All ANR academics with PI status are eligible to apply.

Funding availability. Funds will be made available immediately following proposal review and selection by March 15, 2023. The entire approved budget request will be made available at that time. Priority will be given to projects that will be spent by June 30^th.  There is no guarantee that there will be funds after June 30, 2023. 

Funding restrictions.

• Funds will remain on ANR's Chart L.  Given this, please note that the funds cannot be used to buy out UC ANR employee salaries, including ANR Advisors and Specialists.
• Funds do not cover fee remission.
• The maximum award amount is $20,000 per project. 

To review the full application details, see the Mini Grant Request for Proposals. For any questions, please contact Sarah Shroyer, Business Manager, STATEWIDE PROGRAMS & REC OPS at sshroyer@ucanr.edu.

The FY23 Statewide Program and Institute Priority Areas are as follows:

Identified Priority Areas by Statewide Program

Agricultural Issues Center:

• Assessment of current knowledge of climate smart practices in the Dairy industry. Fellow to work with staff at the Agricultural Issues Center, the California Institute for Water Resources, county Dairy Advisors and industry to collect, synthesize and analyze an assessment of the use of climate smart technologies in the dairy industry. The assessment will focus on technologies available to dairy operators, costs, and use of available technologies. The results of this assessment will form the foundation for applying for grants to integrate economics and biology into a model to assess the costs and changes in greenhouse gas emissions for different management and policy scenarios.

California Naturalist Program:

• An AES faculty or UCCE Advisor to spend three months to develop detailed outline for a bioregional manuscript (5000-8000 words) as part of the ANR California Naturalist 8000 series (preferably on the Mojave, Colorado Desert, or South Coast bioregion). In addition to the publication outline, identify co-authors, potential reviewers, develop maps, graphics, and charts, and prepare a plan for completing a publication within the following 9 months.
• AES faculty who can work with our Climate Stewards Academic Coordinator to create or refine a participatory science protocol using an application/tool such as ISeeChange to collect local input and validation over time to measure and track climate impacts and data that will lead to enhanced local adaptive capacity and community resilience for our Climate Stewards partners.
• UCCE Advisor or AES faculty to co-design a Climate Stewards or California Naturalist course with a local partner organization willing to host and deliver the co-designed course for an agricultural or wildland urban interface community audience.

California 4-H Youth Development Program:

• Fellow to conduct an environmental scan of youth leadership programs/curriculum/literature; develop a youth leadership framework for youth development (4-H) to guide program development, curriculum development, and evaluation.

Community Nutrition and Health:

• Work with Director and 10+ Advisors of Community Nutrition and Health to facilitate a collaborative statewide needs assessment to guide departmental efforts into the next 3-5 years. This will involve compiling and comparing local needs assessment data.
• Work with Director and CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL), UC Director and select county based CFHL colleagues to assess equity-driven strategies and identify areas of opportunity for increased Health Equity focus.
• Work with Director and CFHL, UC Director and select county based CFHL colleagues to create a model for paid internships that will support graduate students on the campuses in nutrition, community and human development, human biology, exercise science, etc. to take on projects with the SWP leaders and or other academics in the areas of nutrition security, food systems, physical activity for vulnerable communities with an emphasis on health equity and DEI. Ideas could include having the student collaborate with partners such as a non-profit, food bank, schools, etc. to collect information, conduct interviews, etc.
• Research projects that establish a process to mine existing data to build the evidence base for a future direction of work (i.e., develop program evaluations and/or evaluation tools/infrastructure).

Informatics and GIS:

• Fellow to support analysis of data and algorithm development. Also support to cover summer salary for a “Faculty Fellow” to support intellectual innovation in the field.

Integrated Pest Management:

• An academic to provide guidance on measuring impacts at the statewide program level for human-health, environmental, and economic condition changes.

Master Gardener Program:

• Fund academics to work with UC Master Gardener Online Training Coordinator Lauren Snowden on the development of core and continuing education online training modules. Project involves an academic identifying/compiling a fully annotated PowerPoint presentation on a core topic for the UC Master Gardener Program (e.g., Introduction to Horticulture, a 4-hour training class) as well as quiz questions, handouts/worksheets, and supplemental hands-on activities associated with the course. The Online Training Coordinator will develop the e-learning module and work with the academic to edit/iterate until a final product is available. In addition to an annotated PowerPoint, quizzes, handouts/worksheets, and hands-on activities, the academic will identify images, and be available for filming various training components.
• Working with UC Master Gardener Marketing/Communication Coordinator, lead review and organization of gardening intellectual property hosted online as part of the Integrated Web Project. Funds could be awarded to cover single or multiple sections based on academic's areas of expertise. This project includes integrating California Master Gardener Handbook content with currently online intellectual property. Secondary benefit of this project is capturing edits/additions to the California Master Gardener Handbook (so there will be an authorship opportunity for the individuals engaged in this effort as well).
• Working with UC Master Gardener Statewide Training Coordinator, create and deploy statewide toolkits based on academic's research to support UC Master Gardener volunteer programming. Toolkit may include PowerPoint presentations, project suggestions, and/ handouts for the public. The goal of this effort is to better utilize academic research statewide. For example, Janet Hartin and Igor Lacan writing up findings from their ‘Trees for Tomorrow' research that has been successfully utilized for impactful volunteer projects in Sonoma and Southern CA. Example toolkit: Master Gardeners - Asian Citrus Psyllid Distribution and Management (ucanr.edu).

Master Food Preserver:

• Work with Director and Statewide UC Master Food Preserver Program team to understand current metrics available through Volunteer Management System and data analytics to create a process and tool(s) for annual or semi-annual program evaluation. Time permitting, work to establish baseline data by implementing a first round of program evaluation.

Identified Priority Areas by Statewide Institutes

California Institute for Water Resources:

• Support local or regional workshops, organized on a topic of local water resources management.
• Fund research on topic related to water resources management of policy relevance, or end-uses of water such as agricultural production or urban needs.
• Fund research to develop a database of researchers and professionals within a water research and management community at a local or regional scale.

Nutrition Policy Institute:

• Fund faculty or graduate students to collaborate on: 1) Mapping county level data on access to child care homes and centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in relation to community characteristics and needs for use by state and local agencies overseeing child care licensing and the food program.
• Analyzing data and collaboratively writing a paper for publication on California's new universal school meals programs.
• Translating research findings on federal nutrition program evaluations to create research briefs and infographics for dissemination to decision-makers.

Organic Agriculture Institute:

• We need someone to make maps of organic acreage across California based on an existing California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) dataset.

Research and Extension Centers:

• Develop short videos highlighting ways REC staff have worked with AES, specialists, and advisors to build research infrastructure, collect data, and extend results.
• Build a toolbox of evaluation tools for ag and natural resource education programs delivered to youth and/or adults at RECs by community education specialists.
• Develop curriculum focused on ag education and career development utilizing the research projects occurring at RECs as the foundation for exploring science careers in ag-related fields.
• Work with Associate Director of REC system to develop materials highlighting REC-based projects showcasing successful collaborations between campus academics and RECs with the goal of utilizing these materials to generate stronger connections between campus academics, the RECs, and UC ANR.

To apply, please submit your 1-to-2-page proposal (maximum of 2 pages) through the ANR Universal Review System (URS), no later than March 6, 2023.

Please delete any test proposals that have been initiated and remain unsubmitted in the URS system. For these test proposals, navigate to right hand menu to select the Remove Proposal option.

Thank you.

Kathleen Nolan, Director, Office of Contracs & Grants

Dear Colleagues,

UC ANR is seeking to support collaborative projects that add value to the impact of Statewide Programs and Institutes (SWP/I) or Research and Extension Centers (REC). Projects should develop and/or support the continuum of research dissemination or curriculum development in support of SWP/I or REC efforts.

Priority will be given to projects completed by June 30, 2023.

The FY23 Statewide Program and Institute Priority Areas are as follows:

Identified Priority Areas by Statewide Program

1. Agricultural Issues Center:

1. Assessment of current knowledge of climate smart practices in the Dairy industry. Fellow to work with staff at the Agricultural Issues Center, the California Institute for Water Resources, county Dairy Advisors and industry to collect, synthesize and analyze an assessment of the use of climate smart technologies in the dairy industry. The assessment will focus on technologies available to dairy operators, costs, and use of available technologies. The results of this assessment will form the foundation for applying for grants to integrate economics and biology into a model to assess the costs and changes in greenhouse gas emissions for different management and policy scenarios.

2. California Naturalist Program:

1. An AES faculty or UCCE Advisor to spend three months to develop detailed outline for a bioregional manuscript (5000-8000 words) as part of the ANR California Naturalist 8000 series (preferably on the Mojave, Colorado Desert, or South Coast bioregion). In addition to the publication outline, identify co-authors, potential reviewers, develop maps, graphics, and charts, and prepare a plan for completing a publication within the following 9 months.
2. AES faculty who can work with our Climate Stewards Academic Coordinator to create or refine a participatory science protocol using an application/tool such as ISeeChange to collect local input and validation over time to measure and track climate impacts and data that will lead to enhanced local adaptive capacity and community resilience for our Climate Stewards partners.
3. UCCE Advisor or AES faculty to co-design a Climate Stewards or California Naturalist course with a local partner organization willing to host and deliver the co-designed course for an agricultural or wildland urban interface community audience.

3. California 4-H Youth Development Program:

1. Fellow to conduct an environmental scan of youth leadership programs/curriculum/literature; develop a youth leadership framework for youth development (4-H) to guide program development, curriculum development, and evaluation.

4. Community Nutrition and Health:

1. Work with Director and 10+ Advisors of Community Nutrition and Health to facilitate a collaborative statewide needs assessment to guide departmental efforts into the next 3-5 years. This will involve compiling and comparing local needs assessment data.
2. Work with Director and CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL), UC Director and select county based CFHL colleagues to assess equity-driven strategies and identify areas of opportunity for increased Health Equity focus.
3. Work with Director and CFHL, UC Director and select county based CFHL colleagues to create a model for paid internships that will support graduate students on the campuses in nutrition, community and human development, human biology, exercise science, etc. to take on projects with the SWP leaders and or other academics in the areas of nutrition security, food systems, physical activity for vulnerable communities with an emphasis on health equity and DEI. Ideas could include having the student collaborate with partners such as a non-profit, food bank, schools, etc. to collect information, conduct interviews, etc.
4. Research projects that establish a process to mine existing data to build the evidence base for a future direction of work (i.e., develop program evaluations and/or evaluation tools/infrastructure).

5. Informatics and GIS:

1. Fellow to support analysis of data and algorithm development. Also support to cover summer salary for a “Faculty Fellow” to support intellectual innovation in the field.

6. Integrated Pest Management:

1. An academic to provide guidance on measuring impacts at the statewide program level for human-health, environmental, and economic condition changes.

7. Master Gardener Program:

1. Fund academics to work with UC Master Gardener Online Training Coordinator Lauren Snowden on the development of core and continuing education online training modules. Project involves an academic identifying/compiling a fully annotated PowerPoint presentation on a core topic for the UC Master Gardener Program (e.g., Introduction to Horticulture, a 4-hour training class) as well as quiz questions, handouts/worksheets, and supplemental hands-on activities associated with the course. The Online Training Coordinator will develop the e-learning module and work with the academic to edit/iterate until a final product is available. In addition to an annotated PowerPoint, quizzes, handouts/worksheets, and hands-on activities, the academic will identify images, and be available for filming various training components.
2. Working with UC Master Gardener Marketing/Communication Coordinator, lead review and organization of gardening intellectual property hosted online as part of the Integrated Web Project. Funds could be awarded to cover single or multiple sections based on academic's areas of expertise. This project includes integrating California Master Gardener Handbook content with currently online intellectual property. Secondary benefit of this project is capturing edits/additions to the California Master Gardener Handbook (so there will be an authorship opportunity for the individuals engaged in this effort as well).
3. Working with UC Master Gardener Statewide Training Coordinator, create and deploy statewide toolkits based on academic's research to support UC Master Gardener volunteer programming. Toolkit may include PowerPoint presentations, project suggestions, and/ handouts for the public. The goal of this effort is to better utilize academic research statewide. For example, Janet Hartin and Igor Lacan writing up findings from their ‘Trees for Tomorrow' research that has been successfully utilized for impactful volunteer projects in Sonoma and Southern CA. Example toolkit: Master Gardeners - Asian Citrus Psyllid Distribution and Management (ucanr.edu).

8. Master Food Preserver:

1. Work with Director and Statewide UC Master Food Preserver Program team to understand current metrics available through Volunteer Management System and data analytics to create a process and tool(s) for annual or semi-annual program evaluation. Time permitting, work to establish baseline data by implementing a first round of program evaluation.

Identified Priority Areas by Statewide Institutes

9. California Institute for Water Resources:

1. Support local or regional workshops, organized on a topic of local water resources management.
2. Fund research on topic related to water resources management of policy relevance, or end-uses of water such as agricultural production or urban needs.
3. Fund research to develop a database of researchers and professionals within a water research and management community at a local or regional scale.

10. Nutrition Policy Institute:

1. Fund faculty or graduate students to collaborate on: 1) Mapping county level data on access to child care homes and centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in relation to community characteristics and needs for use by state and local agencies overseeing child care licensing and the food program.
2. Analyzing data and collaboratively writing a paper for publication on California's new universal school meals programs.
3. Translating research findings on federal nutrition program evaluations to create research briefs and infographics for dissemination to decision-makers.

11. Organic Agriculture Institute:

1. We need someone to make maps of organic acreage across California based on an existing California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) dataset.

12. Research and Extension Centers:

1. Develop short videos highlighting ways REC staff have worked with AES, specialists, and advisors to build research infrastructure, collect data, and extend results.
2. Build a toolbox of evaluation tools for ag and natural resource education programs delivered to youth and/or adults at RECs by community education specialists.
3. Develop curriculum focused on ag education and career development utilizing the research projects occurring at RECs as the foundation for exploring science careers in ag-related fields.
4. Work with Associate Director of REC system to develop materials highlighting REC-based projects showcasing successful collaborations between campus academics and RECs with the goal of utilizing these materials to generate stronger connections between campus academics, the RECs, and UC ANR.

To apply, please submit your 1-to-2-page proposal (maximum of 2 pages) through the ANR Universal Review System (URS), no later than March 3, 2023.

The maximum award amount is $20,000 per project.

To review the full application details, see the Mini Grant Request for Proposal.

Thank you.

Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)