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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
- 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)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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)
- Briefly describe the roles and expertise of the research and extension PIs.
- Include a coordination plan for integrating team members across UC ANR functions and units and university and external partners.
- 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
- Provide a two-column budget, dividing research and extension expenses.
- 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.
The Katydid Nymph Did
The katydid nymph did. It did appear in May. The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management...
A katydid nymph, its long threadlike antennae upright, descends a stem in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A katydid nymph, its long threadlike antennae upright, descends a stem in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The katydid nymph lowers its antennae and proceeds along the stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The katydid nymph lowers its antennae and proceeds along the stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Antennae down, the katydid nymph continues its descent. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC SAREP funds 8 sustainable food and farming projects
Projects will support socially disadvantaged farmers, increase urban access to healthy food and more
The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 2024-25 Small Grants Program. This grant program will fund planning, research and education projects that support the development of sustainable community food systems and environmentally sound and economically viable farming enterprises.
Of the 33 eligible applications, eight applicants were selected to receive approximately $80,000 in combined funding to support their work. Individual grants are limited to $10,000. “The Small Grants Program is an important part of our mission,” said Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, interim director of UC SAREP. “By facilitating these grants, SAREP is able to support ANR in engaging a wide range of food systems stakeholders, outcomes show that a small financial investment can have a large impact in improving the lives of Californians.”
The eight recipients of this year's grants are:
Planning
Building Capacity and Resiliency Among Networks of Socially Disadvantaged California Farmers
Fresh Approach will establish a network of pooled learning and technical support that will aid emerging food-aggregation businesses in accessing sustainable market channels, including emergency food distribution. As part of the project, they will enhance an interactive GIS mapping tool of value chains to streamline market opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and aggregators. (Project lead: Andy Ollove, Fresh Approach)
Sustainable Urban Resident Food Gardens Expansion Planning Project
Growing Hope Gardens will systematize the process of outreach, discovery, design, planning and implementation in creating new urban resident food gardens. The project will document Growing Hope Gardens' garden development process into a training and implementation manual to more effectively duplicate food garden programs in more low-income urban communities. (Project lead: Carolyn Day, Growing Hope Gardens)
Research
Evaluating Best Management Practices for Cover Crops to Minimize Nitrogen Losses in California's Salinas Valley
This project will quantify the effectiveness of cover cropping at different planting times and termination dates to scavenge excess nitrogen in the soil and reduce nitrate leaching in a Salinas vegetable cropping system. The results will inform Ag Order 4.0 for cover crop credits and help stakeholders in the Salinas Valley better understand crop management for efficient nutrient cycling. (Project lead: Scott Fendorf, Stanford University)
Implications of American Kestrel Diet, Dispersal and Migration on Pest Control in Northern California Farming Systems
Investigators will study how the diet, post-breeding dispersal, and migration of nesting kestrels influences biological pest control on Northern California farms. The project will generate management recommendations for using the predatory bird for biological pest control in sustainable agriculture programs across California. (Project lead: Breanna Martinico, UC Cooperative Extension)
Education and Outreach
EAT! Community Farms Market Access and Promotion Project
This project helps socially disadvantaged and indigenous farmers in Riverside County create pathways for realizing economic return. EAT! will provide mentoring for marketing strategy development, connect farmers to buyers, promote the farmers market so it's more profitable for farmers, and provide a cooperative farm stand in the city of Norco for farmers to sell produce directly to consumers. (Project lead: Patrick Mitchell, Ecological Agricultural Training Cultural Center [EAT!])
Cultivating Cooperative Education, Stewardship and Connection at the Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm
Agroecology Commons aims to address challenges faced by young, first-generation, BIPOC, queer and femme farmers at the Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm in the Bay Area. The project will focus on education and outreach, providing technical assistance and training in regenerative agriculture practices such as soil health, pest management and crop diversification to socially disadvantaged farmers. (Project lead: Jeneba Kilgore, Agroecology Commons)
Signage and Mural Refurbishment for Southeast Asian Farmers to Improve Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
This project will build new, long-lasting farm signs for Southeast Asian farmers growing diversified vegetables and berries in the Sacramento region. Improving the appeal and durability of farm signs will increase the profitability of the farm stands as these resource-limited farmers rely on direct-to-consumer marketing strategies to promote their businesses. (Project lead: Margaret Lloyd, UC Cooperative Extension)
Community Nutrition Security and Education Program
Farm Discovery at Live Earth will increase access to organic produce for individuals and families experiencing food and nutrition insecurity in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay area. This will be accomplished through farming, outdoor education and nutrition education programs focusing on regenerative agricultural practices to connect youth and families to their regional agricultural and ecological systems. (Project Lead: Jessica Ridgeway, Farm Discovery at Live Earth)
The UC SAREP Small Grants Program has a big impact! Help us fund more projects that support sustainable community food systems and environmentally sound, economically viable farming enterprises. To support this program, please donate here. Choose SAREP Small Grants Program for the designation.
California Honey Festival Is the Place to 'Bee'
Show me the honey? Show me the California Honey Festival. The annual event, which emphasizes the...
Bee observation hives attract attention at the annual California Honey Festival. Visitors delight in pointing out the queen bee and checking out the workers and drones. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"Queen bee" Amina Harris, retired director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center that she founded in 2012, also co-founded the California Honey Festival in 2017. In this archived photo from last year, she offers attendees a taste of honey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
At the 2023 California Honey Festival, Wendy Mather, co-program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, delighted in greeting the crowd and posing for photos. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wellness Reimbursement Program application period opens March 1 at 9 am
To all UC ANR employees:
Beginning March 1, 2024, the UC ANR Wellness Reimbursement Program will begin accepting applications for reimbursements of personal wellness expenses up to $75.
Administered by UC ANR Staff Assembly Council and its Wellness Committee, and also supported by Academic Assembly Council, the program reimburses UC ANR staff and academics for a variety of wellness items, including but not limited to: exercise equipment, clothing, classes, memberships, personal training, gardening supplies, and books related to health and well-being.
Note that food, medicine, supplements and pet items are not eligible for reimbursement.
To apply, fill out the Wellness Reimbursement Program application, attach appropriate receipts and email the documents to Andrea Rayray at arayray@ucanr.edu.
The application period opens at 9 a.m. on March 1, 2024. Applications submitted prior to the official starting time will not be considered and will be returned to the applicant.
Receipts dated between January 1, 2024 - March 30, 2024, will be accepted.
Applications are due no later than April 1, 2024, and must be submitted for reimbursement in the Aggie Travel system by May 1, 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on first-come, first-served basis and employees are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible.
The first reimbursements will be announced in mid-March.
For more information, visit: https://staffassembly.ucanr.edu/Subcommittees/Wellness_Committee/?story=2582.