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Editor: Kelly Sprute                                                                                           Oct. 16, 2019

Message from the Director

Dear NIFA Stakeholders, I wanted to provide an update on our efforts regarding the Plan of Work (POW) integration project. This is a fresh start and new opportunities present themselves for ensuring that this is a collaborative effort. I appreciate your patience during the transition and look forward to working with everyone to ensure the continued success of this project. The integration project results from a set of recommendations to NIFA from the Plan of Work Panel of Experts, convened in 2015 (for the full report, see Panel of Experts Final Report). NIFA agreed to streamline the Plan of Work reporting process and work toward one reporting system by integrating the Plan of Work into REEport. The agency also agreed to reduce the reporting burden for stakeholders and the reviewing burden for NIFA’s National Program Leaders (NPL). In early 2019, we launched a new Plan of Work platform, the “Institutional Profile,” that LGUs used to submit their 2020 Plans. Based on feedback from LGUs and NIFA’s NPLs, the level of effort needed to compile and review the reports was greatly reduced. Over the next few months, we will extend the Institutional Profile to include capacity-funded research projects, completing this first phase. We will notify users well in advance of this change and provide webinars and technical assistance to collect feedback and ease the transition. Phase two will focus on building out the reporting system for Extension projects and organizing for the next Panel of Experts. Over the next few months, the team will reconvene the Extension work groups to assist with the design and testing of the Extension module. Michael Litwack and Lynn Khadiagala will be the point people on these efforts and work with you to design a better reporting system. They will provide more information on these efforts shortly. Concurrent to all of this was a simplified plan of work requirement in the 2018 Farm Bill. To help achieve this, I will be convening the next Panel of Experts soon, as early as possible in the coming months. The hope is that any new changes you suggest can be incorporated into changes under way. More on this shortly. This has always been a collaborative endeavor. With your engagement, we will continue to work toward a streamlined system that collects essential data while reducing the reporting burden on our stakeholders. Thank you again for your patience. I look forward to working with all of you as NIFA undertakes these important projects. J. Scott Angle NIFA Director

Angle's Update

This is the beginning of Angle’s Update, where I’ll provide a relevant update to NIFA’s stakeholders and partners. We appreciate your support and understanding as we embark on NIFA’s next chapter. If you are a grantee waiting for funds to be released into your ASAP account, we are working diligently to process the final release of funds. The release of capacity and competitive annual funds typically occurs one to two months after the beginning of each fiscal year. The release of funds this year will be, on average, an additional two months later than previous years. We will prioritize final fund releases and post-award actions, as needed. If you are having an ASAP issue, more details on who to contact on NIFA’s grants webpage.

Award Announcements

NIFA Invests over $14.3 Million to Grow Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in America

NIFA recently awarded 32 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants that will lead to creating and sustaining beginning farmers and ranchers in America. The primary goal of NIFA’s BFRDP is to increase the number, success, and sustainability of beginning farmers and ranchers in the U.S., by providing them with knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions and achieve economic success.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $999,849 in Food Science and Nutrition Grants to Small Business

NIFA recently awarded eight grants under the Food Science and Nutrition topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to develop projects that support research focusing on developing new and improved processes, technologies, or services that address emerging food safety, food processing, and nutrition issues.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $499,754 in Aquaculture Grants to Small Business

NIFA recently awarded five grants under the Aquaculture topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to develop new technologies that will enhance the knowledge and technology base necessary for the expansion of the domestic aquaculture industry as a form of production agriculture.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $1,096,373 in Engineering Plant Production and Protection Grants to Small Businesses

NIFA recently awarded 11 grants under the Engineering Plant Production and Protection topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to enhance crop production in both conventional and organic systems by creating and commercializing engineering technologies that enhance system efficiency and profitability and that protect crops from pests and pathogens in economically and environmentally ways.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $599,315 in Biological Plant Production and Protection Grants to Small Businesses

NIFA recently awarded six grants under the Biological Plant Production and Protection topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to develop novel biological approaches for enhancing crop production and protection. 

NIFA SBIR Program Awards $699,198 in Animal Production and Protection Grants to Small Businesses

NIFA recently awarded seven grants under the Animal Production and Protection topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to improve both productivity and efficiency of food animals. The Animal Production and Protection topic area aims to develop innovative, marketable technologies that will provide significant benefit to the production and protection of agricultural animals.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $699,900 in Biofuel and Bio-Based Product Grants to Small Businesses

NIFA recently awarded seven grants under the Biofuel and Bio-Based Products topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to promote the use of non-food bio-based products and biofuels by developing new or improved technologies that will lead to increased competitiveness of value-added products from agricultural materials. This research will lead to new opportunities to diversify agriculture and enhance agriculture’s role as a reliable supplier of raw materials to industry.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $999,065 in Air, Water and Soil Grants to Small Businesses

NIFA recently awarded 10 grants under the Air, Water, and Soil topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to develop and commercialize technologies and innovations for conserving, monitoring and protecting air, water, and soil resources while sustaining optimal farm and forest productivity.

NIFA SBIR Program awards $499,518 to help Small Businesses Ensure Healthy and Productive Forest Ecosystems

NFA recently awarded five grants under the Forest and Related Resources topic area of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena that stimulates high-tech innovation. SBIR strengthens the United States entrepreneurial spirit as it gains specific research and development needs. These early stage innovation grants focus on protecting the nation’s forested lands and resources to help ensure the continued existence of healthy and productive forest ecosystems.

NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension that solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our land-grant and non-land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts.

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