Sources of Funding
Web site for all federal grantsA new single Web site with information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs is now available. The Web site, Grants.gov, makes it easier for organizations to learn about and apply for federal grants. It includes information about more than 900 available grant programs involving the 26 federal grant-making agencies that award a total of more than $350 billion in grant funds. The site provides information in a standardized format across agencies and includes a “Find Grant Opportunities” feature to help applicants find potential funding opportunities. The site also contains an “Apply for Grants” feature that simplifies the application process by allowing applicants to download, complete and submit applications for specific grant opportunities from any federal grant-making agency. To date, application packages have been posted to the Grants.gov Web site by five agencies—the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Justice and Health and Human Services. Grants.gov is a collaborative effort involving Health and Human Services and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor and Transportation, as well as the National Science Foundation.
EPA grants for FQPA transition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9
(California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Pacific Trust Islands) is continuing
a grant program to help implement the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)
and support “transition” efforts by growers to more environmentally-sound
pest management practices. Special emphasis will be on sustainable agriculture
programs that address a diverse array of commodities and have a proven
track record of grower participation and adoption of sustainable pest
management practices. Successful applicants will also have an applied
research and extension component to their program. State agencies, universities,
Cooperative Extension, Tribes, and non-profit organizations are eligible
to submit proposals. The grants will be awarded in two sections; approximately
$200,000 will be awarded as one large grant to an eligible applicant in
California, with an additional $200,000 will be available for small grant
awards up to $50,000. In addition, EPA is making $70,000 available for
a pilot project that addresses regional air and/or water quality concerns,
and leverages USDA funds from one of the conservation program resources
such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Proposals
must be received by April 5, 2004. Contact James Liebman at Agriculture
Initiative, (415) 947-4241, or liebman.james@epa.gov.
To view the grant applications on the Web, see Large Grants (up to $200,000):
www.epa.gov/pesticides/grants/fqpa-large.html;
Small Grants (up to $50,000): www.epa.gov/pesticides/grants/fqpa-small.html.
Organic Research Grants
The Organic Farming Research Foundation is offering research
grants of up to $15,000 for organic farming research and related topics.
Deadlines for proposal consideration are December 15 (a change from the
previous January deadline) for the spring funding cycle and July 15 for
the fall funding cycle. For more information see OFRF’s Web site
(www.ofrf.org), call 831-426-6606 or
email research@ofrf.org.
Organic Research & Extension Initiative
The 2002 Farm Bill mandated $15 million for the Organic
Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative to be spent at $3 million
a year from FY 2004 to FY 2008. The program will be managed at the USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).
CREES Requests for Applications are expected to be available in April
2004. Farmers may apply independently, but are strongly encouraged to
have a county Extension Specialist connection to a university or other
institution. For more information, contact Tom Bewick at tbewick@csrees.usda.gov
or 202-401-3356. The Web site is www.reeusda.gov/pestmgt/org/organic.htm.
Fertilizer Research Awards
The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA)
Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is accepting project
suggestions to advance the environmentally safe and agronomically sound
use and handling of fertilizer materials. Projects may focus on research,
demonstration and/or education activities. A project limit of $50,000
per year is suggested, but larger projects will be considered. Project
suggestions are due April 6, 2004; the Request for Proposals will be released
in May 2004, with proposals due in June. Topics areas include crop nutrient
requirements; fertilization practices; irrigation interactions; site-specific
fertilizer technologies; development, testing and demonstration of the
use and benefits of practical field monitoring tools; nutrient/ pest interactions
and nutrient/ growth regulator interactions; composts and cover crops;
and education and public information. Any individual or group is eligible
to submit project suggestions. Projects must be relevant to California
conditions. For more information, contact Ken Kitade, CDFA/FREP, 1220
N St., Sacramento, CA 95814-5607; (916) 445-0444; kkitade@cdfa.ca.gov.
Web site: www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/frep.
