Extension Opportunities in NIFA's AFRI Program

Rick Koelsch, Nebraska Extension, February 18, 2015

The 2015 Agricultural Food Research Initiative (AFRI) requests for proposals are beginning to be released.  Many of these RFA's include  Extension opportunities generally as a part of an Integrated Project.  A summary of early opportunities follows.

The AFRI "Food Security" RFA is available with the first deadlines coming on April 2. NIFA is soliciting applications under the following areas: (1) Agricultural Production Systems (2) Breeding and Genomics of Crops and Livestock (3) National Strategy for Sustainable Crop and Livestock Production in the United States.  The Agricultural Production Systems program will fund only Integrated projects (which can include Extension) in three broad areas of Crop Management, Animal Management, and Integrated Management.  This program funds Coordinated Agricultural Projects for up to $1 Million per year for up to 4 years. Stakeholder engagement, needs assessment, strategies to achieve and measure impacts, and knowledge dissemination and accessibility are specifically mentioned as project requirements. Other program areas are identified as Research/Education and Research focused programs.

The Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Science Education and Literacy Initiative was release before Christmas with deadlines already past.  However, a quick review of this program's RFA may give you ideas about opportunities for next year's program.  The goals of this RFA are to 1) promote research and extension experiential learning form undergraduates entering the agricultural workforce and 2) preparing the next generation of scientists for doctoral and post-doctoral experiences.  The Undergraduate Fellowship program targets both research and extension experiential learning opportunities.  West Central Research and Extension Center faculty have submitted a letter of intent for competing in this fellowship opportunity and may be a future resource from which we can learn.  The predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships are designed to encourage new professionals to enter research, education , and extension fields. Could these programs provide a unique opportunity to engage students in Extension programs such as participatory research (e.g. On-Farm Research or Soybean Field Days)?

Additional RFA's are anticipated for AFRI's Foundational program, Climate Change/Variability, Food Safety, Childhood Obesity, Water for Agriculture, and Sustainable BioEnergy. You can stay abreast of AFRI RFA releases at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/afri.html

AFRI Water Priorities & Regional Team

Rick Koelsch, Nebraska Extension, February 18, 2015

NIFA has three Agriculture Water priorities:

• Climate Extremes - Drought and excess moisture and implications for agriculture;
• Sustainability of water availability
• Excess nutrients in the environment with focus on nitrogen.

Regional faculty discussions are being organized to help faculty identify partners for possible multi-state proposal teams?  Who is interested? The North Central Region Water Network (NCRWN) is organizing these conversations and needs to learn who is interested.  Do you wish to participating in one of these conversations?  If yes, send you name, contact information, and NIFA water priority of interest to Rick Koelsch (rkoelsch1@unl.edu ).

Jim Dobrowolski, NIFA National Program Leader, discussed water funding opportunities with NCRWN in February.  He identified the above NIFA water priorities and suggested they will find their way into a variety of NIFA requests for proposals during the coming year. The flagship program is the Water for Agriculture program. The 2014 RFA was truly groundbreaking as NIFA recognized for the first time that water is recognize as one of NIFA challenge programs.  He anticipates that the 2015 RFA for this same program to be out in the next month (http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/afri.html).

For additional suggestions for water related grant programs, Jim suggested reviewing NIFA's Water web page.  He specifically mentioned NIFA's Undergraduate Education Program and SARE grant programs as additional opportunities.  In 2014, NIFA also released a National Integrated Water Quality Program.  However, Jim did not share any information about this program in 2015.  Jim did mention that NIFA's water priorities in RFAs are generally remaining relatively consistent from 2014 to 2015.  Reviewing a 2014 RFA is a first step for early planning for 2015.

Jim Dobrowolski, Ray Knighton, and Nancy Cavallaro are the primary NIFA Program Leaders for water (find contact information).

Nebraska Corn Industry Priorities

Rick Koelsch, February 3, 2015

With the recent increase in the Nebraska Corn check-off, the Nebraska Corn Board has become an increasingly important funding resource for research and Extension programs.  The Nebraska Corn Growers Association, although not a source of funding, is a important player in establishing priorities for Nebraska's corn industry.  Recognizing these priorities is important to pursuing funding and collaborations with these two organizations.

Let's start with the Nebraska Corn Board and their 2015 - 2016 Research Priorities.  Their Request for Proposals (discussed in a December 2014 Rick's Ramblings) identified their 2015-16 priorities as:

1. Increase the demand and usage of corn and/or corn products;
2. Research into the various aspects of life cycle analysis that affects corn and or corn ethanol, keeping in mind the systems approach.  Examples include nitrous oxide emissions, irrigation efficiency and fuel use, model elasticity variables;
3. Research that optimizes the environmental stewardship practices of present and future corn production systems;
4. Livestock production systems vs. crop production systems; and
5. Research of federal policy that effects corn, livestock, trade and/or ethanol.

In addition to these stated priorities, I have observed that the Board place value on:

1. Agricultural literacy for both youth and consumers.  The Board recently funded a statewide 4-H agricultural literacy field days proposal led by Bob Meduna and Tracie Behnken.  
2. Corn industry demonstration of sustainability  with the Field to Market sustainability tool often mentioned favorably.

The Nebraska Corn Growers Association places considerable emphasis on both legislative affairs (state and national advocacy) and on Natural Resources.  Current topics receiving lots of discussion that connect with Extension interests include:

1. Cover crops, 
2. Ethanol promotion and policy, 
3. Input sustainability/efficiency, 
4. Livestock industry awareness/promotion/regulation, and 
5. Natural resources regulation (currently focused on proposed Nebraska Department of Agriculture regulations for pesticides and water quality).

Several Board and Association members are very active nationally. Greg Whitmore's (farms near Shelby) involvement in National Corn Growers discussions for natural resources have led to him being a host farm for a 5 year Cover Crop Demonstration that began last fall. Extension be considering opportunities to work with Greg.

Do you have an Extension or applied research idea that aligns with these priorities.  If "Yes", I would be glad to discuss it further with you.

Extension Water Programs in North Central States

Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension, February 3, 2015

All things "Extension & Water" is the focus of a new North Central Regional Water Network newsletter designed to connect water faculty and share water resources.  The January 2015 Newsletter (released last Friday) highlighted regional SERA-46, a twelve state research and extension project team, that is working closely with the Hypoxia Task Force

The Hypoxia Task Force is an EPA led group of federal and state agricultural and environmental agencies in 12 states in the Mississippi and Ohio River Basin.  The group is working is guiding public policy to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus delivery to the Gulf of Mexico.  SERA-46 is a new land grant university team of researchers and extension faculty from the same 12 states to promote effective application of science-based approaches to nutrient management by the  Hypoxia Task Force.

The newsletter also introduces:

• Recently funded North Central Water initiatives (including the Irrigation Capacity Building Workshop and the Manure Nutrient Ag Professionals initiatives of which Nebraska Extension is a partner),
• Iowa State's Cover Crop working group,
• Upcoming Webinar presentation on Educating the Next Generation of Water Leaders, and
• Water funding opportunities.

Click here to sign up to receive the Regional Water Newsletter  and here to view the January 2015 Newsletter.