SOUTHERN REGION IPM CENTER
IPM ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM: PART 2
(SPECIAL PROJECTS)
Request for Applications - FY 2009
This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits proposals for projects that will enhance the development and implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the southern region of the United States. We are seeking applications for funding for Special Projects described in this RFA.
We will consider funding two types of special projects. “IPM Seed Grants” will support projects to plan, initiate or catalyze important new IPM efforts and initiatives. “IPM Capstone Grants” will support outreach and/or educational projects that serve as capstones to previously existing research and Extension IPM initiatives.
Proposals for State Contact Projects, IPM Documents (including Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMSPs), crop profiles, IPM priority lists, or IPM elements) or IPM Working Groups must be submitted under Enhancement Grants Part 1. They will not be considered under Part 2.
Proposals must be submitted in electronic format through the following web page: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. The online submission must be completed no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, 2009.
The Proposal Cover Page (form SR SF424 (R&R)) must be completed and submitted electronically through our web page: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. In addition, a paper copy of form SR SF424 (R&R) must be signed by the authorized representative of the submitting organization and faxed to the Southern Region IPM Center office at 919-513-1114 (attention Steve Toth) no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, 2009. (Please fax only the signed form SR SF424 (R&R), not the entire proposal.)
Projects are limited to no more than 12 months duration and no more than $25,000.
In FY 2003, the Southern Region Integrated Pest Management Center received funding for four years via a grant from the USDA/CSREES’s Integrated Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program - Integrated Pest Management. Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) authorized the establishment of the program that funded the Southern Region IPM Center (see http://www.sripmc.org/). Geographically, the Center covers the following states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Virginia.
The Center coordinates, enhances and facilitates the flow of resources and information in integrated pest management on a regional basis, including grants management, data acquisition and sharing, infrastructure development, and the documentation needed to provide accountability for resources used. The Center focuses its efforts on meeting the goals described in the National Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management (see http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/pest/pdfs/ipm_roadmap_5-3-04.pdf), while maintaining the regional (site-specific) nature required for effective IPM programs.
The Center provides leadership and coordination for the identification of priority IPM needs and issues through multi-state and multi-organization collaboration in the southern region. The Center provides the infrastructure for the development and sharing of current and new pest management technologies among federal and state agencies, impacted organizations, and pest managers. The Center coordinates its programs with state-based extension IPM implementation programs located at land-grant universities in each state including the Pesticide Safety Education Program; with existing regional pest management programs such as the multi-state IPM technical committee (SERA003-IPM), Sustainable Agricultural Research and Extension, IR-4, Southern Plant Diagnostic Network; and with USDA/CSREES programs such as Crops at Risk, the Pest Management Alternatives Program, and the Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program.
The Center structure is designed to accommodate diverse pest management programs and perspectives, connect all stakeholders, and effectively deal with pest management issues. An important role of the Center is to facilitate effective communication among government agencies, colleges and universities, the agricultural community, and other interested stakeholders. Participating stakeholders serve a dual communications role: to represent their own group to other Center partners and to represent the work of the Center and its partners to their own group.
To increase effectiveness and to encourage a broader range of stakeholders, the Southern Region IPM Center outsources certain functions, activities and processes through a multi-faceted Grant Program. This program provides stakeholders with an opportunity to influence decisions more fully by enabling them to win support for and lead worthwhile efforts, such as the development of IPM publications and projects that address critical issues. Sharing responsibilities in this way helps to ensure that the Southern Region IPM Center understands stakeholders' needs and priorities. Shared ownership also serves to amplify the Center’s resources, allowing it to draw from a richer pool of expertise and address a broader range of issues. The synergistic benefits afforded by this approach ultimately enhance the Center’s ability to fulfill the information needs of a diverse clientele facing real-world IPM challenges.
This RFA for the Center’s IPM Enhancement Grants Program solicits proposals for projects that will enhance development and implementation of IPM in our region. The two project types for which we are seeking applications for funding are described in this RFA. They are: (1) IPM Seed Grants; and (2) IPM Capstone Grants.
Eligible applicants include private individuals and institutions, faculty of four-year universities, businesses, commodity organizations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. The primary Project Director must be from within the Southern Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Virginia); however, collaboration with individuals outside the region is acceptable.
Successful applicants will be funded via a subcontract from North Carolina State University. Cooperation among potential participants is encouraged. It is our desire, where possible, to issue only one subcontract per institution in order to minimize overall indirect cost charges to the Southern Region IPM Center. Project Directors of successful proposals will be contacted to work out the funding mechanism. USDA budgetary guidelines (see pages 36-44 in CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide, available at http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/electronic_app_guide.pdf) apply to projects funded through this program.
Successful proposals from the previous year: The Southern Region IPM Center presented a similar grants program during 2008. That program funded 4 IPM Seed Grant projects (ranging from $23,000 to $25,000) and 2 IPM Capstone Grant projects ($25,000 each). The 6 projects were funded for a total of $148,125. Examples of similar projects funded by the Southern Region IPM Center in 2006, 2007 and 2008 are available on the Center’s web site at http://www.sripmc.org/ipmenhancement/fundedproj.cfm.
Projects funded by this program are expected to use available funding to help initiate new IPM efforts (IPM Seed Grants) or to help implement IPM methods and strategies (IPM Capstone Grants). Projects must address important IPM issues for the Southern Region of the United States, Preference will be shown to projects that include appropriate levels of stakeholder engagement, and to projects that either build on previous work (IPM Capstone Grants) or lead to future work (IPM Seed Grants).
Proposals for State Contact Projects, IPM Documents (including PMSPs, crop profiles, IPM priority lists, or IPM elements) or IPM Working Groups must be submitted under Enhancement Grants Part 1. They will not be considered under Part 2.
At present no single comprehensive list of IPM priorities for the Southern Region exists. Proposals should include convincing evidence that the problem is of sufficient priority to merit funding in a competitive environment. Reference to existing, publicly available documentation (e.g., PMSPs) showing the importance of the issue is strongly encouraged.
Project Directors are encouraged to consider the discussion “Addressing Stakeholder-Identified Priorities,” found online at http://www.sripmc.org/fund/sripm/stakeholders.cfm.
Single-state projects will be considered for funding. Proposals that offer benefits to two or more states in the region or that entail multi-state collaboration are preferred.
This RFA solicits proposals for “Special Projects.” We will consider proposals for two types of special projects, IPM Seed Grants and IPM Capstone Grants. All projects should have easily-identified short term outcomes and/or deliverables that can reasonably be expected to be completed within the project period.
IPM Seed Grants support projects to plan, initiate or catalyze important new IPM efforts and initiatives. Examples of fundable projects include but are not limited to issue-oriented planning workshops and surveys. Potential functions of IPM Seed Grants projects include but are not limited to:
IPM Capstone Grants support projects intended to facilitate new or expanded implementation of proven IPM methods and strategies. Presumably necessary research and most developmental work have been completed previously, and these projects will address final steps to encourage adoption and implementation of new methods and strategies. Examples of fundable projects include but are not limited to:
Matching funds are not required.
Proposals must be submitted in electronic form in the following format. All forms required can be obtained on our web page at: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. Most of these forms are similar but not identical to application forms used in the Grants.gov electronic submission process. Applicants to the IPM Enhancement program must use the forms provided on the web page.
Each proposal, written in English, must be in letter format (8.5" x 11"), all pages must be numbered, and text must be single-spaced with one-inch margins using a font no smaller than 12 point.
Page Limits: The page limit for the narrative portion of the proposals (section C below) is eight (8) pages.
One copy of the Proposal Cover Page (form SR SF424 (R&R)) must contain the signature of the Authorized Representative. The title should be no longer than 100 characters (letters, punctuation and spaces between words).
The SR SF424 (R&R) form must be completed and submitted electronically through our web page: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. In addition, a paper copy of form SR SF424 (R&R) must be signed by the authorized representative of the submitting organization and faxed to the Southern Region IPM Center office at 919-513-1114 no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, 2009. (Please fax only the signed form SR SF424 (R&R), not the entire proposal.)
The summary should provide a brief description of the problem or opportunity, project objectives, and a description of the effort in simple terms that can be understood by a diverse audience, including the general public, university personnel, various public and private organizations, and budget staff.
Explain the current situation, any pertinent history, challenges to and/or opportunities for IPM implementation, and how this project will address those challenges and/or opportunities. An exhaustive literature review is not required, but useful references should be made as appropriate.
There should be a concise, complete, logically arranged and numbered series of statements defining the objectives of the project. Project Directors should feel free to group objectives in a way that seems most logical for the proposed project.
A numbered procedure statement should correspond with each numbered objective. These statements should outline the essential working plans and methods that will be employed in attaining each objective. The procedure statement should show that the proposed work has the potential of providing data and information that will accomplish the objectives.
Applicants should list only publications cited in the proposal. There is no limit on the number of publications cited, but a maximum of fifteen (15) would be assumed reasonable.
The planned duration of proposed projects should be consistent with the duration described under each project type (see Section IV). Proposals may request funding for a maximum of one year.
A brief discussion of plans to evaluate progress must be included. A timeline showing expected progress and expected outcomes would be helpful and could be used as a part of the progress report to demonstrate satisfactory progress.
Identify key personnel and each institutional unit contributing to the project. In multiple-institutional proposals, each institution should be identified and the lead institution designated. Applicants should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each person and institutional unit of the project team, if applicable.
If the project includes consulting, collaborative or sub-contractual arrangements, such arrangements should be fully explained and justified in the budget narrative and budget. In addition, evidence should be provided here that the collaborators involved have agreed to render these services. Acceptable documentation for this purpose includes letters of intent or statements of work from the individual or organization. Copies of either letters or email messages from the collaborators will suffice for this purpose.
Project Directors, co-Project Directors, and any collaborators who will receive a portion of the budget must provide current vitae (two pages maximum) including a listing of the most relevant publications.
Each proposal must include a detailed budget form (available on our web page at http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm) summarizing total project costs for the duration of the project. If the project entails multiple contracts, include separate budget forms and budget narratives for each institution. USDA budgetary guidelines (see pages 36-44 in CSREES Grants.gov Application Guide, available on our web page at http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/electronic_app_guide.pdf) must be followed. Indirect costs of up to 20 percent of the total funds awarded (equivalent to 25 percent of total direct costs) can be requested.
Each proposal budget must be within the budgetary limits defined by this RFA. Review panelists will be instructed to deduct 10 points (10%) from proposals that exceed budgetary limits.
A detailed budget narrative must be included. The budget narrative should explicitly provide the computations that lead to the numbers presented on the budget form. Headings should match those of the budget form. If consulting, collaborative, or sub contractual arrangements are included in the proposal, these arrangements should be fully explained. A proposed statement of work and a budget for each arrangement involving the transfer of substantive programmatic work or the providing of financial assistance to a third party must be provided.
Submit the Current and Pending Support form for the Project Director and co-Project Directors (if any).
Submit the Conflict of Interest form for the Project Director and co-Project Directors (if any).
CSREES-2006 (National Environmental Policy Act Exclusions Form) must be included for each Project Director.
CSREES-2008 (Assurance Statement(s)) is required.
Documents that help to justify the need for the project or that provide evidence of its prospects for success may be added as appendices submitted in pdf format. Project Directors are strongly cautioned not to abuse this provision in an attempt to circumvent page limits.
The Southern Region IPM Center Scientific Review Panel will judge the merits and technical quality of the proposal based on the following criteria:
Importance of this issue to the Southern Region: (30%)
Criteria that will be used in this part of the evaluation include:
Potential for success: (30%)
Projects funded by this program are not expected to solve major IPM issues, but they are expected to contribute significantly to the implementation of IPM by initiating solutions to problems (IPM Seed Grants) or providing important finishing touches to existing problem-solving efforts (IPM Capstone Grants). Criteria that will be used in this part of the evaluation include:
Multi-state: (5%)
Single-state projects will be considered for funding. Proposals that offer benefits to two or more states in the region or that entail multi-state collaboration are preferred.
Resource building, investment or utilization: (15%)
Criteria that will be used in this part of the evaluation include:
Quality of proposal preparation: (10%)
A proposal’s adherence to formatting guidelines eases the review panel’s workload and enhances the panel’s ability to evaluate the project as part of the grants competition. Moreover, the willingness and ability of the Project Director to meet these requirements may be viewed as predictor of the project’s ultimate success.
Budget: (10%)
Successful applicants will be required to submit a final report within sixty (60) days after the termination date of the subcontract. Report formats and instructions for submitting will be provided by the Center.
Proposals must be submitted in electronic format through our web page: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. The online submission using must be completed no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, 2009.
The Proposal Cover Page (form SR SF424 (R&R)) must be completed and submitted electronically through our web page: http://www.sripmc.org/pmcprojects/ListRFAs.cfm. In addition, a paper copy of form SR SF424 (R&R) must be signed by the authorized representative of the submitting organization and faxed to the Southern Region IPM Center office at 919-513-1114 no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 13, 2009. (Please fax only the signed form SR SF424 (R&R), not the entire proposal.)
E-mail acknowledgement of receipt will be made when possible.
For questions regarding the Request for Applications or submission of a proposal, contact Steve Toth, Associate Director (telephone: 919-513-8189; e-mail: Steve_Toth@ncsu.edu) or Jim VanKirk, Director (telephone: 919-513-8179; e-mail: jim@sripmc.org).
For technical questions regarding submission of a proposal, contact Rosemary Hallberg (telephone: 919-513-8182; e-mail: rhallberg@sripmc.org).