Resident Instruction, Agriculture, and Food Science Facilities and Equipment Grants

 

In General. -The Secretary of Agriculture shall make competitive grants to eligible institutions to- (1) strengthen institutional educational capacities, including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, in order to respond to identified State, regional, national, or international education needs in the food and agricultural sciences; (2) attract and support undergraduate and graduate students in order to educate them in identified areas of national need in the food and agriculture sciences; (3) facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or more insular area eligible institutions, or between those institutions and units of State Government or organizations in the private sector, to maximize the development and use of resources such as faculty, facilities, and equipment to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs; and (4) conduct undergraduate scholarship programs to assist in meeting national needs for training food and agricultural scientists.

Active 10.308 National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 For FY 2016, the consolidated appropriation for Insular Area Grants was $2 million. After deductions for legislatively authorized set-asides, the distributed Payment to States amount for the RIIA Grant Program was $1,113,579 was available for awards. Project type in FY 2016 is Regular Grant only at a ceiling amount of $175,000. An eligible university system may receive up to a maximum of three (3) Regular grant awards. A total of 14 RIIA applications were received. As evaluated by a peer review panel and due to limited funding, only eight (8) RIIA out of 12 were funded. Two (2) projects were rated “Do Not Fund” (DNF). The funding ratio for this program in FY 2016 is 54%. SPECIAL NOTE: See CFDA # 10.322 for other pertinent financial information,. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the consolidated appropriation for Insular Area Grants was $2 million. After deductions for legislatively authorized set-asides, the distributed Payment to States amount for the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA) Grant Program was $1,150,425 was available for awards. Project type in FY 2016 is Regular Grant only at a ceiling amount of $175,000. An eligible university system may receive up to a maximum of three (3) Regular grant awards. A total of 14 RIIA applications were received. As evaluated by a peer review panel and due to limited funding, only eight (8) RIIA out of 12 were funded. Two (2) projects were rated “Do Not Fund” (DNF). The funding ratio for this program in FY 2016 is 54 percent (54%). SPECIAL NOTE: See CFDA # 10.322 for other pertinent financial information.
Fiscal Year 2017 For Fiscal Year (FY 2017), the consolidated appropriation for Insular Area Grants (CFDA 10.308 and 10.322) was $2 million. After deductions for legislatively authorized set-asides, a distributed Payment to States amount for the RIIA and Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) Grant Programs was $1,149,900. AGFEI and RIIA Project type in FY 2017 is Regular Grant only at a ceiling amount of $150,000. An eligible university system may receive up to a maximum of three (3) Regular grant awards. A second program, the Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) for land-grant colleges and universities in the Insular Areas was attached to this CDFA for the first time. The AGFEI’s legislative authority is 7 U.S.C. 3222b-2. A total of 15 applications, six for AGFEI and nine form RIIA were received. One application was declined for review due to submission guidelines As evaluated by a peer review panel and due to limited funding, only four (4) RIIA and four (4) AGFEI out of the 14 proposals were funded. The funding ratio for this program in FY 2017 is 57 percent (57%). SPECIAL NOTE: See CFDA # 10.322 for other pertinent financial information.
Fiscal Year 2018 For Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the consolidated appropriation for Insular Area Grants (CFDA #s 10.308 and 10.322) was $2 million. After deductions for legislatively authorized set-asides, a distributed Payment to States amount for the RIIA and Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) Grant Programs was $1,902,600. AGFEI and RIIA Project type in FY 2018 is Regular Grant only at a ceiling amount of $150,000. An eligible university system may receive up to a maximum of three (3) Regular grant awards. A second program, the Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) for land-grant colleges and universities in the Insular Areas was attached to this CDFA for the second consecutive year. The AGFEI’s legislative authority is 7 U.S.C. 3222b-2. A total of 11 applications, three for AGFEI and eight from RIIA were received. As evaluated by a peer review panel and due to limited funding, only five (5) RIIA and two (2) AGFEI out of the 11 proposals were funded. The funding ratio for this program in FY 2018 is 64 percent (57%). SPECIAL NOTE: Also see Assistance Listing (CFDA) # 10.322 for other pertinent information regarding the Insular Areas Program.
Fiscal Year 2019 For Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, the consolidated appropriation for Insular Area Grants (CFDA #s 10.308 and 10.322) was $2 million. After deductions for legislatively authorized set-asides, a distributed Payment to States amount for the RIIA and Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) Grant Programs was $1,902,600. AGFEI and RIIA Project type in FY 2019 is Regular Grant only at a ceiling amount of $150,000 and Planning Activity Grant only at a ceiling amount of $30,000. An eligible university system may receive up to a maximum of three (3) Regular grant awards and one (1) Planning activity grant award. A second program, the Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) for land-grant colleges and universities in the Insular Areas was attached to this CDFA for the third consecutive year. The AGFEI’s legislative authority is 7 U.S.C. 3222b-2. A total of 14 applications, five for AGFEI and nine from RIIA were received. As evaluated by a peer review panel and due to limited funding, only five (5) RIIA and three (3) AGFEI out of the 14 proposals were funded. The funding ratio for this program in FY 2019 is 57 percent (57%). SPECIAL NOTE: Also see Assistance Listing (CFDA) # 10.322 for other pertinent information regarding the Insular Areas Program.
Fiscal Year 2020 For FY 2020 it is projected that the budget for the Insular Areas Program will be comparable to Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and will be distributed in a similar manner. Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. SPECIAL NOTE: Also see Assistance Listing (CFDA) # 10.322 for other pertinent information regarding the Insular Areas Program.
Fiscal Year 2024 Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date. This program is administered under the provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Section 7501 of Public Law 107-171) as reauthorized in Section 7143 of Public Law 110-246, which amended the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) by providing for a program of resident instruction grants for insular areas (7 U.S.C. 3363).Funds are available for a program of competitive grants, with funds to be awarded to one or more individual, eligible institutions of higher education in Insular Areas (Insular Area Institutions) or consortia of such eligible institutions, to carry out teaching and education programs in the food and agricultural sciences., 7 U.S.C. 3363 The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that each eligible institution, prior to receiving grant funds under subsection (a), shall have a significant demonstrable commitment to higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences and to each specific subject area for which grant funds under this section are to be used. The Secretary of Agriculture may require that any grant awarded under this section contain provisions that require funds to be targeted to meet the needs identified in section 1402. The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that each eligible institution, prior to receiving grant funds under subsection (a), shall have a significant demonstrable commitment to higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences and to each specific subject area for which grant funds under this section are to be used. The Secretary of Agriculture may require that any grant awarded under this section contain provisions that require funds to be targeted to meet the needs identified in section 1402. The System for Award Management (SAM) combines eight federal procurement systems, including CCR, and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. CCR activities are conducted through SAM (the CCR website will redirect users to SAM). Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and System for Award Management (SAM): Each applicant (unless excepted under 2 CFR ? 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR ? 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) Provide a valid UEI number in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. It also must state that the Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant. Applicants must furnish the information required in the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs). Successful applicants recommended for funding must furnish the information and assurances requested during the award documentation process. These include, but are not limited to the following: Organizational Management Information - Specific management information relating to an applicant shall be submitted on a one time basis, with updates on an as needed basis, as part of the responsibility determination prior to the award of a grant identified under this RFA, if such information has not been provided previously under this or another NIFA program. NIFA will provide copies of forms recommended for use in fulfilling these requirements as part of the preaward process. Although an applicant may be eligible based on its status as one of these entities, there are factors which may exclude an applicant from receiving Federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or suspension of an individual involved or a determination that an applicant is not responsible based on submitted organizational management information). This information collection is approved under OMB Circular Control No. 0524-0026, "Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture Regulations Assuring Civil Rights, Compliance and Organization Information." SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available as follows: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. Preapplication coordination is required. All RFAs are published on the Agency’s website and Grants.gov. Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) only accepts electronic applications which are submitted via Grants.gov in response to specific Requests for Applications (RFA). Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. For information about the pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle application processes see: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html. Further, applicants must follow the instructions provided in the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide, which can be assessed as follows: Adobe NIFA Applications. 2 CFR part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and 2 CFR part 400 USDA's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply to this program. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the RFA. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the Competitive Request for Applications (RFA). 2 CFR 200 - Subpart C and Appendix I and 2 CFR part 400 apply to this Program. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 30 to 60 days. Contact the National Program Leader (NPL), as indicated per CFDA Section # 152 - Headquarters Office regarding dates for specific deadlines, start and end dates, and range of approval/disapproval time. Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the Grants.gov website. NIFA's respective links regarding general information are provided below: http://nifa.usda.gov/ http://www.grants.gov. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Not Applicable. 2 CFR Part 200 - Subparts D & E apply to this program. Specific details are provided in the Request for Applications (RFA), which are generally published annually. The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas 2 CFR part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and 2 CFR part 400 USDA's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply to this program. Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas The purpose of the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA) is to promote and strengthen the ability of Insular Area Institutions to carry out teaching and education programs within the broadly defined food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. Food and agricultural sciences include programs in agriculture, food and fiber, renewable energy and natural resources, forestry, aquaculture, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences, home economics, nutrition and dietetics, rural human ecology, rural economic and community development, and other higher education activities and fields of study related to the production, processing, marketing, distribution, conservation, utilization, consumption, research, and development of food and agriculturally-related products and services. Performance Reports: PERFORMANCE MONITORING: See above for pertinent and specific details. Relation to other audit requirements, but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). This program is also subject to audit by the cognizant Federal audit agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General. Relation to other audit requirements, but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). In accordance with 2 CFR Part 400 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, ? 200.334 Retention requirements for records. Grantees shall maintain separate records for each grant to ensure that funds are used for authorized purposes. Grant-related records are subject to inspection during the life of the grant and must be retained at least three (3) years. Records must be retained beyond the three (3) year period if litigation is pending or audit findings have not been resolved. 2 CFR 200 Subpart D applies to this program. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The project period for most of the competitive grants and/or cooperative agreements under this program is for three (3) years. However, the statutory time limit for all projects may not exceed five (5) years. 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D applies to this program. Further details are provided in the Award document Form NIFA-2009 and the NIFA General Terms and Conditions Grants and Cooperative Agreements (dated October 2016) at: https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-general-terms-and-conditions-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-october-2016. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. NIFA utilizes the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), a secure, web-based electronic payment and information system that allows federal agencies to administer funds. Currently, ASAP is the only payment source for new NIFA grantees. National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 419205, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 Courier/Package Delivery Address: 2312 East Bannister Road, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-3061 USDA, NIFA, National Program Leader,
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, Division of Community and Education,National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 419205, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-6205
Courier/Package Delivery Address:
2312 East Bannister Road, Mail Stop 10000, Kansas City, MO 64141-3061
Kansas City, MO 64141 US
Kellyann.jonesjamtgaard@usda.gov
Phone: 816-599-1916 http://nifa.usda.gov/program/resident-instruction-grants-riia-and-distance-education-grants-deg-institutions-higher 12-1500-0-1-352 (Project Grants) FY 22$1,200,000.00; FY 23 est $1,200,000.00; FY 24 est $1,542,521.00; FY 21$1,200,000.00; FY 20 FY 19 Estimate Not Available FY 18$1,915,950.00; FY 17$1,150,200.00; FY 16$1,150,425.00; - The difference between the appropriation and obligation numbers reflects legislative authorized set-asides deducted as appropriate, and in some cases the availability of obligational authority from prior years. SPECIAL NOTES: (1) Effective FY '13, Appropriations for the Resident Instruction Grants (RIIA CFDA 10.308) and Distance Education Grants (DEG CFDA 10.322) were consolidated under Research & Education Activities, Grants for Insular Areas Program. However, different legislative authorities are applicable and separate Requests for Applications (RFAs) were issued under the respective CFDA numbers. (2) Please see CFDA 10.322 for other pertinent details re: Insular Area Grants. If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive and/or capacity project grant, or cooperative agreement are established, these amounts will be announced in the annual Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/resident-instruction-grants-program-institutions-higher-education-insular-areas As an administrator of U.S. government support, NIFA works in partnership with grantees to ensure responsible stewardship of federal funds. Our grantees and partners are required to comply with all relevant rules and regulations. The following resources are provided to NIFA's partners and award recipients to support their adherence to federal regulations governing program performance: NIFA's primary (main) website: https://nifa.usda.gov/regulations-and-guidelines The following represent specific documents and direct links: POLICY GUIDE NIFA's Federal Assistance Policy Guide describes agency policies and procedures. https://nifa.usda.gov/policy-guide CERTIFICATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS Certifications and representations provided through the NIFA application process. https://nifa.usda.gov/certifications-and-representations ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF USDA SUPPORT BY NIFA When acknowledging USDA support in accordance with 2 CFR Part 415, grantees must use the following acknowledgement for all projects or initiatives supported by NIFA. https://nifa.usda.gov/acknowledgment-usda-support-nifa FEDERAL REGULATIONS The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) lists all regulations published in the Federal Register. https://nifa.usda.gov/federal-regulations FOIA The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has the right to request access to federal documents and information such as research data. https://nifa.usda.gov/foia NEPA POLICY AND GUIDANCE The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Policy and Guidance set the standard for identifying potential environmental impacts. https://nifa.usda.gov/nepa-policy-and-guidance OGFM ISSUED CORRESPONDENCE The Office of Grants and Financial Management occasionally issues correspondence to applicants, grantees, and/or the general public for informational or clarification purposes. https://nifa.usda.gov/ogfm-issued-correspondence RESEARCH MISCONDUCT NIFA requires that all its awardees adhere to the USDA Scientific Integrity Policy and the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct. https://nifa.usda.gov/research-misconduct NIFA'S GENERAL AWARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS Award terms and conditions are determined by statutory, regulatory, and agency requirements, as well as each grant's circumstances. Terms and conditions dictate important items related to your grant, including method of payment, reporting frequency and content, and prior approval requirements. References to the terms and conditions of awards are located on the NIFA 2009 Award Fact Sheet. NIFA's general award terms and conditions (see link below) is applicable to this program, for awards with an award date on December 26, 2014 and thereafter. https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-general-terms-and-conditions-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-october-2016 Fiscal Year 2016 The final eight (8) RIIA Awards will range from the lowest of $120,979 to the highest of $175,000. Developing Resident Instruction in Food & Agricultural Related Sciences The purpose of this project is to: (1) increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a 2- or 4-year postsecondary degree in the food and agricultural related sciences; (2) enhance the quality of postsecondary instruction in order to help meet current and future national food and agricultural sciences workplace needs; (3) to provide off-island scholarships for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in food and agricultural related sciences; and (4) to provide financial assistance for faculty and staff professional development. Our goal is to increase the enrollment or the number of students who declare ACNR as major. The number of students who continue to use the student lab is at a steadily increasing rate. Increase in the number of ACNR graduates, continue the funding source for faculty and staff, and increase in the number of students continuing their education at the Bachelors level. We are actually providing these activities: Summer Internships and Summer Institute financial assistance. Working in Agricultural Training: Education by Research (WATER) The main objective of the present proposal is to enhance the agriculture, natural sciences and engineering curriculum through the involvement of students and faculty in research projects related to reuse of water resources for agriculture, including experiential learning and K-12 outreach and extension activities. Audience: Five (5) undergraduates and one graduate student will participate including seven faculty and one-extension personnel. An estimated of 100 K-12 students and 30 K-12 students and teachers will be impacted by the outreach and extension activities. Activities/Products WATER products involves outreach materials, workshops for training students in research projects, research projects related to wastewater reuse, summer research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students for participating institutions, students internships at USDA, K-12 teachers workshops, K12 students motivational career workshops. Envisioned activities will be aimed at student’s development as well as the consolidation of a robust pipeline to attract, retain and graduate talented minority students from PR and USVI while preparing them for placement in Agriculture-related positions. Promoting local research and internship experiences in the US for undergraduate students This project will address the need to provide new learning paradigms and research skills through an undergraduate research program (URP), and a summer internship what will continue increasing the number of applications, enrollments and the retention rates on two campuses of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). UPR-Mayaguez has the capacity (faculty, laboratory space and equipment) to admit additional students and increase enrollments in the graduate programs, especially in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment fields. Students from UPR-Ag majoring in STEM disciplines will be exposed to the opportunities of applying their basic knowledge to research problems related to FARNRE. Two mid-career young faculty members will be given the opportunity to renew their theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in the areas of assisted reproductive techniques, one, and food science microbiology, the other. They will be able to incorporate the obtained knowledge in their courses and research as well as in their activities as mentors of the URP funded by the project as well as enhance professional relations with the hosting institution. This project is aligned with UPR-M long range goals as they are contained in its mission statement. The present tight fiscal situation at UPR, which is expected to continue, poses a challenge for the funding needed to accomplish the institutional goals established. This project will facilitate the development of inter-institutional partnerships and collaborations between at least three institutions. Integrated Sustainable Small Farm Training in the Pacific Islands The proposed project will train students by establishing a field-based experiential learning program with utilization of the existing UOG Triton demonstration farm. Five (5) objectives of the proposed project are: (1) Increase in student’s knowledge and skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; (2) Increase in opportunities for students and public to gain knowledge of sustainable agriculture by attending workshops; (3) Develop student’s leadership skills, service learning, and oral communication skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; (4) Develop student’s written communication skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; and (5) Increase the number of deliverables for agriculture education and extension program. Proposed project addresses Educational Need Areas (ENA: Curricular Design, Materials Development, Library Resources; Student Experiential Learning; and Student recruitment, retention, and education equity. For ENA, the manual and handouts created in the proposed project will be used as instructional materials to learn about sustainable agriculture as a farm tour guide or in classroom. For ENA, the proposed project offers the farm-based work study practicum and experiential learning by interaction of trainees with faculty to produce extension materials. The proposed project will also addresses ENA, student recruitment and retention by providing students job opportunities as financial supports. Enhancing career opportunities in agricultural sciences for Pacific Islanders The proposed project will enhance agriculture education at secondary schools by offering workshops to secondary school teachers in Guam and delivering agricultural related STEM instruction materials. The proposed project will increase undergraduate students’ opportunities to conduct agricultural research projects and participate in experiential leaning programs. The proposed project will also provide support for Pacific Island students to pursue advanced degrees in agriculture by offering scholarships to qualified recipients. The proposed project supports University of Guam’s long-term goals in two Educational Need Areas: (# e) Student Experiential Learning: to develop student scientific and professional competencies through experiential learning programs that provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real world situations; and (# f) Student Recruitment, Retention, and Educational Equity: to strengthen student recruitment and retention programs to ensure the future strength of the Nation’s scientific, professional, and technical work force in the food and agricultural sciences. NOTE: Also see CFDA 10.322 for pertinent information regarding Insular Area Grants. The final eight (8) RIIA Awards ranged from the lowest of $120,979 to the highest of $175,000. Developing Resident Instruction in Food & Agricultural Related Sciences The purpose of this project is to: (1) increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a 2- or 4-year postsecondary degree in the food and agricultural related sciences; (2) enhance the quality of postsecondary instruction in order to help meet current and future national food and agricultural sciences workplace needs; (3) to provide off-island scholarships for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in food and agricultural related sciences; and (4) to provide financial assistance for faculty and staff professional development. The goal is to increase the enrollment or the number of students who declare a major. The number of students who continue to use the student lab is at a steadily increasing rate. The project will increase in the number of graduates, continue the funding source for faculty and staff, and increase in the number of students continuing their education at the Bachelors level. They will be funding: summer internships and summer institute financial assistance. Working in Agricultural Training: Education by Research (WATER) The main objective of the this project is to enhance the agriculture, natural sciences and engineering curriculum through the involvement of students and faculty in research projects related to reuse of water resources for agriculture, including experiential learning and K-12 outreach and extension activities. Audience: Five (5) undergraduates and one graduate student will participate including seven faculty and one-extension personnel. An estimated of 100 K-12 students and 30 K-12 students and teachers will be impacted by the outreach and extension activities. Activities/Products WATER products involves outreach materials, workshops for training students in research projects, research projects related to wastewater reuse, summer research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students for participating institutions, students internships at USDA, K-12 teachers workshops, K12 students motivational career workshops. Envisioned activities will be aimed at student’s development as well as the consolidation of a robust pipeline to attract, retain and graduate talented minority students from PR and USVI while preparing them for placement in Agriculture-related positions. Promoting local research and internship experiences in the US for undergraduate students This project will address the need to provide new learning paradigms and research skills through an undergraduate research program (URP), and a summer internship what will continue increasing the number of applications, enrollments and the retention rates on two campuses of the University. This institution has the capacity (faculty, laboratory space and equipment) to admit additional students and increase enrollments in the graduate programs, especially in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment fields. Students from UPR-Ag majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines will be exposed to the opportunities of applying their basic knowledge to research problems related to FARNRE. Two mid-career young faculty members will be given the opportunity to renew their theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in the areas of assisted reproductive techniques, one, and food science microbiology, the other. They will be able to incorporate the obtained knowledge in their courses and research as well as in their activities as mentors of the institution funded by the project as well as enhance professional relations with the hosting institution. This project is aligned with the institution’s long range goals as they are contained in its mission statement. The present tight fiscal situation at the campus, which is expected to continue, poses a challenge for the funding needed to accomplish the institutional goals established. This project will facilitate the development of inter-institutional partnerships and collaborations between at least three institutions. Integrated Sustainable Small Farm Training in the Pacific Islands The project will train students by establishing a field-based experiential learning program with utilization of the existing demonstration farm. Five (5) objectives of the project are: (1) Increase in student’s knowledge and skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; (2) Increase in opportunities for students and public to gain knowledge of sustainable agriculture by attending workshops; (3) Develop student’s leadership skills, service learning, and oral communication skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; (4) Develop student’s written communication skills of farm management and sustainable agriculture; and (5) Increase the number of deliverables for agriculture education and extension program. The project addresses the following Educational Need Areas (ENA: Curricular Design, Materials Development, Library Resources; Student Experiential Learning; and Student recruitment, retention, and education equity. For ENA, the manual and handouts created in the proposed project will be used as instructional materials to learn about sustainable agriculture as a farm tour guide or in classroom. For ENA, the proposed project offers the farm-based work study practicum and experiential learning by interaction of trainees with faculty to produce extension materials. The proposed project will also addresses ENA, student recruitment and retention by providing students job opportunities as financial supports. Enhancing career opportunities in agricultural sciences for Pacific Islanders The project will enhance agriculture education at secondary schools by offering workshops to secondary school teachers in Guam and delivering agricultural related STEM instruction materials. The proposed project will increase undergraduate students’ opportunities to conduct agricultural research projects and participate in experiential leaning programs. The proposed project will also provide support for Pacific Island students to pursue advanced degrees in agriculture by offering scholarships to qualified recipients. The proposed project supports University of Guam’s long-term goals in two Educational Need Areas: (# e) Student Experiential Learning: to develop student scientific and professional competencies through experiential learning programs that provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real world situations; and (# f) Student Recruitment, Retention, and Educational Equity: to strengthen student recruitment and retention programs to ensure the future strength of the Nation’s scientific, professional, and technical work force in the food and agricultural sciences.
Fiscal Year 2017 FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2017: The final eight (8) Awards will range from the lowest of $138,686 to the highest of $145,750. RIIA project: Engineering Teams Optimizing Agricultural Technology Work proposed herein takes advantage of the strong engineering programs available at the institution to foster the optimization of agricultural technology. Such goal will be achieved by preparing and focusing teams of two (2) to four (4) engineering students to work on specific agricultural science problems impacting the island. Attainment of such objective requires the establishment of a curricular sequence in Agricultural Science that allows Engineering students to grasp fundamental knowledge of agriculture. The curricular sequence includes a capstone/design course that requires application of the Engineering tools to a current problem of the island’s agriculture. Student capstone design project will be identified after interaction with stakeholders (e.g., Extension agents, farmer or professional associations, government officials, industry representatives). The project starts by testing the strategy at Industrial and Mechanical Engineering with the long-term goal of institutionalizing the improved approach to the various engineering departments at the institution. By intersecting engineering know-how with agricultural opportunity areas, the initiative should impact the island’s economic activity. RIIA Project: Developing Resident Instruction in Food & Agriculture Related Sciences at Community College. RIIA funding will continue to support three (3) full-time instructors, which has resulted in increase in enrollment, number of graduates, students receiving scholarships and stipends, and students participating in experiential learning programs. Continued support from RIIA will help to ensure further successes in the institution’s long-term measures. The project goals focuses on three (3) Educational Need Areas (ENA) – ENA (2) Faculty Preparation & Enhancement for Teaching, ENA (5) Student Experiential Learning, and ENA (6) Student Recruitment, Retention, and Educational Equity. With the ENAs as a guiding tool, the objectives of the project are: to maintain a funding source for faculty; to participate in a Summer Internship project with insular area colleges/universities; to provide local and regional summer internships; to provide Summer Institute scholarships; to provide off-island scholarships for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in food and agricultural related sciences; and to provide financial support for faculty and staff professional development. These objectives will help the institution meet its outcomes and overall NIFA objectives of increasing the number and diversity of students pursing degrees in food and agricultural sciences, and enhancing the quality of postsecondary instruction to help meet current and future workplace needs RIIA project: Engaging Prebaccalaureate Students in Educational Agricultural Research The project will engage undergraduate students in educational agricultural research opportunities. Research faculty at the Agricultural Experiment Station will engage students through mentoring them in educational agricultural research within their programs. One (1) of the challenges faced by institutions operating in insular areas is having sufficient resources for many aspects of everyday life and education. In addition to much needed financial support, this RIIA grant will provide undergraduate students with opportunities to develop their problem solving and decision making capabilities and their level of technical expertise to enhance their overall college experience in leadership and to broaden the scope of their education. Students can use their experience in an Agriculture Extension Station (AES) research program to excel in subsequent academic ventures. A student will also be given an opportunity to participate in a summer internship in 2018 at another Insular Area Institution. The select student will be able to learn and experience tropical agriculture from a different region and share their experience upon return with other undergraduate students. Four students will also be selected to visit a continental US university’s main campus and off campus research stations focusing on tropical agriculture to expose them to other students and research institutions. AGEFEI Project: Rainwater Harvesting, Storage, and Micro-Irrigation for Water Self-Sufficiency This project will merge existing irrigation infrastructure with rainwater catchment, distribution, and irrigation technologies that provide state-of the-art solutions to water conservation and agricultural sustainability in the hot, humid tropics. They will the construct a farm equipment building for storage and maintenance that will enhance the rainwater catchment capacity of the green water system. The green water system will utilize rainwater catchment, storage, and distribution at the AES field research site that incorporates micro-irrigation technologies. The goal of this proposal is that water use at the AES field research programs (irrigation and livestock consumption) will become self-sufficient from harvested rainwater. AGFEI Project: A Science Hub Facility for Agriculture and Plant Protection The project aims to substantially upgrade and modernize the facilities located in a Center for Excellence in Quarantine and Invasive Species, with a view to strongly enhancing the technological aspects of agricultural education and training in the island. The Center for Excellence possesses lab space, greenhouses and a quarantine facility for the study of invasive pests and pathogens, constituting a front line initiative for their control, before they affect the mainland US. The Center is currently host to 12 undergraduate and graduate students, being trained in modern techniques of pest and pathogen detection, monitoring (GIS) and biological and biomolecular characterization, including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques. The project goals are to: Firstly, to develop networking capability, involving the creation of an improved multimedia classroom in the Library, which will act as hub for live teaching and seminars, teleconferencing, and the creation of online content in both Spanish and English. This will enable groups in diverse parts of the island to easily access and contribute expertise and knowledge. An important function will be to establish connectivity with groups outside the island, in the mainland US, Caribbean region, and rest of the world. Secondly, to implement computational infrastructure that will facilitate high throughput analyses, in particular genomics that may be used as a training tool in undergraduate and graduate research and education. Thirdly, to upgrade existing experimental equipment to the state of the art. This will include digitization and improvement of microscopic equipment, acquisition of high throughput sample processing equipment such as DNA automated extraction for sampling screening and biological process documentation.
Fiscal Year 2018 The final eight (8) Awards will range from the lowest of $112,300 to the highest of $149,980. AGFEI Project: Supporting Tropical Agriculture Research by the Acquisition of Cutting-Edge Technology for Phytopathology Laboratories The goal of this project is to develop two labs into specialized scientific research centers, specifically, a Molecular Plant-Pathology Center and a Cell Biology Imaging Center. These centers will work together to serve as a teaching, research, and training facilities for faculty and students allowing them the experience with hands-on state-of-the-art research instruments to develop research skills and experiences through their research projects. AGFEI Project: Strengthen Agricultural Sciences Programs by Integrating Precision Agriculture Technologies This project will support the acquisition and integration of precision agricultural technologies (PAT) into the laboratories of various agricultural sciences courses and by providing student experiential learning activities to develop leadership skills. The acquisition of a new tractor with auto-guidance, variable rate technology, unmanned aerial vehicles, and crop and soil sensing technologies will provide the knowledge and experience necessary to address stakeholder identified needs. Strengthening the scientific instrumentation and equipment available will support existing courses and also provide opportunities to create new courses and new academic programs at the College of Agricultural Sciences. Students will be trained in critical thinking, problem solving and professional communication. The outcomes of the project will ensure a competent and better-qualified workforce to serve the needs of current and future national food and agricultural science. RIIA Project: Integrating Soil Education with Organic Agriculture This project will bring experiential learning activities to teach undergraduate students, agriculture teachers and extension agents about soils as an integral and active part of an agroecosystem, indispensable for organic agricultural systems and sustained agricultural productivity. The proposed project will design experiential learning activities focused on the soil teaching principles: uniqueness of soil, fieldwork, limited use of jargon, active learning using real problems, connections across concepts, systems thinking, communications, group problem solving, feedback, assessment and understanding of resulting outcomes. The educational modules and activities will be specifically designed for undergraduate students and incorporated as a summer internship. Educational workshops, based on the most important soil related problems in organic agriculture as identified by stakeholders, will be specifically designed for agriculture teachers and extension agents. RIIA Project: Increasing Agricultural Experiential Learning Opportunities The proposed project will focus on increasing agricultural experiential learning opportunities for Pacific Islanders including experiential learning programs with the following aims: (a) improvement of students’ research skills and (b) increase in students’ knowledge of agricultural and social environments of other cultures. The proposed project will also provide scholarships for qualified new graduate students to pursue advanced degrees in the newly established MS degree program of Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. RIIA Project: Developing Resident Instruction This project will support goals focused on three educational need areas: (1) faculty preparation and enhancement for teaching; (2) student experiential learning; and (3) student recruitment, retention, and educational equity. Students will participate in summer internships with insular area colleges/universities. This project will also support scholarships to provide local and regional summer internships and off-island scholarships for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in food and agricultural related sciences. Furthermore, this project will provide financial support for faculty and staff professional development. These objectives will help increase the number and diversity of students pursing degrees in food and agricultural sciences, and enhancing the quality of post-secondary instruction to help meet current and future workplace needs.
Fiscal Year 2019 The final eight (8) Awards will range from the lowest of $127.686 to the highest of $150,000. AGFEI Project: Improvement of Tropical Agriculture and Food Science Research at the University of Guam This project will build capacity for the facilities needed to conduct agricultural research. This project addresses REE goal of promoting scientific education and literacy by building the research capacity of the institution. The funding will enhance tropical agriculture and food science research at the University of Guam by acquiring a flash chromatography system. The system will be used for purification technique to separate and isolate components of bioactive organic compounds from tropical plant extracts. Upper level students will be able to use the equipment for research and participate in applied research projects. AGFEI Project: Experiential Learning in Environmental Soil Science Research in the Tropics This grant will provide support that will enhance the soil chemistry laboratory in the department of Agro Environmental Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez by purchasing an ICP unit. The ICP unit is necessary for the analysis of exchangeable basic cations, exchangeable aluminum, heavy metals, and macro and micronutrient content in soils and plant tissue. Twenty students from local universities will have the opportunity to gain research experience in the analysis of soils, water and tissue samples. AGFEI Project: Rebuilding Animal Handling Facilities at the UVI-AES Beef Cattle Research Facility This project will fund the purchase to replace the existing cattle handling facilities located at the off campus Beef Cattle Research facility. The existing facilities were donated to UVI-AES in 2006 along with the cattle herd. At that time the facilities were in poor condition and there were limited funds available for any major renovation, or even repairs. The objective of this proposal is to obtain funds to rebuild the cattle working pens in a location that will allow a better design to be incorporated for safer and more efficient animal handling and data collection. RIIA Project: Professional Certificate Program in Horticultural Therapy The project will develop a new Professional Certificate Program in Horticultural Therapy which seeks to provide the green industry in Puerto Rico with a cadre of new products and services that can complement their operations and contribute to the needs of the health care industry. Through the curricula development process, the new academic program, its courses and faculty will be certified according to professional standards dictated by the American Horticultural Therapy Association. RIIA Project: Developing a Eukaryotic CRISPR/Cas-9 Transformation Core Facility for UPRM This project will develop two CRISPR/Cas-9 genome transformation modules as part of a semester long course on CRISPR transformation. One module will be specialized on using CRISPR/Cas-9 on plants and the other on insects. This will allow faculty at UPRM to pursue new avenues of research in functional genomics. It will also make our graduate students more competitive and hirable upon graduation in the agro-biotechnology fields.
Fiscal Year 2020 For FY 2020, it is projected that approximately 10-20 applications will be received, and approximately seven (7) to eight (8) awards will be made. Specific data is not yet available. Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date.
Fiscal Year 2024 Pertinent data to be provided by Program at a future date.