Deadline: 29 June 2020
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of up to $15 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) funding.
The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
Projects or Activities
- CIG funds the development and field testing, on-farm research and demonstration, evaluation, or implementation of:
- Approaches to incentivizing conservation adoption, including market-based and conservation finance approaches; a
- Conservation technologies, practices, and systems.
- Projects or activities under CIG must:
- Comply with all applicable Federal, Tribal, State, and local laws and regulations throughout the duration of the project;
- Use a technology or approach that was studied sufficiently to indicate a high probability for success;
- Demonstrate, evaluate, and verify the effectiveness, utility, affordability, and usability of natural resource conservation technologies and approaches in the field;
- Adapt and transfer conservation technologies, management, practices, systems, approaches, and incentive systems to improve performance and encourage adoption;
- Introduce proven conservation technologies and approaches to a geographic area or agricultural sector where that technology or approach is not currently in use.
Funding Information
- It is anticipated that a total of up to $15 million in funding will be available for this announcement.
- The funding minimum for a single award is $150,000 and the maximum for a single award is $2 million. Proposals can be between 1 to 3 years in duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- All U.S.-based non-Federal entities (NFE) and individuals, with the exception of Federal agencies, are eligible to apply. Individuals and entities may submit more than one application and may receive more than one award.
- U.S. in “U.S.-based” includes any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
Applicants must submit a single copy of the application in the following format:
- Each page must be on numbered, letter-sized (8½” x 11”) and use a white background that has one-inch margins;
- The text of the application must be typed, single spaced, black, and in a font no smaller than 12-point.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326614