Deadline: 14-Oct-22
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for its Forest Health Protection (FHP) Biological Control of Invasive Forest Pests Program, a national funding opportunity focused on the development and transfer of technologies aimed at increasing the use and efficacy of biological control for the management of invasive forest pests.
Projects submitted to this Program must contribute to fulfilling the Forest Health Protection (FHP) mission: To protect and improve the health of America’s rural, wildland, and urban forests – projects must address the management of invasive forest pests (i.e., plants, insects, and pathogens) using biological control.
The objective of the FHP Biological Control of Invasive Forest Pests Program is to develop or improve biological control technologies and applications that increase our ability to manage and restore forest systems from the impact of invasive forest pests.
National BCIFP Priorities
Priorities are set by the FHP Directors, which if met, will give a higher ranking to proposals. BCIFP national program priorities are:
- Developing improved methods for assessing/predicting the effectiveness of candidate biological control agents
- Developing techniques and technologies for conducting post-release monitoring and assessments of biological control impacts and agent distribution
- Improving existing and novel utilization of biological control with other control components of integrated pest management
- Developing novel biological control strategies through funding of pilot projects
Types of Projects Considered
BCIFP is currently requesting proposals for innovative projects that will advance the development of technology related to biological control of invasive forest pests. Original innovative pilot projects as well as proposals to expand existing technologies are strongly encouraged. USDA-ARS and APHIS facilities are eligible to apply.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must address the FHP program mission
- Must be submitted through the BCIFP Regional Representatives
- Must have a FHP sponsor who is directly involved in the project proposal, development, and implementation. The FHP sponsor must agree to sponsor the project prior to proposal submission
- Have a maximum project duration of 3 years
- 50/50 match required if you are a non-federal entity receiving funds through a Grant or Cooperative Agreement. However, in certain circumstances and on a case-by-case basis, match may be reduced or waived by the Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry.
- Must meet FS Grants and Agreements requirements. Please specify where any requested salary expenses are going to (e.g., contracts, in-house, etc.).
Evaluation Criteria
New Projects will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Importance – Does the proposed project addresses current BCIFP national program priorities?
- Technical merit – Is the project feasible, logical, and technically sound (with necessary permits in place)?
- Results – Is the proposed projects likely to produce results which will be implemented/applied by FHP personnel, partners, and land managers
- Technology Transfer – Is the project supported with sound technology transfer after completion?
- Stakeholder and end user involvement (please do not include letters of support): Does the project demonstrate support and need by stakeholders/end users from project initiation to the dissemination or distribution of information following project completion?
- Qualifications of the Investigator and Co-PIs (CVs requested): Does the PI or cooperators have the necessary materials (e.g., permits, rearing components, facilities) to conduct the proposed work?
- Finance and Economic efficiency : Are the proposed project costs reasonable and fully documented?
For more information, visit USDA.
For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/foresthealth/working-with-us/index.shtml