Deadline: 22-May-23
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.
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 government 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.
CIG Priorities for FY 2023:
- Priority: Energy
- The objective of this priority is to demonstrate innovative approaches and/or technologies to address energy resource concerns on the agricultural operation.
- Possible Subtopics Include:
- Develop innovative energy production technologies which utilize existing biomass from forests that are at risk for wildfires.
- Demonstrate small-scale energy production using heat recovery from existing heat sources and testing the effectiveness to generate energy.
- Proposed projects must be performed in Alaska.
- Priority: Arctic Agriculture
- The objective of this priority is to demonstrate innovative approaches, methods, and/or new technologies of agriculture in high latitude northern climates (i.e. north of the Brooks Range) which will improve localized food security within Alaska and determine how it relates to ecosystem sustainability, natural resource management and land use, sustainable soil management, biodiversity, and environmental impact.
- Arctic Agriculture resource concerns include Degraded Plant Condition related to plant productivity, health, plant structure, and composition as well as Soil Quality Limitations such as aggregate instability, compaction, concentration of salts or other chemicals, organic matter depletion, and soil organism habitat loss or degradation.
- Proposed projects must be performed in high latitude climates within Alaska.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $479,250
- Award Ceiling: $479,250
- Award Floor: $5,000
Innovative Conservation 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; and
- 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; and
- 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.
Technologies and approaches that are eligible for funding in a project’s geographic area using an EQIP contract for an established conservation practice standard are ineligible for CIG funding, except where the use of those technologies and approaches demonstrates clear innovation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)). Neither foreign entities nor foreign individuals are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
- All U.S. domestic, non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply for projects carried out in Alaska. US Federal agencies are not eligible to apply to this opportunity or impart their work to non-federal portion of the budget.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.