National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRI)

Providing grants for research and development for sustainable production systems, new uses and added value for agricultural products, and revitalized rural economies

The purpose of the NRI program is to support research, extension, and education grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of agriculture (farming, ranching, forestry – including urban and agroforestry – aquaculture, rural communities, human nutrition, processing, etc).

Providing this support requires that NRI advance fundamental sciences in support of agriculture and food systems and coordinate opportunities to build on these discoveries. Building on these discoveries will necessitate new efforts in education and extension that deliver science-based knowledge to people, allowing them to make informed practical decisions. Hence, the NRI will now accept applications for fundamental research, mission-linked research, and integrated research, extension, and education projects.

However, applicants should know that the NRI will use no more than 20 percent of available funds to support integrated projects and that these funds will not be distributed uniformly, but targeted to specific priorities. Targeted priorities for integrated projects are clearly identified within the detailed descriptions of program offerings.

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards. Contingent on congressional action, in FY 2005 CSREES anticipates that about $150 million will be available for support of this program. Of this amount, no more than 20 percent will be made available to fund integrated projects, with the balance used to fund research projects.

Project Examples

• A grant for $530,000 for 4 years was awarded to the University of Florida to study sustainable management of cattle grazing in south central Florida, where extensive subtropical rangelands intersect with some of the most sensitive natural systems in the United States. How ranching affects native ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and surface water quality are issues of increasing importance to environmentalists, ranchers, and policy makers. A shared goal among all interested parties is to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of beef cattle ranches.
• A 3-year grant to Washington State University for $202,000 will be used to examine the interconnections between small farm operations and other local actors, including farm workers, residential neighbors, consumers, large farms, farm suppliers, processors, distributors, and retailers. In particular, it will determine how local agri-food systems are embedded within distinctive rural communities and natural environments, including those facing rapid transformation and development pressures. A goal of this project is to ascertain the obstacles and opportunities encountered by small-scale producers within local food systems.
• A grant for $125,000 for 3 years was awarded to the University of North Texas to develop novel cottonseed fatty acid composition in seed oils of cotton plants as value-added resources for the cotton industry. Although fiber will always be the primary seed-derived product from cotton, increased value in secondary, processed seed products will increase the overall value of the cotton crop and could stimulate a greatly improved utilization of this renewable domestic agricultural resource.

Application and Financial Information
NRI solicits proposals that are single or multidisciplinary, fundamental research, mission-linked research, or integrated research, extension, and education. The following definitions apply:

• Fundamental research: Research that tests scientific hypotheses and provides basic knowledge that allows advances in applied research and from which major conceptual breakthroughs are expected to occur.
• Mission-linked research: Research on specifically identified agricultural problems that, through a continuum of efforts, provides information and technology that may be transferred to users and may relate to a product, practice, or process.
• Multidisciplinary research: Multi-disciplinary projects are those (research or integrated) in which investigators from two or more disciplines are collaborating closely. These collaborations, where appropriate, may integrate the biological, physical, chemical or social sciences.
• Integrated projects: "Integrated" means to bring together the three components of the agricultural knowledge system (research, extension, and education) around a problem or activity. In FY 2005, the NRI is seeking to support projects that bring together at least two of these components and address identified agricultural problems as described in this RFA.

Eligibility, Uses, and Restrictions
For research projects, the eligibility requirements for the NRI are as follows: except where otherwise prohibited by law, state agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations or corporations, and individuals are eligible to apply for and to receive a competitive grant.

For integrated projects, the eligibility requirements for the NRI are as follows: except where otherwise prohibited by law, state agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, research foundations maintained by colleges or universities, private research organizations with established and demonstrated capacities to perform research or technology transfer, federal research agencies, and national laboratories are eligible to apply for and receive a competitive grant.

Project Evaluation
Each application will be evaluated in a two-part process. First, each application will be screened to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in the Request for Applications (RFA). Applications that do not fall within the guidelines as stated in the RFA will be eliminated from program competition and will be returned to the applicant. Second, a peer review panel will technically evaluate applications that meet these requirements and provide written comments all applicants. Written comments will also be solicited from ad hoc reviewers when required. When carrying out its review, the peer review panel will take into account the following factors:

• Scientific merit of the application for research, extension and/or education;
• Qualifications of the proposed project personnel and adequacy of facilities;
• Planning and administration of the proposed project; and
• Relevance of the proposal to improvements in and sustainability of U.S. agriculture.

Contact
National Program Office
NRICGP/USDA
Stop 2241
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20250-2241
Phone: (202) 401-1898); Fax: (202) 401-4327

Internet
www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/nri.html