Download FY14 Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) The

FY14 Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) The total funding available for SCRI in FY14 is $76.8 million, of which $24 million will be reserved for citrus. Note that for proposals submitted in FY14, there is still a 1:1 match requirement with non‐Federal funds. Example matching calculations are given on p. 23 of the RFA. Note in this context that the SCRI indirect cost rate is still at 22% total Federal funds (corresponding to 28.205% of total direct costs); thus, unrecovered indirect cost between the AES rate and the SCRI can be used toward the match. The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi‐state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics; Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing); new innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops. As in previous years, the SCRI program will give priority to projects that are multistate, multi‐
institutional or trans‐disciplinary, and include clearly defined mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public. Five types of projects will be supported in FY14: 1. Standard Research and Extension Projects (SREPs): up to 5 years, federal funds not less than $250,000 per project, support targeted problem‐solving efforts that would not otherwise qualify in scope for support as a CAP project. 2. Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs): 3 to 5 years, funding up to $10 million federal funds, address specific multiple components of a primary system or multiple components of areas where primary systems overlap. 3. Regional Partnerships for Innovation (RPIs): 2 to 3 years, federal funds will not exceed $2,000,000 per project, form partnerships that provide the local or regional infrastructure needed to fully exploit future technology commercialization and adoption. 4. eXtension Projects: 3 to 5 years, federal funds will not exceed $450,000 per project, develop Communities of Practice (COPs) for the eXtension system and to support existing COPs. 5. Research and Extension Planning Projects: 1 year, federal funds up to $50,000, provide assistance to applicants in the development of quality future SREP, RPI, or CAP proposals (grant planning). Funds may also be requested to provide assistance to consumer, producer, or industry groups for developing strategic research and extension plans—including goals, objectives, priorities, etc. (strategic planning). There is a long list of program priorities, some general, others quite specific, starting on pp. 11‐13 of the RFA. The review process this year consists of a two‐phase process, with the letter of intent (LOI, for planning grants) and the Stakeholder Relevance Statement (SRS, for all other applications) used to invite full applications. Note that an LOI needs to be submitted by e‐mail, whereas an SRS via grants.gov. Detailed evaluation criteria for SRS are given on pp. 38‐40 of the RFA. For PI teams not ready to submit a full proposal this year, a Planning Grant may be a good idea to document stakeholder input and collect preliminary data, especially in light of the fact that the 1:1 match requirement will no longer be in place for proposals submitted in FY15 and later. This presumably will result in more submissions in FY15, whereby those who had a Planning Grant in FY14 will be in a better position. This is an excellent funding opportunity, and the CAES grants support team, consisting of the Grants Coordinator, the respective Assistant Deans, and the CAES Sponsored Programs Office are ready to assist with all aspects of proposal development. Please contact us at [email protected] if we can be of help.