1. Tips & Tricks for Submitting a USDA Grant
Guests Panelists
Mary Burrows, Plant Pathology Specialist, Extension/Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology
Carl Yeoman, Assistant Professor, Animal & Ranges Sciences

2. 5 Tips & Tricks Read the Request for Applications carefully
Start and end with your project summary
Talk to your National Program Leader
Explore the full range of options
Keep the reviewers in mind

3. Parts of the Proposal Narrative Forms Supporting Docs
Project Summary/Abstract
Project Narrative
Introduction
Rationale and Significance
Approach
Bibliography & References Cited
Biographical Sketch
Conflict of Interest
Current and Pending Support
Budget
Budget Justification
Data Management Plan
Facilities and Other Resources
Equipment
Letters of Support
Key Personnel Roles
Logic Model for Integrated Program
Management Plan for Integrated Program

4. Slides from 2013 Presentation
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) established by the 2008 Farm Bill
Research enables us to develop the knowledge needed to solve many of the issues facing our nation
Education strengthens schools and universities to train the next generation of scientists, educators, producers, and citizens
Extension brings the knowledge gained through research and education to the people who need it most – in the United States and around the world

5. National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Integration brings the three components of the agricultural knowledge system (research, education, and extension) together around a problem area or activity. Integration occurs when the components complement one another and are truly necessary for the ultimate success of the project or program.

6. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
Foundational Program RFA:
Plant Health and Production and Plant Products
Animal Health and Production and Animal Products
Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health
Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment
Agriculture Systems and Technology
Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities

7. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
These Challenge Area grants are larger, typically over $1 million. The program generally focuses on integrated projects with multiple investigators or large teams where the research component is more applied.
Childhood Obesity Prevention
Resilient Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate
Water for Food Production Systems
Food Safety
Sustainable Bioenergy

8. Read the call
CAREFULLY

9. #1… READ THE RFA!!! Explore to find your competitive advantage!
Program priorities can and do change!
The RFA is more than just the Program Description
Eligibility
Funding levels
DEADLINES (Letters of Intent, Full Proposals)
Review criteria
Project requirements
NPL contact information

10. Read and Re-read the Guidelines
Does your project help meet the goals of the call and the NIFA program?
Who has applied to this call in the past? Any in Montana?
How much money did they receive?
Are there any special requirements? Special review criteria?
Who do you need on your team? At MSU or other?
Does it require a Letter of Intent or Letters of Support?

11. Project Summary

12. #8… Write a Meaningful and Engaging Project Summary
Summary should include goals and objectives, hypothesis being tested
Highlight what’s innovative about your project
Describe outputs and outcomes
TIP: Recall that most panelists will not read your entire proposal – get them interested with your Project Summary
N.B. – Cutting and pasting the first two paragraphs of your Introduction generally is not successful.

13. Why start and end with the Project Summary?
Before you submit
Outlines the proposal
Used to start the discussion with the National Program Leader
Used to start discussions with collaborators
After you submit
It is the first (or only) thing your reviewers read
Sets the stage for the rest of the proposal

14. A Graphical Abstract is a single, concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main goals and outcomes of the proposal.
Michelle Flenniken, Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology
NSF CAREER Grant - Honey bee host-virus interactions: Investigating dsRNA mediated immune responses and virus specific determinants of transmission and pathogenesis

15. Talking to your NPL

16. Explore the full range of options

17. Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants:
Pre-doctoral Fellowship Grants
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants
New Investigator Grants (Restricted eligibility)
Strengthening Grants (Restricted eligibility)
Sabbatical Grants
Equipment Grants
Seed Grants
Strengthening Standard and Strengthening CAP Grants

18. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative: FASE Strengthening Awards
-Funded from 7.5% set aside from AFRI appropriation ( that’s 7.5% of $264 million in FY2012! Or over $19 million)
- Eligibility limited to EPSCoR states or small to mid sized institutions (<17,500 enrolled with limited institutional success not in the top 100) or Minority Serving Institutions. Just meet one of these requirements and you are eligible!

19. Strengthening Award Types
Standard Strengthening (second chance funding for full research grant $300k to $30 million)
Career Enhancement Award (Sabbatical, “one year of salary plus travel and supplies”)
Seed grants (up to $150k)
Equipment grants (the only AFRI grant type that requires a match)

20. Strengthening Strategy
Plan your work to link awards and leverage Grants
Evaluate where you are and what you need
Equipment? Training or a collaborator (sabbatical award)? Preliminary data (seed/sabbatical)?
What is your three year plan? (equipment>seed>standard or sabbatical>standard or other)
How will this fit with your unique institutional advantages and strengths?

21. Understanding Reviewers

22. Participation (20 points)
Review Criteria
Successful Proposal
Adequate plan, team and budget
Alignment with funder goals
Novelty and soundness of the idea
NSF
What is the potential for the proposed activity to
Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?
Are there adequate resources?
NIH
Overall Impact
Scientific Merit
Significance
Investigator(s)
Innovation
Approach
Environment
USDA
We will use the evaluation criteria below to review applications submitted in response to this RFA:
Relevance (20 points)
Quality (20 points)
Feasibility (40 points)
Participation (20 points)
DOE
Scientific and/or technical merit of the project;  for example, the influence that the results might have on the direction, progress, and thinking in relevant scientific fields of research; the likelihood of achieving valuable results; and the scientific innovation and originality indicated in the proposed research.
Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach; for example, the logic and feasibility of the research approaches and the soundness of the conduct of the research.
Competency of the personnel and adequacy of proposed resources; and for example, the background, past performance, and potential of the investigator(s); and the research environment and facilities for performing the research.
Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.

23. #7… Write the Proposal for the Reviewers
Put yourself in the shoes of a reviewer who will read between 15 and 20 proposals.
Capture their attention
Get to the point = Be succinct
“What will be different as a result of your project?”
“So what?”

24. Evaluation Criteria (e.g., AFRI research proposals)
Scientific merit
Qualifications of project personnel, adequacy of facilities, and project management
Relevance and importance of topic to US Agriculture as articulated by the program’s priorities

25. #2… Serve on a Panel
Contact the NPL or Panel Manager and volunteer to serve
Add your name to the Reviewer Database:
Send an to:
N.B. – You may not serve on a panel in the same year that you submit to the program.

26. Links to More Info
USDA slides:
NIFA RFA List
AFRI Website
CRIS
OSP website
Workspace Submission System

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