2021 Soil Science Collaborative Research Proposals

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the potential availability of funding for agreements for the purposes of:

•          Promoting research collaboration between the NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD) and university cooperators on significant national issues;

•          Providing technology transfer and training for NRCS staff;

•          Assisting in training of students in soil science and related fields.

Proposals must be for projects based in the United States and its territories and possessions and focus on the priorities described in Section A of this notice. Research proposals are sought. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2021 will be up to $1,000,000.00. Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network (http://www.cesu.psu.edu/). Proposals are requested for competitive consideration of awards for projects 2-3 years in duration. 

This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions for

projects. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of

this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant proposals will be eliminated from competition,

and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D.1. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 15, 2021. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. Questions regarding this notice of funding opportunity (NFO) may be submitted until May 15, 2021. Responses to questions posed will be posted on Grants.gov approximately two weeks before the application due date.

The agency anticipates making selections by July 15, 2021 and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2021.

Education

• Public and state institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education