North Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants Fiscal Year 2017 | USDA NRCS ND CIG 17 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS ND CIG 17 01

The North Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Fiscal Year 2017 opportunity is a discretionary grant program meant to speed up the real-world use of innovative conservation practices in agriculture. Its core goal is to help farmers, ranchers, and conservation partners adopt approaches and technologies that improve environmental outcomes (like soil, water, and habitat) while still supporting productive agriculture. The program is designed to stretch the impact of federal conservation dollars by encouraging projects that bring together public and private partners, share tools and expertise, and move practical conservation solutions into broader use across North Dakota.

A key point is that CIG is focused on implementation and demonstration rather than basic research. Funded projects are expected to take conservation methods that have already shown promise and apply them in ways that increase adoption, especially where there is clear potential to scale. Typical project types include on-the-ground pilot efforts and field demonstrations that show how a practice works under real farming conditions, what it costs, what benefits it produces, and how it can be replicated by others. The program also supports the transfer of successful conservation technologies and management systems into USDA NRCS technical manuals and guidance, or into the private sector so they can be widely offered and used. Innovative approaches can include not only equipment or agronomic practices, but also management systems and market-based tools that encourage conservation outcomes.

Research is generally not funded under this opportunity, with one important exception: on-farm conservation research. This is narrowly defined as a study that answers a specific conservation question using a statistically valid design on actual farm fields, using farm-scale equipment. In practice, that means projects need appropriate replication and sound statistical analysis, and they must be tied directly to improved natural resource management alongside agricultural production. When NRCS supports research through CIG, it is because the research is tightly connected to implementing or proving out an innovative, practical approach that can be adopted by producers and conservation partners.

Projects may be single-year or multi-year, but the maximum project period is three years. This funding round is specific to applicants from North Dakota. Eligible applicants are broad and include federally recognized tribal governments, state and local governments (including counties, cities/townships, and special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, individuals, and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits that are not small businesses). The program is listed under CFDA 10.912, and the funding instrument is a grant.

From a funding perspective, the announcement lists an award ceiling of $75,000 and an expectation of about two awards. The opportunity was posted January 12, 2017, with an original closing date of March 14, 2017. While the listing identifies the agency as the Department of Agriculture (with a reference to a state office in the source data), the program itself is administered through USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and, for this competition, the North Dakota NRCS process and leadership.

The selection process is structured and competitive. Submitted proposals are first screened to confirm they are complete and compliant with the notice requirements; incomplete or noncompliant applications are removed from consideration and applicants are notified. Proposals that pass screening are scored by a technical peer review panel using evaluation criteria described in the full announcement. After technical review, proposals and reviews move to the North Dakota Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist. The State Conservationist makes the final funding selections. Overall, the opportunity is best suited for applicants who can clearly show an innovative but proven conservation idea, demonstrate it in practical North Dakota conditions, document measurable resource benefits, and lay out a credible plan for adoption and transfer beyond the life of the grant.

• The Department of Agriculture, Utah State Office in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "North Dakota Conservation Innovation Grants Fiscal Year 2017" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 12, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 14, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS ND CIG 17 01

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