[CED/CD/EAT] FW: Notice of Funding Opportunity for 2021 USDA-FAS Scientific Exchanges Program (SEP)

[Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto)]

FYI...

From: Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA <roberto.gonzalez at usda.gov>
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2021 3:34 PM
To: Ogden, Kimberly L - (ogden) <ogden at arizona.edu>; Burgess, Shane C - (shaneburgess) <sburgess at cals.arizona.edu>; Hunt, James E - (jeh) <JHunt at ag.arizona.edu>; Pawar, Sangita C - (sangita) <sangita at arizona.edu>; Mester, John Clark - (jmester) <jmester at arizona.edu>; Patten, Kim J - (kjpatten) <kjpatten at arizona.edu>; Coffey, Courtney - (ccoffey) <ccoffey at arizona.edu>; Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto) <Silver at ag.arizona.edu>; Mars, Matthew M - (mmars) <mmars at arizona.edu>; Cantwell, Elizabeth R - (ecantwell) <ecantwell at arizona.edu>
Subject: [EXT]Notice of Funding Opportunity for 2021 USDA-FAS Scientific Exchanges Program (SEP)


External Email

Program Overview and Priorities
The Scientific Exchanges Program (SEP) advances USDA's agricultural research goals to promote collaborative programs among agricultural professionals of eligible countries, the United States, the international agricultural research system, and United States entities conducting research in the agricultural sciences. SEP accomplishes this by providing fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or other related fields. Fellowships promote food security and economic growth in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to improve agricultural productivity, and extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace. The collaborative nature of the training and research programs benefits the fellow, his or her home institution, and partner country; the U.S. host institution, its professors, researchers, and students; and the global agricultural sector by improving agricultural productivity, systems, and processes in partnering nations through the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies.

Eligible Applicants
U.S. State Cooperative Institutions or other colleges and universities in the United States.

Application Submission Deadline: June 10, 2021.

If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this announcement, please contact Adam Carruthers (Adam.Carruthers at usda.gov<mailto:Adam.Carruthers at usda.gov>), International Program Specialist, Fellowship Programs, Global Programs at 202-690-4310.


Program Objectives

USDA will issue up to 11 awards under this announcement.



Award 1: USDA will provide an award focusing on understanding food safety issues with a direct impact on international agricultural trade, such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBT). The award will focus on assisting West African nations in improving their food safety systems by offering "real-world" research opportunities on food safety issues and topics related to SPS measures and TBT. Recipients should consider the potential for using Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) to improve food safety. Additionally, the award will provide a platform for researchers of the same cohort to share ideas and foster collaboration to lead to better intraregional coordination on food safety issues. More broadly, through their research, fellows will affirm the importance of the international standard setting bodies (Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant Protection Convention and the World Organization for Animal Health) to agricultural policy makers responsible for the development or improvement of national food safety regimes throughout West Africa.



After recipient(s) are awarded, they will be expected to identify and propose fellows to USDA for final concurrence. Although each fellow should be assigned a specific faculty member as a one-on-one research mentor, USDA envisions that fellows will participate as a cohesive cohort, rather than at individual times, and applicants should prepare their approach accordingly. The award will support a group of fellows from the West Africa region. After recipient(s) are awarded, a project workplan will also be required.


Awards 2-11: USDA will provide up to 10 awards for CSA and food systems research. CSA is an integrated approach to managing landscapes-cropland, livestock, forests, and fisheries-that address the interlinked challenges of food security and accelerated climate change. Food systems refers to how climate change efforts can be addressed throughout the agricultural production system, including food loss and waste, sustainable materials management and the development of local and regional markets. USDA is seeking proposal submissions that includes CSA for countries in the African, Asian, Central American, Latin American, and or the Middle Eastern Regions.


Available Funding for the NOFO: subject to funding availability

One award will be up to $700,000.

10 awards will be up to $60,000 per award.

Projected Number of Awards: 11

Period of Performance: 36 months

Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): September 1, 2021
Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): August 31, 2024

Cost Share or Match requirements: A cost match or cost share is not required.

Funding Instrument: USDA will enter into a Cost Reimbursable agreement under 7 USC § 3319a with selected universities. Program staff will maintain involvement in the administration of the Scientific Exchanges Program.

Note that indirect costs, by law, cannot exceed 10% of direct costs under this agreement instrument. FAS has no authority to waive this ceiling.
Subawards are allowable under the agreement if included in the original application.




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