NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Grant Applications
[53 Pa.B. 2050]
[Saturday, April 15, 2023]The Department of Agriculture (Department) is soliciting applications to conduct agricultural research on one or more of the following research topic areas, with the research to be conducted from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, with the possibility, but not the assurance, of extending that research into subsequent years. Funding is contingent upon 2023-2024 budget appropriations. This notice establishes the procedures by which grant applications will be solicited and reviewed, and by which grants will be awarded.
1. Grant Solicitation. The Department will accept grant applications for the purposes, in the form and according to the schedule set forth as follows. Following publication, additional publication and dissemination of this notice shall be made to applicants who have previously submitted grant applications to or received grants from the Department, as well as any individuals or entities who have requested notification from the Department of grant availability.
2. Research Topic Areas. Though not exclusive of original research topics, the Department is particularly interested in funding projects in the following areas:
a. Ongoing multiyear research projects. The Department has, in previous years, provided funding for various multiyear research projects that might be continued or extended to complete research the Department identifies as addressing continued priorities of the agricultural industry, such as:
• Examining the economic impact of pest infestations like Phorid Flies and Spotted Lanternflies and identifying mitigating measures.
• Measuring the impacts on the Chesapeake Bay of farm management practices that have not received Federal or State government cost-sharing assistance.
• Implementing Chapter 5 of the Pennsylvania Pollinator Protection Plan (see https://ento.psu.edu/pollinators/pollin-spotlight-items/the-pennsylvania-pollinator-protection-plan-p4).
b. Natural resource conservation, climate and the quality of our soil, water and air. The Department is seeking new proposals that address agriculture's role in stewarding natural resources and innovations in combatting and adapting to climate change. Specifically, the Department requests applications for projects that:
• Provide ongoing water quality monitoring in high-priority streams identified in version 3 of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan.
• Provide ongoing air quality monitoring around high-priority production areas, particularly mushroom facilities in Chester and Berks Counties.
• Quantify the benefits to soil health, carbon sequestration and climate change resiliency from best management practices in conservation. (For example, functional buffers, cover crops, no-till and the like.)
• Quantify economic benefits and reductions in carbon emissions through on-farm energy efficiency measures.
• Identify opportunities with Agrivoltaics such as gaps, barriers, implementation of panels modified to support agriculture in this Commonwealth.
• Integrate silvopasture and other agro-forestry revenue streams into dairy, livestock or poultry farms.
• Identify soil testing and remediation strategies for urban agriculture, particularly how these strategies can be operationalized, their benefits measured and the cost of implementation.
• Assess the adoption and implementation of best management practices by farmers that are part of conservation plans to ensure compliance and appropriate credit is received.
• Identify and determine the applicability and effectiveness of nutrient management technologies to assist the Commonwealth in assessing the utility of various approaches.
• Assess relationships among reclaimed land, biosolid applications and water quality.
• Identify strategies for invasive species management.
• Manure Treatment Technology impact and options for increasing manure mitigation or other revenue opportunities.
• Assess alterative methods to preserving prime agricultural lands in this Commonwealth.
• Development of sustainable methods for production of nursery and greenhouse plants.
c. Human resources in agriculture. The Department is interested in further scientific study in areas such as:
• Assessing the availability, success and outlook for apprenticeships, preapprenticeships and other on-the-job training opportunities within agriculture.
• Assessing the quantity and quality of available on-farm and off-farm housing for agricultural workers, including farm owners.
d. Consumer-focused research. The Department seeks applications that study consumer focused research in:
• Biodegradable packaging and other environmental factors in selecting food and beverage products.
• Pharmaceutical or industrial uses for milk proteins or other milk components.
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program analysis.
• Food product manufacturing and processing industry.
• Economic impact of agriculture trade in this Commonwealth and opportunities for agriculture.
• Economic opportunities for Hard Cider in this Commonwealth.
• Barriers to land access, particularly for Black, Indigenous and people of color farmers and in rural communities.
• Economic impact of county and local fairs in this Commonwealth.
• PA Preferred—Marketing strategic analysis to determine best practices, strengths and weaknesses in efforts to promote to consumers and potential members.
e. Animals and agriculture. The Department seeks applications that address animal health concerns, such as:
• One Health—Proposals that promote humans, the environment, animals, living together harmoniously.
• Animal Health—Proposals that improve or seek to understand aspects of animal health important to agriculture in this Commonwealth.
• Diagnosis of Animal Diseases—Proposals that promote the diagnosis of animal diseases that are important to Commonwealth animal agriculture.
• Animal Productivity—Proposals that seek to improve the productivity of agricultural animals in this Commonwealth.
• Animal Welfare—Proposals that seek to improve the welfare of agricultural animals in this Commonwealth.
• Assess the status of High Path Avian Influenza vaccine development and deployment on the poultry industry in this Commonwealth.
• Review and recommend Federal Milk Marketing Order recommendations that would be most beneficial to the dairy industry in this Commonwealth.
• Review and recommend collection and distribution changes to the Milk Marketing Board Over Order Premium that would be most adventitious to the dairy industry in this Commonwealth.
• Chronic Wasting Disease strategy development to reduce incidents or live animal test development, or both.
f. Technology and innovation.
• Assess the application and deployment of augmented reality on animal and plant industries in this Commonwealth.
3. Application Delivery and Deadline. Interested applicants must submit a complete electronic research project proposal and grant application using the Department of Community and Economic Development's Electronic Single Application web site at https://www.esa.dced.state. pa.us/Login.aspx by Monday, May 15, 2023, at 5 p.m. Questions regarding this online application process may be directed to Morgan Sheffield, Grants Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture, at (717) 787-3568.
4. Scoring of Applications. The Department will evaluate each complete and timely-filed project proposal and grant application it receives, using a 100-point scale assessing:
• Up to 15 points for the research project needs statement.
• Up to 15 points for the impact of research outcomes, including enhancement of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Up to 30 points for the research methodology.
• Up to 10 points for project evaluation and replicability.
• Up to 20 points for support and participation from industry.
• Up to 10 points for diversity of the research team.
5. Scores. Upon completion of evaluations, the Department will prepare a record identifying each complete and timely-filed project proposal and grant application received and the numerical score assigned to each. The Department shall award grants based upon its evaluation and scoring.
6. Multiyear Projects or Extensions. The Department may award grant funding for multiyear projects or provide an extension of time to complete an ongoing project, if the Department identifies that a multiyear term or an extension advances the Department's objectives and the grant's likelihood of achieving its stated goals. Requests for extensions of ongoing projects shall be made, evaluated and processed in accordance with all the requirements of this notice.
7. Notice of Award. Applicants shall be notified by mail of the decision on their grant applications by the Department. Best efforts will be made to do so within 60 days of the application deadline.
8. Grant Agreement. With the mailed grant award notice, the Department will provide applicants with a grant agreement for execution and return within 30 days or instructions as to finalizing the grant agreement electronically. The Department will obtain the required Commonwealth signatures on the grant agreements and return a copy of the fully-executed grant agreement to the applicant. The grant agreement is not effective, and work should not begin until all required signatures have been applied to the grant agreement. Among the terms of the grant agreement shall be a requirement that the grant recipient provide the Department full and complete access to all records relating to the performance of the project and submit such information as the Department may require.
9. Nonmatching Cost-Reimbursable Grant. Grants made hereunder do not require the applicant secure or devote a matching sum to the project, but outside funding may be considered as an evaluation criterion under section 5 of this solicitation. Payment of grant funds will occur on a reimbursement basis, with the possibility upon the written submission of justification and subsequent approval of the Department of an advance payment option.
10. Allowable Indirect Cost Reimbursement. Grants made hereunder are subject to an indirect cost cap of 15% of total direct project costs. For the purpose of this research grant funding solicitation, indirect costs shall include administrative salaries and benefits, office supplies and equipment, facility related cost including maintenance and repairs, telephones, memberships/dues, freight/postage cost and any consultant related costs associated with the administration of this research grant.
11. Reporting Requirements. Upon completion of research projects funded through this program, grant recipients will submit to the Department within 60 days a final report detailing the nature of the questions under study, an explanation of the research design and methods, findings of the research and recommendations for future study.
RUSSELL REDDING,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 23-493. Filed for public inspection April 14, 2023, 9:00 a.m.]
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