2014 Farm Bill – Implementation of Commodity Boards Provision

• Introduction to Provision – Bill Hoffman

• AFRI Background – Mark Mirando

• Overview of Implementation – Bill Hoffman

• Additional Information – Rob Hedberg

Introduction to Provision

• The 2014 Farm Bill (Section 7404) requires USDA to establish procedures and a timeline under which federal or state commodity boards can propose topics for funding as part of the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

• Topics must relate to the established AFRI priority areas, which are 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; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

Introduction to Provision (cont.)

• NIFA may either accept or reject any proposed topic based on established criteria. Topics that are accepted will be incorporated into future AFRI RFAs, as appropriate.

• Commodity boards must match AFRI awarded funds, if grant applications are selected for award in the topic area they proposed.

Introduction to Provision (cont.)

• Eligible national commodity boards (22)– Include a combination of promotion, research, industry information, or

consumer information activities;– Is funded by mandatory assessments on producers or processors; and– Is designed to maintain or expand markets and uses for the commodity (as

determined by the Secretary of Agriculture).

• Includes 10 recognized Marketing Orders• State commodity boards are also eligible to submit topics

2014 Farm Bill – Implementation of Commodity Boards Provision

• Introduction to Provision – Bill Hoffman

• AFRI Background – Mark Mirando

• Overview of Implementation – Bill Hoffman

• Additional Information – Rob Hedberg

Overview of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

Mark A. Mirando, Ph.D.National Program Leader, AFRI Science Coordinator

commodityboards@nifa.usda.gov

mmirando@nifa.usda.gov

Organization of AFRI

Aligned with the 6 Farm Bill priorities

1. Plant health and production, and plant products

2. Animal health and production, and animal products

3. Food safety, nutrition, and health

4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment

5. Agriculture systems and technology

6. Agriculture economics and rural communities

Organization of AFRI

8 Requests for Applications (RFAs)• Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human

Sciences Education and Literacy Initiative RFA

• Foundational Program RFA

• 6 Challenge Area RFAs

Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences Education and

Literacy Initiative (ELI)

(formerly Fellowships Grant Program)

• Postdoctoral fellowships – individual applies

• Predoctoral fellowships – individual applies

• Undergraduate research and extension experiential learning fellowships – institution applies for a group of fellowships

AFRI Foundational Program

Program Areas aligned with Farm Bill priorities • Plant health and production, plant products

• Animal health and production, animal products

• Food safety, nutrition, and health

• Bioenergy, natural resources, environment

• Agriculture systems and technology

• Agriculture economics and rural communities

Newer Program Area Initiatives• Critical Agricultural Research and Extension

(CARE) – local, regional, or national projects to yield solutions quickly that can be rapidly implemented by producers

• Exploratory – innovative ideas not addressed previously; focus on food security, climate change, environmental quality and natural resources, nutrition, obesity, and food safety

AFRI Challenge Areas• Agriculture and Natural Resources

Science for Climate Variability and Change• Childhood Obesity Prevention• Food Safety• Food Security• Sustainable Bioenergy• Water for Agriculture

AFRI Foundational Program versus Challenge Areas

Foundational Program:• Mostly single function research

• Mostly fundamental research

• Don’t change markedly from year to year

• Smaller grant size, $500,000 maximum

• Individual investigators or small teams

AFRI Foundational Program versus Challenge Areas

Challenge Areas:• Mostly integrated programs

• Research component is more applied

• Often change markedly from year to year

• Larger grant size, typically >$1 million

• Multiple investigators or large teams

Examples of Commodity-Specific Integrated Projects

Funded by AFRI

National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle• http://www.beefefficiency.org/

Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project• http://www.triticeaecap.org/

AFRI FY2015 RFAsavailable at:

http://nifa.usda.gov/afri-request-applications

2014 Farm Bill – Implementation of Commodity Boards Provision

• Introduction to Provision – Bill Hoffman

• AFRI Background – Mark Mirando

• Overview of Implementation – Bill Hoffman

• Additional Information – Rob Hedberg

Overview of Implementation(RFAs)

• NIFA will incorporate the Commodity Boards provision into the current Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) framework– Ensures rigorous competition– Only the best science will be funded

• NIFA will solicit ideas for all AFRI RFAs– Allows maximum participation flexibility– Increases potentially available funds for joint activities

Overview of Implementation(Submission of Ideas)

• NIFA will solicit RFA ideas from commodity boards via federal register notice– Topics may be submitted at any time – However, to be considered for the proposed fiscal year 2016 AFRI RFAs,

topics must be received by COB (5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on September 22, 2015

• Minimum amount of funding for an idea submission is $150,000

• Maximum amount per topic is $2.5 million• Maximum amount per commodity board is $10 million

Overview of Implementation(Topic Screening & Review)

• NIFA will screen proposed research topics to ensure they were submitted by eligible commodity boards and consult with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to determine that submissions and proposed financial contributions are consistent with commodity promotion laws and commodity boards' charters as applicable.

• Commodity board topics will be reviewed by an internal panel based on evaluation criteria that were developed using stakeholder input from commodity boards and other stakeholders from government, industry, and academe.

Overview of Implementation (Topic Screening & Review cont.)

• Each topic will be evaluated based on: – Alignment with one or more of the statutory AFRI priority areas – Alignment with the President's budget proposal for NIFA, as identified in

the Department of Agriculture's annual budget submission; and – Alignment with the priority areas in the AFRI RFAs to be released by NIFA

during the fiscal year for which the commodity board is proposing a topic for funding (for example, within the AFRI Foundational Program RFA, the AFRI Animal Health and Production and Animal Product's “Animal Reproduction” priority area).

• Possible replies– Appropriate and aligned – Let’s sign an agreement– Not appropriate base on one or more of the three factors above– Let’s talk a little more about this idea

Overview of Implementation (Ideas in RFAs)

• Ideas will be incorporated into AFRI priority areas– (for example, within the AFRI Foundational Program RFA, the AFRI Animal

Health and Production and Animal Product's “Animal Reproduction” priority area)

• Confidentiality is key• Grant applicants must obtain a letter of support from a

commodity board to be eligible for a cost-shared grant– No grant will be jointly funded without approval of the commodity board

• Highest ranked proposals will be funded in each program area

Overview of Implementation (Successful Joint Applications)

• If a successful proposal is eligible for joint funding, the Commodity Board will transfer funds to a US Government deposit account for slightly more than 50% of the total multi-year award value

• Award would be subject to NIFA/AFRI terms and conditions• NIFA and Commodity Board will coordinate on

communications, likely with AMS as a partner• If successful joint applications do not exhaust the funds the

Commodity Boards have set aside, the Commodity Boards could then re-program those funds (per applicable governing laws and regulations)

2014 Farm Bill – Implementation of Commodity Boards Provision

• Introduction to Provision – Bill Hoffman

• AFRI Background – Mark Mirando

• Overview of Implementation – Bill Hoffman

• Additional Information – Rob Hedberg

Additional Information

Rob Hedberg

National Program Leader

commodityboards@nifa.usda.gov

rhedberg@nifa.usda.gov

202-720-5384

Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions

• http://nifa.usda.gov/commodity-boards/• FAQs link will be updated periodically

as questions arise

EligibilityEntity established under a commodity

promotion law as defined in 7 U.S.C. 7401(a)• a Federal law that provides for a program that

includes a combination of promotion, research, industry information or consumer information activities, is funded by mandatory assessments and is designed to expand markets and uses for the commodity

• Pretty straight forward, list of 22 eligible organizations ( plus 10 State market orders)

Eligibility - continuedA State commodity board (or equivalent entity)

• Commodity boards established by State Law (that align with Federal parameters)

• Commodity boards not authorized by a state but are organized and operate within a state (and align with Federal parameters)

• Commodity boards that are authorized by a state and operate for commodities that have no Federal Program or oversight.

Eligibility - continuedState commodity boards - more complex• Our Objective is to be inclusive• May need Case by Case analysis• Will need to say which of the three types

of state commodity board you fit under• Will need specific authority and/or charter

language to support that classification.