NRCS is announcing the availability of up to $15 million in CIG funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as marketbased systems) to agricultural producers through the development of technical manuals, guides and for practical instruction for the private sector.
The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects present innovations that are expected to result in the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and inventive approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into technical manuals and guides, and for practical use in the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
Deadline: Oct. 11, 2022
For FY 2022, NRCS is only accepting proposals that address one or more of the priorities listed below. Each proposal must clearly identify a primary priority. The primary priority selected by an applicant will determine which expert peer panel will review the application.
Priority 1: Climate-Smart Agriculture
Priority 2: Combating Invasive Species
Priority 3: Conservation in Urban Agricultural Systems
All non-Federal entities and individuals based in the United States are eligible to apply for projects carried out in the United States. “Based in the United Stated” includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
An applicant organization may submit more than one application for different projects or that propose different approaches. In the case of applications submitted as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted application under this NFO, the agency will consider the last application submitted prior to the established deadline.
The funding floor for this opportunity is $300,000, and the funding ceiling is $2 million. The funding floor is defined as the minimum funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total Federal funding amount requested, not the total project budget, which includes a non-Federal share generally referred to as “match.”
