NSAC's Blog
NRCS Issues FY11 RFA for Conservation Innovation Grants
December 1, 2010
On Tuesday, November 30, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) request for applications for program funding for FY 2011. NRCS anticipates that $25 million will be available in FY 2011.
While the request for applications will not be published in the Federal Register, you can download it here from the NRCS website or here from grants.gov. Applications for the pre-proposal phase must be received at the NRCS National Headquarters by December 28, 2010. Notification of selected pre-proposal applications will be announced by January 17, 2011. Selected applicants will then be required to submit a full proposal package to the NRCS National Headquarters by March 4, 2011.
To be given priority consideration, the innovative project or activity should:
- Make use of a proven technology or a technology that has been studied sufficiently to indicate a high probability for success
- Demonstrate and verify environmental (soil, water, air, plants, energy use, and animal) effectiveness, utility, affordability, and usability of conservation technology in the field
- Adapt conservation technologies, practices, systems, procedures, approaches, and incentive systems to improve performance and encourage adoption
- Introduce conservation systems, approaches, and procedures from another geographic area or agricultural sector
- Adapt conservation technology, management, or incentive systems to improve performance
- Demonstrate transferability of knowledge
The request for application calls for special emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay and the Mississippi River Basin as well as a number of substantive focus areas, including ecosystem markets, wildlife habitat preservation, energy, pastureland and rangeland health, and nutrient management.
According to NRCS, the CIG program, part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), is intended “to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies” and “lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) into NRCS policy, technical manuals, guides, and references or to the private sector.”
Visit NRCS’ CIG program website for more information about the program.
Categories: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs