Last week, ECOP met in Nebraska City, Nebraska and discussed several
topics of importance to the Section. Each discussion included concluding
next steps that will involve ECOP members and Extension Administrators
and Directors. The topics included how Cooperative Extension can
contribute to the university mission, an examination of the return on
the Section’s investment in kglobal, focused land-grant reporting on
5-10 themes to better communicate the aggregate value of Cooperative
Extension, strengthening the position of Extension professionals in
competing for AFRI and other NIFA competitive grants, and the role of
development in further leveraging the public investment in the
Cooperative Extension around important national issues. Candid photos of
the meeting are found below. Stay tuned to the
ECOP Monday Minute for more details. Minutes of the ECOP Meetings can be found at
www.extension.org/ecop.
Cooperative Extension Responds to the President’s Task Force - Rural America Counts: A blueprint for reinvesting in Rural America - Vibrant, resilient, and sustainable rural communities are the focus of the
President’s Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report. This report focuses on five priority areas:
e-connectivity,
improving quality of life,
workforce development,
technological innovation, and
rural economic development.
All of these priorities are being addressed at various land grant universities through the Cooperative Extension Section (CES) and Experiment Stations. Many of these activities are coordinated by the four Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs), who work in their respective regions – sharing resources and capacity in a wide range of rural development topics. At the suggestion of CES leadership, the RRDCs developed
Rural America Counts, which serves as a blueprint for reinvesting in rural America, using the above priorities as a framework for mobilizing the resources of the land grant system.
Reminder: Keep Current With NIFA - USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) invests in a wide range of land-grant university applied research and extension programs and is a key ambassador for us with federal agencies and in Congress. Stay current with NIFA activities by receiving the Weekly Digest Bulletin. You can subscribe at any time by using the
USDA-NIFA link found on the right panel of this blog.
NSF Funding Opportunity Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) - As the nation continues to expand the horizon of opportunities and possibilities through advances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the need for a more diverse and well-prepared STEM workforce is also expanding.
- Download Solicitation with description and all of the details: CLICK HERE
- Full Proposal Deadline (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): August 08, 2018
- The Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000 to $20,000,000.
- The Program Director: David L. Haury dhaury@nsf.gov (703) 292-5102
