New NIFA Director Announced

Today, USDA announced the new director of  NIFA. The full press released is found at 
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/04/24/usda-announces-new-national-institute-food-and-agriculture-director. Dr. Manjit K. Misra will start his new role on Monday, May 8, 2023. Please join ECOP in congratulating Dr. Misra and the agency!

ECOP Spring Meeting This Week  - This week members of ECOP, the representative voting body of the Cooperative Extension System, will meet in Bloomington-Minneapolis, Minnesota for their annual Spring Meeting. ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, will preside. In addition to answering the question, Who will lead the National Office and cultivate new partnerships?, ECOP will consider:

  --  Collaborations with Academic Program Section

  --  The Future Cooperative Extension Section Membership Assessments

  --  ECOP Program Committee's Action Teams

  --  2023-2024 ECOP Action Plan

One of the roles of ECOP voting member's is to report back and engage their regions from these important meetings. 

Higher Ed Economic & Community Engagement Summer Meeting -  Extension Directors and Administrators who are members of APLU's Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) are eligible to attend the Annual CECE Summer Meeting. With the theme of Cracking the Community Connection Code, the event will take place in Duluth, Minnesota, June 4-6. To learn more about the event, click here. To become a member of the CECE, click here.

2023 Administrators Conference Touchpoint - April 30-May 3, Extension and Research Administrative Officers will convene in Nashville for 2023 NERAOC. The annual professional development conference is an opportunity to share and exchange current and relevant best practices, discuss policy, obtain definitive interpretation of regulations, and discuss future issues pertinent to operating the Land-grant University system and other cooperating institutions. Participants will spend the first full day with NIFA Directors Office and conducting Regional business. The last 2 days are devoted to learning along several tracks, Diversity & Inclusion, Finance/Capacity Funding, Grants, HR/Organizational Development, and Minority-Serving Program Reporting & Accountability. What is learned during the conference may be of interest to members of Cooperative Extension Section in light of the new NIFA Reporting System. Members of the Section who are unavailable to attend themselves are encouraged to arrange for post-conference briefings with administrators in attendance.

Awards Reminder and NEDA Update

Awards Nomination Reminder - May 1, 2023, 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, is the deadline to submit nominations online for the 2023 National Cooperative Extension Awards. All 76 land-grant institutions are urged to participate in the program. The gateway website for full details is awards.extension.org. 

NEDA Meeting Update - Until the launch of registration next month, visit neda.extension.org for the most recent details of the 2023 NEDA Meeting October 10-12 - save the date! Extension Deans, Directors and Administrators, members of the Cooperative Extension Section are invited to view the latest details released by Planning Committee: 

   --> Chair Barbara Petty, University of Idaho

   --> Patty Coleman, Northern Marianas College (West)

   --> Andra Johnson, University of Florida (South)

   --> Bill Miller, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Northeast)

   --> Jackie Wilkins, Ohio State University (North Central)

   --> Janine P. Woods, Virginia State University (1890s)

EXCITE Sponsored Workshop Equips Any Extension Professional - A new 3-part workshop series suitable for any Extension professional or community partner is open for registration. Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter will help participants become a trusted messengers of health information. The pandemic inspired the workshop is applicable to all health education initiatives beyond adult vaccination confidence. Sessions are June 6, 7, and 8 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm ET. Please share the opportunity to learn more and register: https://pages.extension.org/excite-toolkit-training. 

New Member of ECOP Karl Martin

The North Central Region has appointed Karl Martin, Dean and Director, Division of Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison, as their latest member of ECOP. Early in his tenure as Director of Extension, Karl participated in ECOP's CES Capital Quest Event in Washington. From then on, he has amplified his capacity for national leadership by serving as a voting member of the ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee, Chair of the Executive Director Search and Screen Committee, and as a panelist in thought leadership sessions for NEDA Meetings and First Friday Events related DEI and Climate Resiliency. Karl has agreed to serve on ECOP until the fall of 2027. Thank you for your national leadership, Karl!

Diversity Catalyst At-Large - Brian Raison, Extension Field Specialist, Community and Organizational Leadership at Ohio State University, (pictured left) was appointed by ECOP in 2017 to represent the Cooperative Extension Section on ESCOP's Diversity Catalyst Committee. Today, he serves as Chair! Of his appointment, Brian writes, "Our DCC team wishes to promote the great value that’s found in diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. Expanding perspectives improves our work, strengthens research, and multiplies impact. Our focus is on uniting Experiment Station leaders (along with our Extension colleagues) in promoting a more diverse and inclusive future that will absolutely improve lives of individuals in our country and around the world." Brian is a well-respected, active member of ECOP Program Committee's DEI Program Action Team, also. Thank you for your national leadership, Brian!

NIFA Stakeholder Listening Session - Research Facilities Act Program - On April 13 at 3 p.m. ET, NIFA will hold a virtual, open, public listening session with remote participation only to collect stakeholder input on the implementation of a new competitive grant. The purpose of the Research Facilities Act Program (RFAP) is to assist eligible institutions with the construction, modification, acquisition, modernization, refurbishment, or remodeling of their agricultural research facility to conduct research in the fields of food and agricultural sciences. NIFA is particularly interested in achieving the most impact and identifying suggested priorities in the program. Written comments (two-page limit) may be sent to REE.NIFA.RFAP@usda.gov by April 17 at 5 p.m. ET. Register listening sesseion here.

Grants to Rapidly Respond to Extreme Weather Events

NIFA staff will host a live FAQ session for the AFRI Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program on Tuesday, April 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Register here. Programs can either be led by Extension or integrated with research. The grants of up to $300K are designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events. Facts about the opportunity are found here. 



4-H Congressional Breakfast - The National 4-H Council Congressional Breakfast will be held on April 19, 2023, from 8:00–9:30 AM on Capitol Hill, as part of the National 4-H Conference. The event will showcase the 4-H program and appreciation of Congressional champions for support of America’s largest youth development program. The convening brings together 4-H youth and Cooperative Extension 4-H leadership from across the country to meet their members of Congress. Extension Deans, Directors, and Administrators and their institution's top 4-H Specialists may arrange to attend by contacting Eliza Hernandez directly at ehernandez@fourhcouncil.edu.

CYFAR Evaluation Study - The Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Return on Investment Study is a robust cost benefit analysis that explores potential positive returns from the CYFAR Initiative's financial investment. The study was conducted by CYFAR Professional Development and Technical Assistance (PDTA) Center on behalf of NIFA. Among the study revelations include health, factors such as social determinants of health, and healthcare options contribute to individuals’ health. A 1-year investment by CYFAR totaling $348.31 has the potential to produce a net benefit ranging from $725.59 to $2,873.39. 



USDA Seeking Nominations for Advisory Board and Associated Committees - In case the opportunity was missed from a recent NIFA email update, Extension Directors and Administrators might wish to consider seeking membership applications for the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board and for the board’s committees and subcommittees. The NAREEE Advisory Board and subcommittee contribute valuable professional insight and help shape USDA’s future research and science programming and advises the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and USDA's Chief Scientist on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, Extension, and economics. It provides stakeholder input and science-backed information to better inform USDA’s program decisions. The application deadline is Wednesday, May 31. For more information and details on how to complete an application, visit the NAREEE Applications web page.