Rockefeller Foundation, OpenAI Foundation Announce $50 Million Partnership to Help Cities Improve Public Services Through AI

The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation launched Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services, a $50 million initiative to support organizations that help cities around the world use artificial intelligence to better anticipate and meet residents’ needs. Through a globalopen call, the initiative will identify and support eligible nonprofit and civil society institutions working with city governments to improve public health, economic mobility, environmental resilience, and civic engagement. Cities Deliver will award grants ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, aiming to reach up to 100 million city residents globally. Applications open on October 14 and close on November 29, 2026.

2026 New Administrators Orientation: Leading with Conviction, Courage, and Confidence

December 8-10, 2026 | Alexandria, VA

Presented by the APLU Office of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR), the New Administrators Orientation (NAO) is designed to help new administrators build the knowledge, connections, and leadership skills needed to succeed in their roles.

The program is intended for individuals who are new to administrative leadership positions within colleges and programs related to food, agriculture, natural resources, and the life sciences, including deans, associate deans, department heads, directors, experiment station leaders, and Extension administrators.

No matter your administrative position, NAO provides practical guidance for navigating the responsibilities and opportunities of academic administration.

Through discussions, expert perspectives, and peer engagement, participants will explore topics such as leadership and organizational culture, employee engagement, strategic communication, decision-making, and managing change. Participants will also gain a deeper understanding of the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA), including its policy, advocacy, and communications activities, and will have opportunities to engage directly with leaders from USDA.

By the end of the program, participants will have strengthened their leadership capabilities, expanded their professional network, and gained practical insights they can apply immediately to support their institutions' teaching, research, Extension, and service missions.

See more information about the NAO and register here.

NIFA Soliciting FY27 Commodity Board Topics

NIFA is inviting commodity board organizations to propose research topics for potential co‑funding through future AFRI competitive grant programs. To qualify, boards must align their topics with AFRI’s priority areas and meet federal or state definitions of a commodity board. Topics must be submitted by Nov. 19 and will then be reviewed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2027 AFRI Foundational and Applied Science funding opportunity, while later submissions may be considered in future years. Boards must use NIFA’s online submission form and email the completed topic to the agency, which will confirm receipt. FAQs and additional guidance are available on the NIFA website. Findmore information here.

Texas A&M Discovery Leads to Citrus Greening Treatment

Texas A&M AgriLife Research has developed a spinach‑derived antimicrobial peptide treatment that protects citrus trees from citrus greening disease, and it has now received full EPA registration. The technology, commercialized by Silvec Biologics, uses a modified, naturally occurring citrus tristeza virus strain to prompt trees to produce the protective peptide. The approval reflects extensive safety data and marks a major step toward offering growers a new tool against a disease that has devastated U.S. citrus production. The breakthrough stems from long‑term collaborations among Texas A&M, the University of Florida, and citrus industry partners, supported in part by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read more about the project here.

LEAD21 Applications Open Until November 15, 2026

LEAD21 is currently accepting applications for Class 23 (2027-2028). The primary purpose of LEAD21 is to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners to link research, academics and extension to lead more effectively in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current position or as they aspire to new roles.

The LEAD21 Board of Directors (BOD) consists of representatives from the various Board of Agriculture Assembly Section's Committees on Organization and Policy (headquartered at APLU) and strategic partners. More information and the link to apply is found here.

https://lead-21.org/apply/instructions/

The ECOP appointees to LEAD21 BOD are Program Chair Amy Loader, University of New Hampshire, and Andrew Turner, Cornell University.

New Technologies for Ag Extension Funding Opportunity

The Extension Foundation (EXF) is pleased to announce a funding opportunity for Incubation and Accelerated projects across the Cooperative Extension System (CES). This funding opportunity is made available through NTAE (New Technologies for Ag Extension), a grant from USDA-NIFA (United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture) to fund new and high impact potential projects within CES. Projects should have focus areas that lead to local impact and align with USDA Research Priorities. Project leaders can apply for one of the two types of projects this grant will support: Incubation and Acceleration.

Applications are due November 11, 2026.

See the full announcement.

Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs

APLU’s Board of Agriculture’s interview series “Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs” showcases Presidents and CEOs of national agricultural associations, commodity groups, and other organizations and explores their powerful synergies with land-grant universities.

Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO, The Fertilizer Institute

Corey Rosenbusch serves as The Fertilizer Institute’s (TFI) President and CEO, where he is responsible for leading efforts to advance the fertilizer industry. Since joining TFI in 2020, Rosenbusch has spearheaded several initiatives aimed at strengthening TFI’s voice with the agriculture community and increasing member value through innovative programs, such as the Biostimulant Certification and low-carbon ammonia manufacturing standard.

"Land-grant universities are essential partners in advancing solutions that help producers remain competitive while meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing agricultural landscape. The greatest opportunities exist where research, education, and implementation come together." - Corey Rosenbusch

Read the full interview.

USDA NASS to Host Virtual Data Users’ Meeting for Public Input on Statistical Programs

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will hold its biannual Data Users’ Meeting virtually Oct. 14 from Noon to 4 p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public. The meeting provides updates on recent and pending changes to statistical programs and invites feedback from stakeholders on programs important to agriculture. The agenda includes agency updates followed by a question-and-comment session. Find detailed agenda and registration information here.

Meet the ECOP Chair-Elect

ECOP’s Chair-elect, Damona Doye (pictured left), is Associate Vice President of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and a Regents Professor in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University (OSU). An OSU faculty member since June 1986, Dr. Doye served as an Extension farm management specialist for 32 years and held the Rainbolt Chair of Agricultural Finance in the Department of Agricultural Economics. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the highest honor given by the organization in recognition of lifetime achievement. Before her AVP appointment, she received the 2017 Southern Region Excellence in Extension Award from USDA-NIFA and ECOP. The Southern Region Extension Directors appointed her to ECOP in the fall of 2021, and she has served until now on the Program Committee by taking leadership of the Broadband Program Action Team. Until taking the Chair's gavel in October 2023, Dr. Doye will serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and as ECOP Liaison to ESCOP.




Welcome New ECOP Members

· Northeast Region – Roy Beckford, University of Vermont

Fitzroy B “Roy” Beckford spent over a decade with the University of Florida Extension as a County Extension director, managing work in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, horticultural sciences, marine and aquatic environments, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, food systems, small farms initiatives, and environmental sustainability. During his tenure as the state Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) program leader at North Carolina A&T State University's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, he provided administrative, financial, marketing and communications leadership. Dr. Beckford began as associate dean and director of University of Vermont Extension on May 1, 2021, and brings a global perspective. He has worked in agricultural consulting around the world, including service with the government of the British Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, as well as in Qatar and Belize. His national role is that of Executive Committee of ECOP. 

· Western Region - Jon C. Boren, New Mexico State University

Dr. Boren, Associate Dean & Director of NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, returns to ECOP voting membership. He is highly familiar with the National scene as he has represented the System in various capacities since 2012. His extraordinary commitment to the System includes, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee Chair and Vice-chair, Co-chair of the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, Extension International Workgroup, Section Representative to the BAA/PBD Budget and Advocacy Committee, and ECOP Program Committee. In addition, Jon represents the Cooperative Extension System on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees. 

USDA Regional Food Business Centers RFA - National Extension Webinar - Attention Extension Directors and Administrators (1994, 1890, 1862) and more importantly the extension practitioners from interested land-grant institutions! A national webinar for the Cooperative Extension System about funding for USDA Regional Food Business Centers will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The hour is intended to provide information on the AMS Regional Food Business Center RFA, share available resources, and answer questions that are most relevant to the Cooperative Extension System.
Here is the link to register: https://pages.extension.org/regional-food 

Educating Capitol Hill Staff on Adapting to Climate Change - Please share the following opportunity with congressional contacts: Join the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) and Resources for the Future for a webinar featuring Margaret Walls, Ph.D, Senior Fellow with Resources for the Future on Adapting to Climate Change: Wildfire, Outdoor Recreation, and Rural Communities in the American West. Registration is required here to receive connection details for Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 11:00 AM ET.

Future Federal Funding Survey

Extension Directors and Administrators of land-grant universities are encouraged to schedule time to complete an important program oriented survey organized by the Cooperative Extension Section Farm Bill Committee. The 35 programs included in the survey fall under various Titles of the Farm Bill. The deadline to submit is by close of business September 2, 2021. Responses will guide the Committee to lift up priorities identified  for the Cooperative Extension System, first with the BAA Committee on Legislation and Policy (CLP) and ultimately with members of Congress. Details were released by the EDA Team last Friday region by region. Direct questions or concerns regarding the survey to Caroline Henney, Executive Director, CES/ECOP at carolinecrocoll@extension.org or 202-478-6029.

Networking App Becomes Hallway Conversations and Much More - The 2021 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting Planning Committee, chaired by the immediate past-chair of the Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP, Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State University, met last week. The award winning event app Whova® has been acquired for NEDA neda.extension.org. All Extension Directors and Administrators who register for NEDA may opt into the networking app and immediately begin the hotel hallway conversations they sorely miss when meetings are held virtually. Also, some of the 8 facilitated conversations set for October 13 are being added as conversation topics on Whova®! Direct questions or concerns regarding NEDA to Sandy Ruble, Assistant Director, CES/ECOP at sandyruble@extension.org or 202-478-6088.

Big Ideas for Extension Leaders - The following recent articles are chocked full of big ideas for Extension Directors and Administrators to ponder regarding the role of the Cooperative Extension System in land-grant universities and the USA of the future. The source for the articles is funded by New Technologies for Ag Extension Funding (NTAE) with wrap-around services provided by Extension Foundation.

• Extension in the 21st Century: A conversation with Chuck Hibberd
• A Conversation with Dr. Scott Reed, Extension Foundation Catalyst
• Accelerating Success: Q&A with Dr. Fred Schlutt

Farm of the Future RFA Deadline is 10/15/2021 - As a follow on to the article published on April 26, the RFA for NIFA's Farm of the Future, a competitive grant program with $3,936,000 to invest in a single Land-Grant institution, is available here.

Year End Wishes From the National Office

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus on December 28^th and January 4^th and will return on January 11^th. The National Office is closed December 24^th and reopens January 4^th. 

To Extension Directors and Administrators and System Friends,

Throughout this extremely challenging year, Extension has done what it does best-serve the people of this nation both thoughtfully and selflessly. As 2020 comes to a close, we are reminded of what it takes to truly lead the critical work we do, and we thank you for your leadership and dedication to the enduring mission of Extension. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and pleasant holiday and may the New Year be kind to each of you.
Caroline (Crocoll) Henney, Sandy Ruble, and Roger Rennekamp

Learning for Leaders Coming Friday, January 8^th - Last Monday, December 14^th, this list of Extension Directors and Administrators and 1994 Extension Leaders were invited to register for 2 virtual conversations on Racial Equity in Leadership. 

-- 1/8/2021, 3-4:30 p.m. ET - "Inclusive and Equitable Organizations – An Evidence Based Model"

-- 2/5/2021, 3-4:30 p.m. ET - Working Title: "Improving Inclusivity in Our Institutions and ECOP"

To learn more and register, look for the email message from carolinecrocoll@extension.org sent on behalf ECOP Chair Chris Watkins, subject: Dates for Racial Equity Leadership Sessions. Contact Sandy Ruble to answer any questions. 

Funding Opportunity Follow-up - To review Friday's webinar regarding a pending funding opportunity with Verizon to scale the 4-H Tech Changemakers program, individuals must register to receive the link to the recording here. 

Cooperative Extension Helps Communities Mask-Up - This fall, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with USPS and the National Council of Textile Organizations offered to provide free face coverings to community-based organizations that would be willing to distribute them to community members. Twenty-four land grant institutions, including three 1890s and one territory ordered, received, and distributed a total of 441,000 masks to residents of their respective states. Mask were provided to food banks, childcare facilities, SNAP-Ed and EFNEP program participants, farm workers, and 4-H families. Several states engaged young people as health ambassadors to distribute masks to as many as fifty additional community-based organizations. By utilizing its distributed network, Cooperative Extension placed masks in the hands of many of the nation’s most under-resourced individuals and their family members. For more information about this effort, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org.




eXtension Fellows for Health and Well-Being - Erin Yelland, LaToya O’Neal, and Caitlin O’Brien have been selected to serve in one-year fellowships dedicated to advancing Extension’s work in health and well-being. Yelland is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at Kansas State University with a specialty in gerontology. O’Neal is a medical sociologist by training and is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Health and Wellness at the University of Florida. O’Brien is the Director of Learning and Impact at the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation and specializes in trauma-informed practice. Through their fellowships, each will devote a portion of their professional time to systemwide work. The fellowships are made available through generous support from the Molina and Scattergood Foundations. For more information about the fellowships, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org.




National 4-H Council Announces Election of Two New Leaders to its Board of Trustees - Jon Boren, Associate Dean and Director of New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service, and Abby Durheim, 4-H Young Alumni Advisory Committee member and a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Boren and Durheim will support Council’s mission to increase investment and participation in the nation’s largest youth development organization. They will be key partners in the Board’s work to support the 4 H system’s ambitious goal of reaching 10 million young people by 2025, with a special focus on promoting youth voice and supporting 4-H’s ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. 

Urban Extension Conversation Shared

Last Thursday, 32 Extension Directors and Administrators gathered on Zoom for Learning for Leaders - Urban Agriculture: Needs, Opportunities, and Actions. A panel of experts joined ECOP Chair Chris Watkins (Cornell University). Strategies were presented that support the sustainable development of commercial and community-focused urban agriculture, use the following link:

--> YouTube Video Recording: https://youtu.be/2zUlp5iZ5Rw

--> Slides with Links/Chat/Poll Results: Click here

--> May the conversation continue: ecopblog@gmail.com

Potential Funding Opportunity - The ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Co-chairs Jon Boren (New Mexico State University) and Andy Turner (Cornell University) invite Extension Directors & Administrators and 4-H Program Leaders to join an informational webinar on Friday, December 18, 2020, 12:00 – 12: 45 PM ET, regarding a pending funding opportunity with Verizon to scale the 4-H Tech Changemakers program. Register for the webinar here, which includes a brief overview of the program, the potential for leveraging it for greater visibility across campus and the timeline for submission (possibly early January 2021) and funding. Apologies for the short notice as this opportunity is evolving quickly. National 4-H Council, source for the opportunity and webinar, will record it for anyone unable to attend. Details will be released next week here on the ECOP Monday Minute. Additional contact is Heather Elliott, National 4-H Council, at helliott@4-H.org. 

2021 Military Family Readiness Academy Series - The Military Families Learning Network will launch its 2021 Military Family Readiness Academy series. In this series, dialogue will be a central component. Eight sessions will offer guidance on how to work effectively with families during disasters and hazards, and many will draw from recent and ongoing situations Extension educators and providers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. A workshop based on the Asset-based Community Recovery Framework, will allow for the discovery the assets and capacities of communities to make military families more resilient and aid in their recovery after a disaster. This framework is different because it’s a bottom-up approach allowing individuals, organizations, and businesses to think about the roles people and communities play in moving forward. Extension educators are encouraged to contribute their voices, experiences, and lessons learned to this workshop and register here. 



Urban, Indoor and other Emerging Agriculture and Food Systems - In May 2020, Western Center for Metropolitan Extension & Research (WCMER) and National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) hosted listening sessions related to NIFA developing an Urban and Emerging Agriculture grant program. The Western Experiment Station and Extension Directors have formally created a development committee with a charge to establish a Western Urban, Indoor and other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education and Extension Initiative to facilitate and promote multi-state research and extension projects. Anyone, including those outside the Western Region, interested in joining this effort (all aspects of the food system including production, marketing, distribution, access, equity, and resource recovery) are encouraged to do so. The specific details of how to join can be found here or contact Brad Gaolach (Washington State University) gaolach@wsu.edu | 425-405-1734. 

Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption - 2020 NEDA

SAVE THE DATE! Virtual NEDA Meeting: The 2020 National Extension Director and Administrator Meeting (NEDA) will occur September 23-24 (ECOP Meeting on September 22). The theme for this NEDA meeting will be Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption. The meeting will be conducted on a virtual platform for All 76 members of the Cooperative Extension Section and System partners, who are encouraged to save the dates and watch for registration to be open within the next few weeks. Stay tuned for the invitation and other details with registration! 

NIFA Funding Opportunity - 1862, 1890, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, and others. are eligible to apply for a new program area priority, FY 2020 Rapid Response to Novel Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2): Innovating Formal and Non-Formal Educational Experiences in Food and Agricultural Sciences During the Time of Social Distancing, to address the need to develop and deploy rapid, reliable, and readily-adoptable strategies in workforce preparation through formal K-14 education, as well as in youth development through non-formal education to cultivate interest and competencies in STEM and agriculture during this challenging time. Funded projects are expected to develop tools, techniques, and other practices that can be rapidly adopted at home or by educators and Extension specialists to ensure the effective formal and non-formal education of K-14 students and other youth development opportunities. A web version of this announcement can be found at: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANIFA/bulletins/2963fd7. The application deadline is Aug. 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Interested applicants are invited to attend an informational webinar on July 28, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here for more information and to register. 

ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Resolution and Commitment to the Deconstruction of Systemic Racism within the 4-H Program - In light of recent events across the nation and the reaffirmation of the core values of the 4-H Youth Development Program, the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee statement on the deconstruction of systemic racism within the 4-H Program can be found here. The document was affirmed by the ECOP Executive Committee last week. 

2021 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism - The National Extension Conference on Volunteerism Planning Committee and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, have declared April 26-29, 2021, the dates for the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism "NECV” 2021! Plans are underway for an exciting Extension professional conference with a focus on volunteerism at the Hard Rock Hotel and Conference Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma! This conference is ideal for volunteer-focused professionals who are serving within all areas of Extension programs. For more information, visit this website. 

Data and Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs - The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research has released the next white paper in their Leading Edge Dialogue series: Data and Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs. Data is needed for decision-making, particularly around human services and community development, which are complex and intersectional issues. Skill in leveraging and presenting data will position research at the forefront of social policy conversations and decisions; however, retaining current silos of data and research could lead to suboptimal policy decisions and erosion of support for public universities. In fact, in the government human services sector there is a thirst for better data to legitimize and support social policy decisions; this creates a potential for partnerships and interface between Extension and government agencies. Emerging opportunities for collaboration from a panel of experts and participants at the 2019 National Urban Extension Conference during the 90-minute interactive Leading-Edge Dialogue are available here.

ECOP Monday Minute 8.12.13

Communicating Impacts Focus of DC Meeting – The ECOP Measuring Excellence in Extension Implementation Team, chaired by Joe Zublena, North Carolina State University, and the ECOP Program Subcommittee, chaired by Mary Jane Willis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, met last week in Washington, D.C., together with representatives from the Association for Communications Excellence, ESCOP and USDA-NIFA. The meeting provided a forum to discuss the national Extension system and other land-grant system partners, ideas for how the information gathered can be marketed to a variety of audiences, and how we can deliver training to ensure we gather the highest quality information from across the system. Cooperative Extension directors and administrators are encouraged to enter state impact information and other data at www.excellenceinextension.org. Questions can be directed to Scott Cummings at s-cummings@tamu.edu.

Dan Cotton Resigns, Accepts UNL Position – Dan Cotton, Executive Director of eXtension, has announced his resignation, effective December 31, 2013.  Cotton will rejoin the University of Nebraska –Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources as Director of Integrated Technologies for Nebraska Cooperative Extension and Coordinator of Online Education with the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources on January 1, 2014. See http://about.extension.org/2013/08/09/dan-cotton-resigns-accepts-unl-position/.

Funding Opportunity – USDA-NIFA reports that the due date for submission of proposals for the Extension Outreach on the Marketplace Exchanges of the Affordable Care Act (MEACA) has been extended to Aug 15, 2013. The RFA on page 7 indicates the revised amount of $100,000 for the project lead institution. Access to the revised RFA is at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/affordablecareact.cfm or http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html.

APLU Annual Meeting Room Block – Make hotel reservations for the 126th A۰P۰L۰U Annual Meeting scheduled for November 10-12, 2013 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (2600 Woodley Park Road, NW, Washington, DC  20008) by clicking here. The cut-off date is October 11, 2013.

Climate Extension Summit Report – A workshop organized and conducted by USDA-NIFA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) resulted in the report The Role of Extension in Climate Adaptation in the United States, which highlights current Extension work being done in climate science, educational needs, and next steps recommended for better preparing the next generation of Extension professionals.

ECOP Monday Minute 8.5.13

Extension Announces 2013 Awardees – Seven exemplary Cooperative Extension educators will be honored at the 2013 APLU Annual Meeting, November 10-12, 2013 in Washington, DC. Awards recognizing excellence in programming and celebrating diversity are co-sponsored by ECOP and USDA-NIFA and selected through a competitive process. The National Excellence in Extension Award winner is Jeffrey T. Edwards, Small Grains Extension Specialist, Oklahoma State University. Regional Excellence in Extension Award winners are Marion Simon, Extension Specialist and Interim Division Chair, Kentucky State University; Kimberly Greder, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University; Elaine Bowen, Health Promotion Extension Specialist, West Virginia University; Denise Holston-West, Instructor and Smart Bodies Program Director, Louisiana State University AgCenter, and Brian J. Higginbotham, formerly Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist, Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development, Utah State University. Higginbotham was recently appointed the Associate Vice President and Associate Director, Utah State University Extension. The National Extension Diversity Awardee is Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, WA. The award will be accepted by Susan Givens-Seymour, Director of Outreach and Community Education and Director of Cooperative Extension.

National 4-H Council Names New CEO – Jennifer Sirangelo has been named chief executive officer of the National 4-H Council replacing Don Floyd who retires at the end of 2013. View the press release here.

USDA-NIFA Partnership Awards Nominations Due 9.4.13 – NIFA invites all NIFA-supported land-grant universities and cooperating institutions and organizations to submit nominations for the 2013 NIFA Partnership Awards Program. These awards recognize outstanding contributions aligned with NIFA strategic goals in support of the USDA mission. Awards for this year will recognize excellence in mission integration of research, education, and extension; multistate efforts; innovative programs and projects; effective and efficient use of resources, and program improvement through global engagement. USDA-NIFA accepts nominations for individuals or teams of up to 20 members. Each institution may submit up to two nominations (combined total across all five categories), meaning the entire institution including research, education, and Extension functions. Nominations must follow the specified partnership criteria and be submitted on the 2013 NIFA Partnership Awards Nomination Form. All signed nomination forms must be submitted by September 4, 2013, via email using scanned files saved as .PDF or .JPG files and emailed to Chevon.Gibson@ars.usda.gov, as instructed in the guidelines.

DoD Child Care Proposals Due 8.26.13 – The FY 2013 Department of Defense Child Care Curriculum RFA is at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/childcarecurriculum.cfm. Also on this page are the NIFA Grants.gov application guide, the application package, and abstracts of funded projects. Information also is available at www.grants.gov/search and here.

Membership Solicitation for the NAREEE Advisory Board Extended – USDA has a new deadline of 8.30.13 to make nominations for eight vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. Among slots of particular interest to Cooperative Extension are 1890 Land-grant Colleges and Universities and Rural Economic Development. The NAREEE Advisory Board released a Cooperative Extension report to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress early this year.

USDA-NIFA Director on Video – Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA-NIFA director, gave a seminar July 25, 2013 at Kansas State University called Setting the Table for a Hotter, Flatter, More Crowded Earth. Watch his recent interview with the North Central Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leaders here.