There is a new funding opportunity through the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) for further integrating immunization education awareness and messaging across various projects and programs within Extension. This initiative is a step toward building a holistic health approach with Extension Programming. This is available for any program area across Cooperative Extension. There are two separate RFA's. One is for $125,000, and the other is for $40,000. The details can be found at: https://extension.org/2024/06/14/new-funding-opportunity-adult-immunization-integration-projects-with-excite. Application Deadline is August 7, 2024.
EDEN Annual Conference Early Bird Registration Ends June 30 -The 2024 Extension Disaster Education Network EDEN Conference is fast approaching and will be held October 22 – 25, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Speakers will include Extension educators, federal and state leaders, and subject matter experts from across the nation. Topics discussed include emergency planning, preparedness, response, recovery and resilience. An optional pre-tour will explore Utah’s unique landmarks and an optional post-conference professional development tabletop exercise will focus on coping with an extreme flooding event. Please share the information especially with EDEN delegates that early bird registration rates are available until June 30. Rates increase incrementally on July 1, September 1, and October 16.
USDA Releases Updated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan:Biden-Harris Administration expands agency efforts to ensure operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts - On June 20, the USDA joined more than 20 federal agencies to release its updated Climate Adaptation Plan and expand the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to ensure federal operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts. The updated adaptation plans advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework, which helps to align climate resilience investments across the public and private sector through common principles and opportunities for action to build a climate resilient nation.
About the ECOP Monday Minute - This week, the ECOP Monday Minute begins its twelfth year! The purpose of the weekly is to provide clear, consistent communications to the members of Board on Agriculture Assembly Cooperative Extension Section (CES). The quick-read content elevates member-driven opportunities to enhance resources, relationships and recognition for the Cooperative Extension System nationally. The weekly click-through email messages appeal to the work of Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators in the USA underpinned by the CES/ECOP Strategic Directions. Be sure to check out the full version of the website and the powerful "search" tool in the upper right to browse by topic and sort by relevance or date! Contact Bill Hoffman for more information.
Dr. Robert J. Jones (pictured left/above), Chancellor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will address Cooperative Extension Leaders from across the system on Tuesday, September 17 at the Annual National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting neda.extension.org in Louisville, Kentucky. The keynote entitled Beyond Ready: Laying the foundation for lifelong success, will be presented during a dinner hosted by National 4-H Council and the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee.
There are several other informative and leadership enrichment sessions to look forward to at this year's NEDA meeting themed Innovations & Disruptions: Strategies for Success. Register here by August 26, 2024 and save!
Secretary Vilsack Announces USDA and FFAR Innovation Challenge to Catalyze Agricultural Solutions - On June 11, the USDA and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) launched a global challenge to advance scientific research that will produce major breakthroughs for nutrition security while mitigating climate change impacts and advancing equity for underserved communities. The Nourishing Next Generation Agrifood Breakthroughs (Innovation Challenge) funding opportunity will fund transdisciplinary teams led by early-career scientists (those who have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years) to catalyze new discoveries and mobilize transformative research that simultaneously tackle our most important societal challenges. Applications found here are due Monday, July 29, 2024.
FY 2025 Appropriations: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture/FDA Markup Advances FY 2025 Bill - On June 11, the House Appropriations Agriculture/FDA Subcommittee held its markup for its fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill and advanced it to the full Committee on a party line vote. The bill text has been released along with accompanying summaries from both Republicans and Democrats. The markup devotes $1,714,850 to NIFA for FY 2025, $5M lower than FY 2024. The integrated category, which contains the Crop Protection and Pest Management line item, is flat funded. No line-by-line analysis is available, as of this writing.
Funding Opportunity from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service - USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has announced a funding opportunity to support technical assistance to enhance the capacity of women farmers to participate in school meals value chains in one or two of the following three African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. This opportunity is available to state cooperative institutions or other colleges and universities in the United States, as defined at 7 USC 3103. It is intended to enhance African women farmers’ capacity to participate in school meals value chains, through agricultural education following a Home Grown School Feeding program approach. For more information on this funding opportunity including application procedures, visit the funding notice on Grants.gov. Application deadline is August 9.
The National Office is closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 as APLU commemorates the Juneteeth Federal Holiday. The USDA AgLearn website makes available several resources about the historic, cultural celebration.
On June 7, 2024, Extension Directors from across the System joined ECOP Chair Damona Doye (Oklahoma State University) and her special guest David Warren, Senior Director Integrated Digital Strategies at Oklahoma State University, and AI Program Leader at the Extension Foundation. Dr. Doye updated the delegation on several important Section-related Action Plan objectives. Then, Members were introduced to basic understanding of AI and to the dynamic ExtensionBot that has been piloted in several states. Slides to accompany the follow 1-hour YouTube Recording posted below are available here. David will also facilitate a deeper dive into this topic at the 2024 NEDA Meeting. Proceed to learn more and register for the NEDA meeting here by August 26. The next First Friday event will not take place until August 2, 3-4:00 p.m. ET.
JCEP seeking Administrator input on Hill Visits - The Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) is gathering information about Hill Visits associated with the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference, to assess the value of those experiences. Response to this form by June 30, 2024,will help the JCEP Board form future activities and opportunities for our member Associations. Please take a couple of minutes to provide input. The ECOP members who have already submitted their own input during the Spring Meeting in Oklahoma City, are asked to share the form with others with PILD conference experience.
Webinar Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health-The National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine will be releasing their report entitled Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health next Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Members of the study committee will be sharing where to locate the report and present key takeaways and recommendations. The audience will be able to submit questions during the webinar. Register for the webinar here.
USDA Publishes Request for Information to Support Next Steps in Implementing the Growing Climate Solutions Act - USDA is seeking information from the public on protocols that may be considered for inclusion in a new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, the main program of the Growing Climate Solutions Act. The input is being collected through a Request for Information and will be considered in the preparation of a proposed rule to establish the program. Read more here, about how to provide feedback here.
USDA Announces Expansion of Interagency Collaboration to Help Reduce Food Loss and Waste - USDA has signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to renew their Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste. The U.S. Agency for International Development also joined the collaboration to help reduce food loss and waste internationally. Read more here, about USDA food loss and waste reduction efforts, which includes a $10M partnership with National 4-H Council.
Last week, members of the Cooperative Extension Section and partners received an invitation to the 2024 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting. The NEDA Meeting is September 17-19, 2024. The meeting is organized by the ECOP and will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Louisville Downtown, located at 501 South Fourth St., Louisville, KY 40202. The theme of this year's meeting is "Innovations and Disruptions: Strategies for Success." Check out the registration website with links to Hotel & Transportation, Information, Fees and Policies, the River Excursion, and FAQs. Take action by August 26 and save on fees!
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Program Development Team (SNAP-Ed) Report - The Land-Grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT) convened in Las Vegas, NV, April 23-25 to meet with federal partners, hear updates from Western Region SNAP-Ed programs, review Farm Bill talking points, update strategic plan implementation, and develop action steps for the upcoming year. Work is conducted through monthly conference calls, subcommittee work, and an annual face-to-face meeting. This year, a particular focus was building and maintaining relationships within the LGU system and with state and federal partners and advocating for LGU SNAP-Ed Programs with legislators and government affairs liaisons. Check out the highly informative complete report.
WIC National Workforce Strategy Grants - In support of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Workforce National Strategy, USDA NIFA has published two new funding opportunities open now to eligible applicants.
The WIC Workforce Development Implementation Projects grant program, funded at approximately $19,365,790, seeks projects that will increase the diversity and cultural competency of the WIC workforce and address barriers to recruitment and retention of WIC staff. Projects will develop outreach plans for engaging with WIC State and local agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and territories, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutes (MSIs) and/or underserved communities. Applications are due July 1, and there is a technical assistance webinar for applicants tomorrow, June 6, 2024, 3:00 PM ET.
A second funding opportunity is available for a WIC Workforce Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center Cooperative Agreement. The amount available is approximately $10 million for a Cooperative Agreement for a center to provide technical assistance and evaluation oversight to implementation projects that are funded to respond to the National Strategy. Applications are due July 1 and there is a technical assistance webinar, for applicants today, June 3, 3:00 PM.
NAAAN Connection Opportunity – National Climate Change Roadmap - The North American Agricultural Advisory Network North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) Connect community receives regular invitations to a series of events called, The Conversation. The next event is June 13, 2024, Noon-1:00 PM ET, when NAAAN will converse with the two scientists behind USDA's 2023 resource entitled National Climate Change Roadmap: a research framework for U.S. agriculture, forestry and working lands. Click here to learn more and to register. The NAAAN promotes engagement among Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. agricultural and rural development advisory services and their counterparts worldwide – three countries, one agricultural partnership.
