Provocative Learning for Leaders Event June 4

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus on Memorial Day, May 31, 2021.

Distinguishing Urban Extension in the System Landscape – Thought leaders’ exchange for future planning and policy is the title of the next ECOP Learning for Leaders conversation, Friday, June 4, 2021, 3-4:00 p.m. Explore the basis of administrative and system-oriented aspects of Urban Extension Programming! Experts from NUEL and WCMER are back with members of the Cooperative Extension Section to expand beyond Ag focus and delve deeper into Extension and LGU policy, Staffing Ratios, Solutions and Outcomes! Middle managers and heads of HR may accompany Directors and Administrators to this event. All Directors and Administrators of Extension with interest in system change in Extension Policy and Organization may contribute to and will benefit from the provocative discussion. Contact Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org for connection details.

Volunteer Reviewers Sought for $1.5 Billion in Broadband Connectivity - The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce is soliciting experts to evaluate grant proposals for three broadband connectivity programs that will award over $1.5 billion to further national broadband goals and assist with COVID response and recovery efforts in 3 areas - Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the Broadband Infrastructure Grants Program, and the Connection Minority Communities Program. To learn more and respond by May 31, click here. Help America advance its national objective of broadband access for ALL! - Please spread the word about this opportunity.

Integrated Pest Management Papers Released For Distribution by Extension - The National Integrated Pest Management Coordinating Committee (NIPMCC) has released the following series of papers on IPM and invasive pests. 
  • US Agriculture is Vulnerable to Weeds, Diseases, Insects, and Other Pest Threats (Full-text, April 2021)
  • US Agriculture is Vulnerable (One-Pager)
  • The Growing Threat of Pests Resistant to Pesticides and Other Management Tactics (Full-text, April 2021)
  • The Growing Threat (One-Pager)
  • Invasive Pests: A $120 Billion-a-Year Threat to America’s Farms and Lands (Full-text, April 2021)
  • Invasive Pests (One-Pager)
Thank you to John Lawrence, Iowa State University, who represents the Cooperative Extension Section on the NIPMCC for sharing this information. Additional contact information is found here. 

Call for BoHS Awards Nominations - The Board on Human Sciences invites nominations of individual, faculty, or staff member for one of four Board on Human Sciences (BoHS) awards presented at APLU's Annual Meeting on November 2021. Deadline is June 28, 2021. Links to more info:
  * Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award
  * Lifetime Achievement Award
  * Outstanding Engagement Award
  * Undergraduate Research Mentor Award
Please contact Florencia Drumwright, Senior Associate, or Doug Steele, Vice President for Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, if you have any questions.

Reminder – New Administrators' Orientation

The New Administrators' Orientation is intended for individuals on the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) and their supporting administrators or faculty and USDA-NIFA personnel who have entered an administrative position since 2013 and any others who would like to learn more about APLU, the land-grant university system, the BAA, and USDA-NIFA. Information presented will be particularly useful to administrative heads, directors, associate/assistant directors, and USDA-NIFA national program leaders and administrators. The workshop’s learning objectives were included in the 10/23 ECOP Monday Minute. Reserve a hotel room (by 11/21/17) and register for the meeting ($375 until 11/6/17 - THAT'S TODAY!). The planning committee is finalizing the speakers for the agenda, and every session will include time for Q&A with many having small group and other interactive components to them. For information and to register, please click here. A pre-workshop webinar will be conducted on December 5th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Connection details will soon be available.

PILD Proposals Due on 11/15/17 - The JCEP Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference Planning Committee is seeking proposals for presentations at the PILD Conference that will be held on April 8-11, 2018 in Arlington, VA, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. The theme of the conference is “Cultivating a Climate of Civil Dialogue.” For additional information and to submit a proposal follow the link to: 2018 PILD Presentation Proposals. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 5:00pm Pacific Time, November 15, 2017.

4-H National Youth Science Day RFPs Due December 4 - 4-H National Youth Science Day, which started as an initiative to introduce 4-H Science to clubs across the country has grown into the single-largest STEM experience delivered at scale to 4-H’ers and non 4-H’ers alike. 4-H National Headquarters at USDA-NIFA and National 4-H Council invite Cooperative Extension faculty and staff at all land-grant universities to submit a proposal detailing an innovative experience for youth to conduct during the 2018 4-H National Youth Science Day. The land-grant university that submits the winning application will receive a $50,000 award. The 2018 subject area focus is "computer science." To apply, go to http://grants.4-h.org/index.do. Proposals are due December 4, 2017. In order for 4-H NYSD to continue to grow and reach new audiences, National 4-H Council is taking steps to enhance and streamline the science experience development process. To learn more about how this year’s application process and how it differs from previous years, join webinar on November 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Connection detail is via Adobe Connect - http://nationalfourhcouncil.adobeconnect.com/nysdrfp2/ or Conference Number: US (Toll Free): 1-888-757-2790. Participant Code: 134535. Please direct questions to Janet Golden at jgolden@fourhcouncil.edu or (301) 204-6841.


National IPM Meeting Summary - The National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinating Committee (NIPMCC) met Oct. 17-18 at the APLU Building in Washington to identify national priorities, provide input on revisions to the National IPM Road Map and develop communication strategies. The NIPMCC is a committee of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP) and is charged to make recommendations on programs, policies, reports, budgets and other matters that affect pest management implementation among other activities. The NIPMCC seeks to increase awareness of the significant research and Extension contributions of IPM to agricultural production, human health and environmental quality. Federal IPM funding to support the regional IPM centers and state Extension Implementation Program grants is through the Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) funding line. The regional IPM centers (RIPMC) reported impressive returns on investments: Northeast RIPMC partnership grants were leveraged at 3:1; North Central RIPMC working groups had a 26:1 return on investment; Southern RIPMC enhancement grants were leveraged at 20:1; and Western RIPMC grants were leveraged at 25:1. For additional information, contact Pat Beauzay, NDSU Extension Service, NIPMCC chair or Chris Boerboom, NDSU Extension Service director and ECOP liaison.

National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) December 11-13 Semi-Annual Meeting - The Cooperative Extension System (CES) has extended the knowledge of land-grant universities to address current problems in each state and territory of the U.S. for over 100 years. With changing demographics and a shift towards urbanization. Within the CES, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) has fostered regional and national collaboration to share resources and grow Extension’s reach in urban communities. You are invited to NUEL’s semi-annual meeting December 11-13, 2017 in Nashville, a time dedicated to assess intersections of collaboration with other colleagues from your region and from across the country as NUEL advances urban Extension efforts. NUEL is actively recruiting individuals and teams to join NUEL’s regional caucuses and plug into action team initiatives as they work across the CES. BOOK HOTEL TODAY - November 6 to obtain conference rate. Click here for conference and registration information. Please contact Patrick Proden, NUEL Chair, at Patrick.Proden@oregonstate.edu if you have questions.


Binational Extension Conference on Food, Water, and Energy Programs - The Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture (SAGARPA) is sponsoring a Binational Extension Conference on November 15-17, 2017 in Chihuahua, Mexico. With the participation of USDA and U.S. Land-Grant Universities in the Western and Southern regions, this binational conference is a first step towards boosting programs of university-based Extension in the border regions of the United States and Mexico. The conference is a product of the 2016 MOU between APLU and SAGARPA for increased collaboration in agriculture. Topics will include youth and community development, agricultural innovations, food security, marketing, and climate-smart agriculture. This conference will be the first time that such a collection of U.S. universities, their Mexican counterparts and both federal governments will focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of food and agricultural systems in the border economy. Contact Jon Boren, NMSU Extension Director, for more information.

ECOP/ESCOP Chair DC Visits

Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska and
Bret Hess, University of Wyoming

ECOP Chair Fred Schlutt and ESCOP Chair Bret Hess recently conducted several agency and organization visits. The visits spanned nearly two weeks and continue the strong collaboration between these two BAA organizations. The content of these meetings included (depending on the audience) an introduction to the land-grant capacity in extension/research, presentation of ECOP and ESCOP priorities, overview of the one ask proposal and dialogue about potential partnerships. Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Executive Director Mike Harrington was instrumental in arranging these meetings, and he along with ECOP Executive Director Rick Klemme participated in several of these meetings with Fred and Bret. Several follow up actions are in play.


Award Nominations Deadline Only 5 Weeks Away - May 1 is the deadline for nominations for the 2017 Excellence in Extension and Diversity Awards offered in partnership by ECOP and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Self-guided worksheets for these nominations have been designed to assist with preparation. Recipients will receive cash awards and travel reimbursement to the 2017 APLU Annual Meeting in Washington DC when NIFA officials present the awards on the national stage. Go to www.aplu.org/CESAwards. Direct questions about nominations to ECOP Program Assistant Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org.


Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) Competitive Grants Program - May 9 is the deadline to apply for CPPM, the program that supports research and extension projects that address critical state, regional, and national integrated pest management (IPM) needs, ensure food security, and respond to other major pest challenges. To learn more go to https://nifa.usda.gov/announcement/usda-announces-121-million-support-crop-protection-and-pest-management. To sign up to receive these updates directly from NIFA go to: http://bit.ly/NIFAsubscribe

4-H Grows: The Engagement Campaign - The ECOP 4-H National Leadership Committee formally extends an invitation to interested land-grant institutions to enroll in years two and three of 4-H Grows: The Engagement Campaign. To date, 30 land-grant institutions have already co-invested along with National 4-H Council in this national marketing initiative. Institutions will have access to turn-key national marketing tools, resources and training as well as dedicated marketing expertise to assist every region. Click here to download the application and supplemental enrollment materials. On April 3, 2017, at 1:00 PM ET, National 4-H Council will host an informational webinar for those institutions considering enrollment in years two and three of the program. Click here to register for this opportunity to learn more. For more information, contact Jennifer McIver, VP, Field Marketing at National 4-H Council - jmciver@fourhcouncil.edu; 301-755-7062.

eXtension Innovation Lab Projects Selected - Five projects have been selected for funding by the eXtension Innovation Lab for 2017. Topics include precision agriculture, Maker Education, Citizen Science, Internet of Things, spatial technologies, drones, wearables, and more! The projects represent premium member institutions from several states including Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, and New Hampshire. Learn more https://extension.org/five-innovation-grants-awarded-by-extension-more-than-90-proposals-submitted/ 

ECOP, ESCOP Chairs Engage USDA-NIFA Staff

Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware,
and Shirley Hymon-Parker, North Carolina
A&T University

“Research to Application: National Leadership, Local Impacts” was the theme of a seminar last week for USDA-NIFA colleagues in Washington, DC. Speakers were ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and ESCOP Chair Shirley Hymon-Parker, North Carolina A&T State University. The purpose was to brief NIFA partners on joint Cooperative Extension and Experiment Station efforts including pest management, water security, healthy food systems and people, climate, communications and marketing, impacts reporting, and the need for both capacity and competitive funding. Other meetings during the day-long visit focused on communications, program planning and reporting, and other items to advance the partnership with USDA-NIFA. 

Chris Boerboom, North Dakota
State University

Boerboom Named to Pest Management Team – ECOP member Chris Boerboom, North Dakota State University, has been named to the National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinating Committee. The committee makes recommendations to ESCOP and ECOP on programs, policies, reports, and budget matters that affect pest management implementation. It also facilitates national collaboration for IPM research and Extension at land-grant universities, and between land-grants and federal agencies. Membership includes representatives from regional IPM technical committees and centers, USDA agencies including NIFA, other federal departments, and non-government organizations. 

Grow True Leaders Campaign Thunderclap Deadline 5.21.16 – There is still time to participate in the 4-H Thunderclap. Join Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles and others in supporting #TrueLeaders. If 4-H reaches its 500 supporter goal by May 21, Thunderclap will blast out a timed Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr post, spreading the message of #TrueLeaders to millions. Join here http://bit.ly/4HThunderclap and add an extra note celebrating young people passionate about 4-H. 

County Health Rankings Webinar 5.17.16 – The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, is hosting a webinar titled First Things First: Priority Setting. This short webinar will examine how to collaboratively set priorities building on data while also honoring multiple voices in the community. A priority setting tool from the National Association of County & City Health Officials, called First Things First, will be featured and examined. For registration and more information, click here. 

International Programs Webinar 5.9.16 – The APLU International Agriculture Section announces a webinar 1:00 p.m. ET, 5.9.16, featuring Otto Gonzalez, USDA-NIFA’s new director of the Center for International Programs. ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, met with Gonzalez and other USDA-NIFA colleagues last week where he described how he will work across all USDA-NIFA institutes to develop global engagement opportunities. Webinar registration is at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3471901852318820609. 

eXtension What’s New Webinar – If you missed the webinar last week reviewing recent changes and new opportunities now available for eXtension member institutions, view the recording at https://learn.extension.org/events/2621. The eXtension leadership team answers questions and provide examples of how to use new tools and services.