NIFA seeking input on FY 2026 Research Facilities Act Program

NIFA will be holding a virtual listening session on Feb. 5 at noon EST to solicit public input on the implementation of the FY 2026 Research Facilities Act Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (RFAP). The RFAP program aims to assist Land-grant Institutions with the construction, modification, acquisition, modernization, refurbishment, or remodeling of agricultural research facilities to conduct research in the food and agricultural sciences.

In reauthorizing the program last year, Congress increased its annual funding level to $125 million in mandatory spending. In addition to the listening session, NIFA Program staff will also accept written comments before Feb. 12. Visit the NIFA website for more information.

ECOP has outlined its position on this issue, which includes the following:

“It is vital that stakeholders, particularly but not exclusively farmers and ranchers, achieve the maximum benefit from this historic investment. While every institution is different, for most institutions this will mean balancing research facility investments on campus and off campus. These off-campus facilities are an important part of demonstrating an innovation’s relevance to local conditions, including soil types, weather patterns, and ecosystems. They provide context specific knowledge that can directly lead to the next logical adoption step, on-operation trial. Investment in these off-campus facilities has the added benefit of widening the perceived value to a broader cross section of the state’s or territory’s citizenry.

Further, as we invest in off-campus research facilities, it is important that these investments include state of the art Extension facilities, capable of demonstrating innovations in the most effective possible manner. Any investment in research facilities without a clear vision and plan to ultimately communicate the resulting innovation to producers would be short-sighted.”

The ECOP National Office will communicate its position through the above and other channels.

GROWING TOGETHER: CONVERSATIONS WITH CEOS – Ducks Unlimited

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.

Adam Putnam, Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam is a fifth-generation Floridian and a graduate of the University of Florida where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Food and Resource Economics. He has also been awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and served as a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute. In 2010, he was the E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Florida. Putnam and his wife of 20 years, Melissa, reside in Memphis, Tenn. with their four children.

He is a hunter, angler, conservationist, and third-generation farmer who owns Putnam Groves Inc. Putnam Groves is a family owned and operated citrus farm and cattle ranch located in Central Florida.

“I consider myself to be a land grant baby – I was a 10-year 4-H'er, grew up on a family farm, got a degree from the University of Florida, and truly benefited from all three legs of the stool - teaching, research, and Extension. I truly believe the U.S. land grant model should be replicated around the world.” 

Specifically, regarding Cooperative Extension: DU is exploring much more work understanding social and economic values of conservation practices for landowners and to work to tailor conservation programs to best suit the needs of producers. There is enormous collaborative potential to explore these topics with Cooperative Extension.
Read the full interview.

USDA Launches New Online Portal for Reporting Foreign-Owned Agricultural Land Transactions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a new online portal to streamline reporting of transactions involving U.S. agricultural land by foreign persons, which can include businesses and governments, under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The new online portal is part of a broader effort to strengthen enforcement and protect American farmland as USDA continues its implementation of the National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB).

New Administrator Orientation Program Webinar on Oct. 23

On behalf of Dr. Chris Daubert, Chair of the Administrative Heads Section (AHS), we would like to invite you to join an upcoming webinar on the use of social media as a new administrator.  This webinar is part of the 2025 New Administrators Orientation (NAO) program that has a blended format of Zoom meetings and two in-person meetings (the final in-person meeting will be held at the conclusion of the APLU Annual Meeting in Philadelphia PA).  We feel that this topic is both timely and relevant for administrators in today’s social media environment.

Webinar Specifics:

Webinar Title: Effectively Navigating Social Media as a New Administrator

October 23, from 4:00-5:15 pm Eastern.

North American Agricultural Advisory Network

The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) is a North American platform among extension and rural advisory services organizations promoting and supporting innovation, knowledge utilization, and information sharing in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. They share North American best practices and facilitate learning from global expertise.

You are invited to join NAAAN on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 from 10-11 a.m. MST for the CONVERSATION on NAAAN CONNECT with the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. This conversation will focus on the cross-border efforts of APLU and invite a discussion around new opportunities for collaboration. Featured speakers include Waded Cruzado, President of APLU, and Doug Steele, Vice President of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources at APLU.

See more information and register.

New ECOP Chair shares implementation recommendations to agInnovation

Via email last week, Lisa Townson shared some recommendations on the implementation of the Research Facilities Act:

It is vital that stakeholders, particularly but not exclusively farmers and ranchers, achieve the maximum benefit from this historic investment. While every institution is different, for most institutions this will mean balancing research facility investments on campus and off campus. These off-campus facilities are an important part of demonstrating an innovation’s relevance to local conditions, including soil types, weather patterns, and ecosystems. They provide context specific knowledge that can directly lead to the next logical adoption step, on-operation trial. Investment in these off-campus facilities has the added benefit of widening the perceived value to a broader cross section of the state’s or territory’s citizenry.

Further, as we invest in off-campus research facilities, it is important that these investments include state of the art Extension facilities, capable of demonstrating innovations in the most effective possible manner. Any investment in research facilities without a clear vision and plan to ultimately communicate the resulting innovation to producers would be short-sighted.

Finally, the implementation of this program should not be rushed. The process for making such a large federal investment should allow time for states and territories to consult with stakeholders of all varieties, particularly farmers and ranchers, and undertake local planning processes to leverage this investment to the maximum possible benefit. 

On campus discussions are encouraged among Agricultural Experiment Station Directors and Extension Directors and Administrators to maximize the ultimate demonstration benefit of this investment. These same sentiments will be communicated with NIFA with the hopes of giving them priority in the call for proposals, which is expected during the first quarter of calendar year 2026.  

Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program

The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program was authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21) and empowers states to strengthen rural communities across America by improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem. Through innovative system-wide change, the RHT Program invests in the rural healthcare delivery ecosystem for future generations.
 
State Departments of Health are often implementing the program, and some are involving their Cooperative Extension Service as a subcontractor. Sources have indicated that the deadline for state submissions is November 5, 2025.