Purpose: The purpose of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Outreach: Racial Equity and Justice Conservation Cooperative Agreements program is to enhance NRCS and partner resources to assist historically underserved farmers and ranchers in implementing natural resources conservation practices that:
- Improve soil health;
- Improve water quality and quantity;
- Provide habitat for local wildlife species of concern;
- Improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural land;
- Build and strengthen local food projects that provide for sustainable healthy food production and economic opportunities; and
- Provide conservation planning that develops solutions to frequent and changing weather patterns.
Projects should identify and remove barriers to accessing information and programs and reach historically underserved groups through a combination of outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources that address the following four NRCS priority areas:
- Addressing local natural resource issues;
- Utilizing Climate Smart Agriculture practices and principles; to provide a foundation that will improve farming benefits to innovative conservation that leads to a more sustainable future through effective environmental practices on the land.
- Encouraging existing and new partnerships through emphasizing urban needs and equality in advancing underserved communities’ and small-scale agriculture.
- Developing state and community-led conservation leadership for historically underserved producers, including training students for careers in natural resources management.
Applicants must propose a project that responds to one or more of the four program priority areas listed above. Proposals should support activities that introduce the concepts of climate-smart agriculture (planning and developing solutions to address frequent and changing weather patterns), and to assist producers with planning and implementation of conservation practices and principles.
Please see the request for applications for definitions of historically underserved producers (beginning farmer or rancher, limited resource farmer or rancher, socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, veteran farmer or rancher).
Funding Amount/Project Period: $100,000up to$1,000,000 for up to 2 years.
Link to Funding Opportunity Announcement
Institutional Limit: 1
Internal Competition: To participate in the university’s selection process,please upload the following,assembled into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via this portal with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by September 14, 2021:
- Names and departments or affiliations of the Project Director and other key personnel or partners;
- Title of program and/or funding opportunity announcement number;
- Brief project description, including indication of the priority areas (2 pages maximum);
- Brief biographical sketch.
A committee will be convened to review the material and make a recommendation.
For questions or issues with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox (limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.
Agency Deadline:
October 25, 2021