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REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONSEquipment Grants ProgramFUNDING YEAR:APPLICATION DEADLINE:LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE:AVAILABLE FUNDING:ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER:Fiscal Year 2021March 16, 2021Not RequiredApproximately 4,800,00010.519
INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENTNational Institute of Food and AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureCatalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) is listed in theAssistance Listings under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.519.Table 1: Key Dates and DeadlinesTask DescriptionDeadlineApplication: 5:00 P.M. Eastern, March 16, 2021 [Ref to Part I § C of this RFA]Number of Proposal Two proposals per eligible institutionLimitLetter of Intent: Not RequiredApplicants Comments:Within six months from the issuance of this notice(NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)DATES FOR APPLICATIONS: This RFA solicits applications for funding cycle FY 2021.Applications for FY 2021 funding cycle must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on thedeadline date indicated above. Applications received after this deadline will not be consideredfor funding.Stakeholder Input. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks comments onall request for applications (RFAs) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, withintegrity, and with a focus on customer service. NIFA considers comments, to the extent possiblewhen developing RFAs and uses comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2)of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.7613(c)(2)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov (email is forcomments only). Please use the following subject line: Response to the EGP RFA.2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purposeequipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agriculturalsciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative ExtensionSystems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental andapplied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire oneshared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, andextension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFAgrant programs. EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individualproject applications. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance thecapabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside theproposing organization.Proposals to the EGP must involve acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece ofequipment/instrument. Well-integrated means that the ensemble of equipment that defines theinstrument enables specific fundamental or applied research experiments in the food andagricultural sciences, including data science and data systems,; separating or removing anelement or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude that research fromoccurring or succeeding. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fullyoperational by the end of the award period.The EGP does not support the acquisition of suites of equipment to outfit research laboratories/facilities or to conduct independent experiments simultaneously. Similarly, the EGP does notfund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratoryand/or is relatively easily procured by the organization or through other NIFA grant programs.Rather, it is intended to help fund items of equipment that will upgrade infrastructure. Moreover,EGP does not fund research projects, including research that uses the equipment acquired withsupport from the program nor does it support installation, modification of facilities, training onequipment operation, or operation and maintenance of facilities or equipment.The amount available for support of this program in FY 2021 is approximately 4,800,000.3
TABLE OF CONTENTSINITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT . 2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 3PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION . 6A.B.C.Legislative Authority .6Purpose and Priorities .6Program Area Description .7PART II. AWARD INFORMATION . 9A.B.C.D.Available Funding .9Types of Applications.9Project and Grant Types .9Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects . 10PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION. 11A.B.Eligibility Requirements . 11Cost Sharing or Matching . 12PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION . 13A.B.C.Method of Application . 13Content and Form of the Application . 13Funding Restrictions . 17PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS . 18A.B.C.D.NIFA’s Evaluation Process . 18Evaluation Criteria. 18Organizational Management Information. 19Application Disposition . 19PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION . 20A.B.General . 20Administrative and National Policy Requirements. 20PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION . 21A.B.C.Use of Funds and Changes in Budget . 21Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards . 21Regulatory Information . 21APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT . 22APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS . 23APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS . 24
TABLE OF TABLESTable 1: Key Dates and Deadlines . 2Table 2. Steps to Obtain Application Materials . 13Table 3: Help and Resources . 13Table 4: Key Application Instructions . 145
PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTIONA.Legislative AuthorityThe Equipment Grants Program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 3310a, which allows the Secretaryto make competitive grants for the acquisition of special purpose scientific research equipmentfor use in the food and agricultural sciences programs of eligible institutions.“Special purpose equipment" is defined in 2 CFR 200.1 as equipment which is used only forresearch, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. See also 2 CFR 200.1 Equipment andGeneral purpose equipment.B.Purpose and PrioritiesThe Equipment Grants Program (EGP), Assistance Listing 10.519, serves to increase access toshared special purpose equipment/instruments for scientific research for use in the food andagricultural sciences programs in our Nation's institutions of higher education, including StateCooperative Extension Services. The program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scopeof fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing organizations withopportunities to acquire equipment/instruments that supports the research, research training, andextension goals of the organization. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation thatwill enhance the capabilities of researchers and extension agents both within and outside theproposing organization.EGP is designed to strengthen the research, research training and/or extension capacity ofinstitutions by funding the purchase of one shared-use piece of equipment that may be too costlyand/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. An instrument acquiredwith support from the EGP is expected to be fully operational by the end of the award period.The program does not fund research projects, including research that uses the equipmentacquired with support from the program. The program does not support installation, modificationof facilities, training on equipment operation, or operation and maintenance of facilities orequipment including the purchase of supplies/consumables to operate the equipment.Proposals to the EGP are for the acquisition of only a single, well-integrated piece ofequipment/instrument. Well-integrated research instrument means that the ensemble ofequipment that defines the instrument enables a specific fundamental or applied researchexperiment in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems,programs to be undertaken; separating or removing an element or component of such anintegrated instrument would preclude any experiments from occurring or succeeding. The EGPdoes not support the acquisition a suite of equipment to outfit research laboratories/facilities or toconduct independent experiments simultaneously. Similarly, the EGP does not fund common,general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in a laboratory and/or isrelatively easily procured by the organization or through other NIFA funding programs.EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications.Rather, they are intended to help fund items of equipment that will upgrade infrastructure.Requests for computer equipment are allowed only if the equipment is part of a well-integratedinstrument.6
The EGP emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchersand extension agents both within and outside the proposing organization. The EGP is alignedwith the following USDA Strategic Goals:1. Strategic Goal 1: Ensure USDA Programs Are Delivered Efficiently, Effectively, WithIntegrity and a Focus on Customer Service;2. Strategic Goal 2: Maximize the Ability of American Agricultural Producers To Prosperby Feeding and Clothing the World;3. Strategic Goal 3: Promote American Agriculture Products and Exports4. Strategic Goal 4: Facilitate Rural Prosperity and Economic Development;5. Strategic Goal 5: Strengthen the Stewardship of Private Lands Through Technology andResearch;6. Strategic Goal 6: Ensure Productive and Sustainable Use of Our National Forest SystemLands; and7. Strategic Goal 7: Provide all Americans Access to a Safe, Nutritious, and Secure FoodSupply.By providing organizations with opportunities to acquire equipment/instruments that supports theresearch, research training, and extension goals of the organization. The EGP is aligned with thefollowing themes of the USDA Science Blueprint; Theme 1 - Sustainable Ag Intensification,Theme 2 - Ag Climate Adaptation, Theme 3 – Food and Nutrition Translation, and Theme 4 –Value Added Innovations.The EGP actively supports projects that promote the USDA Agriculture Innovation Agendacommitments of creating a comprehensive U.S. agriculture innovation strategy to align publicand private research efforts and integrating the latest innovative conservation technologies andpractices into USDA programs. EGP contributes to this agenda by increasing access to specialscientific research technology for use in food and agricultural sciences programs in our Nation'sinstitutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Services, with the goal ofimproving the quality and expanding the scope of fundamental and applied research.Additional requirements on expected performance goals, indicators and targets may be requiredas a condition of award.C.Program Area DescriptionThe Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared special purposeequipment for scientific research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs in ourNation’s institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. Theprogram seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied researchin food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems, by providinginstitutions with opportunities to acquire instrumentation that increases the research capacity ofthe institution and contributes to their research training or extension goals.The EGP emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchersboth within and outside the proposing institutions. The EGP is intended to assist with acquisitionthat may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs(such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Hatch, Evans-Allen, or 1890 Facilities7
Grant Program). An instrument acquired using EGP funding is expected to be shared-use andfully operational by the end of the award period. An equipment in a plant or animal healthdiagnostic laboratory will be appropriate if the data produced is used for research.The acquired equipment may be a well-integrated ensemble that requires more than onecomponent to enable a specific fundamental or applied research experiment in the food andagricultural sciences programs to be undertaken. Separating or removing one element orcomponent of such an instrument would preclude that research from occurring or succeeding.Operations and maintenance of the acquired equipment. Shared-use research equipment canbe expensive to operate and maintain over the useful lifetime. Proposals should demonstrate yourinstitution’s commitment to maintaining and operating the instrument for the benefit of acommunity of users engaged in research and training or extension in the Management Plan.EGP provides funding for purchase of equipment used in research or produces data usedin research, but does not:1. fund research projects themselves or personnel salaries or wages, including research orpersonnel that use equipment acquired with support from the program.2. fund education or extension projects directly. However, descriptions of planned uses ofacquired equipment in training of students, community outreach or other practicalapplications for consumers may be included, if desired, to illustrate the potential impacts ofsuch equipment acquisition.3. fund common, general purpose ancillary equipment that would normally be found in alaboratory or is relatively easily procured by other funding sources (for the purposes of thisprogram, General Purpose Equipment is defined in 2 CFR 200.48).4. support the installation, training, operation, consumable supplies, insurance, ormaintenance of facilities, equipment, or research laboratories, or renovation of facilitiesthat house the acquired equipment.5. support the acquisition of a suite of instruments to outfit research laboratories/facilities.For additional resources on EGP, including frequently asked questions, visit the EGP webpage.8
PART II. AWARD INFORMATIONA.Available FundingThe anticipated amount available for the Equipment Grants Program in FY 2021 isapproximately 4,800,000. These funds are available for equipment grants. USDA is notcommitted to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards. TheAutomated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureauof Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA.B.Types of ApplicationsNIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA. For FY 2021,applications are limited to the following type:New application: This is a project application that has not been previously submitted toNIFA. New applications will be reviewed to ensure they meet administrativerequirements and evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA and aresubject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include the response to theprevious review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein.Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previouslysubmitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (seeAppendix III for definition).C.Project and Grant TypesThe following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:1. Project Types: In FY 2021, the EGP will accept Equipment Projects only. These projectsare for the acquisition of research equipment and not for the support of a line of research,including research that uses equipment acquired with support from the program. Otherproject types submitted to this program will not be considered for review. EGP Researchprojects support the purchase of equipment that will be used for fundamental or appliedresearch.a. Fundamental research is research that increases knowledge or understanding ofthe fundamental aspects of phenomena and has the potential for board applicationand has positive influence on the food and agriculture sciences.b. Applied research is research that includes field testin
The EGP is intended to assist with acquisition that may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs (such as the Agriculture and Food Re
