IPM Partnership Grants Program

Program Highlights

Application Deadline	November 9, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (eastern time)
Total Amount Available	Approximately $160,000
Range of Awards	Max. $40,000. ($10,000 additional if it meets the competitive preference priority 2.)
Start Date & Length	March 1, 2024/April 1, 2024; projects may be up to 24 months.
Mission	To foster the development and adoption of integrated pest management, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits.
Project Types	IPM Applied Research IPM Working Groups IPM Communications
Eligibility	Qualified public and private entities, including all colleges and universities; federal, state, and local agencies; and nonprofit and for-profit private organizations or corporations. Must be able to meet the criteria for subrecipients.
Basic Requirements	Proposals must include all of the following: Focus on IPM Address ≥ 1 priority, see neipmc.org/go/sp Include regional collaborations Project director must work in the Northeast Work must be conducted in the Northeast Initiated consultation with IRB office about the project, if needed
Competitive Preference Priorities	1: Economic Analysis. Projects that produce improved cost benefit analysis of IPM are eligible for up to 3 additional points. 2: Diversity. Projects that include an 1890 institution or meaningfully includes historically underserved audiences are eligible for 3 additional points and may apply for up to an additional $10,000.
Download the RFA	Partnership Grants Program Request for Applications (PDF)
Webinar	An informational webinar was held October 2, 2023. Watch the recording here.
Questions	Jana Hexter, Deborah Grantham
Related Links	Introduction to Evaluation Plans for Grant Proposals Logic Model Planning and Evaluation Tools IPM Partnership Grants Program Resources

Purpose

Projects funded through the IPM Partnership Grants Program must further the mission of the Northeastern IPM Center, address or identify IPM Priorities for the Northeast, and benefit the region at large.

The efforts of the Center are organized under six Signature Programs and four cross-cutting issues where our leadership and advisory bodies see the greatest need. At present, the areas of focus for the programs are (not in order of priority)

• Community IPM
• IPM and Organic Systems
• Climate Change and Pests
• Pollinators
• Next Generation Education
• Advanced Production Systems

The four cross-cutting issues are

• Diversity in IPM
• Emerging Invasive Species
• Pesticide Resistance
• Economics

Funded projects are expected to contribute significantly to the adoption and/or development of IPM in one or more Signature Program while addressing one or more cross-cutting issue through the following:

• Forming partnerships among growers, scientists, educators, environmental groups, governmental agencies, and other audiences for the purpose of advancing IPM
• Increasing knowledge about pests and how to manage them in traditional and new settings
• Establishing or addressing regional IPM priorities for research and extension
• Teaching others how to use IPM to decrease risks associated with pest management
• Developing capacity for growing food sustainably using IPM

Competitive Preference Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Economic Analysis. Proposals that produce improved economic analyses of the costs and benefits of IPM adoption are eligible for up to 3 additional points.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Diversity. These projects are eligible for 3 additional points and may apply for up to an additional $10,000.

A: 1890 Institution Participation. Projects that are led by or include an 1890 land-grant institution (University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Delaware State University; and West Virginia State University) as a project partner are eligible for up to 3 additional points based on the scope and depth of the collaboration.

OR

B: Meaningfully includes historically underserved audiences. USDA defines historically underserved audiences to include stakeholders belonging to the following groups: American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and women. The Center also considers 2SLGBTQIA+ to be historically underserved. This may include:

• Is a project focused on a historically underserved audience, or
• Is led by or partner with a Native Nation affiliated organization, or
• Is led by or partners with a non-profit that focuses on historically underserved audiences.

Eligibility

Public and private institutions or organizations, businesses, commodity groups, and private individuals are eligible for these funds as long as they are able to meet the criteria for subrecipients required by federal regulations and Cornell University (see Appendix E of the RFA). Project directors (PDs) from smaller states, 1890 land-grant institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and community colleges are encouraged to apply. All PDs must work and conduct the relevant work in the Northeast. Co-PDs may be from outside the region. PDs based at Cornell University must be PI eligible within the university.

Types of Projects

The IPM Partnership Grants Program funds three types of projects:

• IPM Applied Research
• IPM Working Groups
• IPM Communications

Project types may not be combined into one proposal, but more than one project type for a specific topic may be submitted. For example, an emerging pest issue could be addressed through:

1. a detailed and strategically planned assembly of individuals (Working Group), or
2. a focused applied research project (Applied Research), or
3. the development of publication(s) and/or a pest management strategic plan (Communications), or
4. the collaboration of PDs submitting 3 complementary proposals listed above.

If you have an idea for an IPM proposal but are not sure which project type is appropriate, please see the table below.

IPM Applied Research
Identifies gap in knowledge that prevents IPM adoption
Designs experiment(s) to build knowledge
Presents/publishes results, including to extension/outreach colleagues/community
Results in new knowledge or practices that improve efficacy of IPM
IPM Working Groups
Identifies and convenes stakeholders around defined topic
Identifies gaps in knowledge, adoption of practices, or communication
Develops plan for addressing gaps (for example: white paper, proposal, conference)
Results in new or enhanced efforts to advance adoption of IPM
IPM Communications
Identifies an audience(s) that lack knowledge of IPM
Synthesizes knowledge and research results
Disseminates information by methods appropriate to identified audiences
Educates
Results in changes in behavior or conditions, specifically adoption of IPM

Available Funds

Approximately $160,000 is available, with a maximum of $40,000 per award ($50,000 if it meets competitive preference priority 2). There is a 24-month time limit on funded projects.

Contacts

For questions about the RFA or your proposal idea:

• Jana Hexter, Grants and Partnerships Coordinator
• Deborah Grantham, Director

For questions about objectives, metrics, institutional review board (IRB), and evaluation design:

• David Lane, Evaluation Specialist

For questions about uploading a proposal to the website:

• Kevin Judd, Web Administrator

Subscribe to our email list to receive updates about this grant program and news about IPM in the Northeast.

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Application Process

Request for Applications (RFA)

Download the RFA, which contains complete instructions for preparing your proposal.

Applications are submitted via the Center’s online grant management system.

Note: You must create an account and log in to the system in order to view the online forms. After logging in, click “Start a new grant proposal,” then navigate to the “2024 Northeastern Partnership RFA” and click “Begin a new proposal.” For an introduction to the grant management system, watch these tutorial videos.

Deadline

Proposals must be submitted through the online grant management system by 5:00 p.m. (eastern time) on November 9, 2023.

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Resources

See the IPM Partnership Grants Program Resources for useful links.