Technology-Enhanced Cooperative Extension Hub (TECHExt)
Summary: NTAE (New Technologies for Ag Extension) a grant from NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) will begin Year 1 with the Extension Foundation January, 2024. EXF has the subaward for this grant from the University of New Hampshire who is the prime award for this funding. Within the funding EXF receives from the NTAE grant, one of the grant activity focus areas are the development of projects that lead to local impact and align with both USDA Strategic Goals and the ECOP Program Priority Areas. The recruitment of these projects is starting now! Project leaders will apply for one of the four types of projects this grant will support: Incubation, Acceleration, Expansion and Scaling.
Application Link: https://webportalapp.com/sp/ntae
Application Due Date: December 22, 2023
Funding Amount Available: $10K-100K depending on the type of project.
Eligibility: All land-grant universities are welcome to apply regardless of membership status in the EXF
Award Period: January 22, 2024 - September 21, 2024
Office Hours: Friday, November 17: 9 am - 2 pm
- Monday, November 20: 9 am - 12 pm; 2 pm - 5 pm
- Tuesday, November 21: 1 pm - 5 pm
- Monday, November 27: 4 pm - 6 pm (budget help will be available)
- Wednesday, November 29: 10 am - 12 pm (budget help will be available)
- Please use this Zoom link for all dates and times: https://extension.zoom.us/j/84382433828
New Technologies in Ag Extension (NTAE) Year 1 Application Details
New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) is a grant from USDA NIFA in partnership with the University of New Hampshire. It will begin its first year starting in January, 2024. The Extension Foundation (EXF) invites your project and program teams aligned with USDA and ECOP strategic goals/priority program areas to apply for funding and support from the EXF through September 21, 2024.
Programs with a special focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate are encouraged, but this is not a requirement. All land-grant universities are welcome to apply regardless of membership status in the EXF. Depending on the type of project, teams may receive fellowships of up to $100K, and all projects receive support from EXF Catalysts, Coaches, and Key Informants. Catalysts are experienced CES Administrators who provide mentorship and guidance to projects, and Key Informants have subject matter expertise across areas such as publishing, evaluation, partner development, leadership and team development, marketing, communications, and more. Through NTAE, the EXF provides a set of services most projects rarely have access to— services create deeper impact and greater sustainability for the project.
Project Information Requested:
In this section you will provide a detailed description of your project and priority populations. Identify who will be impacted, how they will be impacted, and why this project is a good investment of Extension resources. Project solutions should be shaped by community member input and data. The project should build on community assets and be clearly communicated.
- Project Title
- In what month and year was your project started?
- Select the stage that most accurately reflects the stage of your project. (If you are not sure which one applies, select more than one.)
- Incubation - still in the idea/pre-planning phase - $10,000
- Acceleration - has recently been implemented (e.g. just piloted); shows promising early results - $20,000
- Expansion - ready to grow statewide or regionally; has strong evidence of impact - $40,000
- Scaling - already expanded statewide or regionally and is ready for more growth nationally - $100,000
- If reviewers feel your project fits in a better stage, are you and your team willing to consider a different project and funding level?
- Yes
- No
- Please describe your project:
- Why is your project needed? What gaps will your project address? Who are the main audiences and stakeholders? What is the purpose of your project? (Maximum 500 words)
- To help us better understand your project’s progress at the time of application please select all stages of planning or implementation that apply. Selections will help identify support opportunities and allocation of EXF resources to funded projects.
- Issue: The problem or opportunity that the project addresses has been clearly identified.
- Team: The project team has been formed and has at least three members dedicated to doing the work.
- Audience: The project audience has been clearly identified.
- Partnerships: The team has engaged with the program audience, community members, and/or other partners/stakeholders to develop this project.
- Outcomes/Projected Impact: The team has identified the results it wants to see.
- Inputs: The team is gathering further insights from others (including the primary audience) to understand the issue more deeply and is identifying the resources it needs to develop and deliver the program.
- Ideation: The team is developing ways to solve the problem or take advantage of the opportunity the project focuses on.
- Iteration and Pilot Delivery/Assessment: The team has been delivering and evaluating project pilots using insights from assessment data.
- Implementation/Assessment: The project has been implemented and evaluated and is ready for next steps.
- Advancement: The project has been implemented regionally or nationally.
- What is the project’s overall goal in the next 9 months? (Examples: “to create a network of food safety experts across land-grant universities”, “to help other Extension educators implement a composting advocacy program”, etc.)
- How would you identify and describe expected changes? (e.g., track program participation, describe experiences of participants/of Extension staff, administer pre/post tests and evaluate changes, etc.)
- What makes your project inclusive and equitable? How does this audience represent diverse interests and the community affected? (Maximum 250 words)
- What technology resources do you plan to use to achieve your project goals? (Include resources for internal collaboration and project delivery, if appropriate.)
- What changes would you expect to see as a result of your project by the end of the grant term? (Maximum 250 words)
- Which of the following activities (with assistance from Key Informants) might best support the goals you’d have for the grant term? (Choose all that apply.)
- Create a pilot.
- Launch the program.
- Develop curriculum.
- Further understand and/or engage audience(s).
- Find partners and/or funding
- Create marketing/promotional materials.
- website
- social media content
- podcast
- webinar
- case statement for recruiting partners/funders
- other __________
- Document, publish educational content.
- how-to guide
- case study
- white paper
- other ________
- Improve teamwork and/or develop leadership skills.
- Evaluate program impact (e.g. through participant/staff surveys, data evaluation, etc.).
- Other ___________
- Please upload a draft timeline of your project activities to achieve your goal(s).
- Please select the USDA strategic goal(s) with which your project aligns.
- Goal 1: Combat climate change to support America’s working lands, natural resources, and communities.
- Goal 2: Ensure America’s agricultural system is equitable, resilient, and purposeful.
- Goal 3: Foster an equitable and competitive marketplace for all agricultural producers.
- Goal 4: Make safe, nutritious food available to all Americans.
- Goal 5: Expand opportunities for economic development and provide quality of life in rural and tribal communities.
- Please select the ECOP strategic directions with which your project aligns.
- Increase visibility and recognition of the Cooperative Extension System as a provider of evidence-based education and services and as a valuable partner to federal and national non-federal entities through improved communications of program impacts and successes.
- Support the professional success of Extension leadership through tailored professional development opportunities including training, webinars, in-person meetings, networking opportunities, and more.
- Expand federal and non-federal resources available to Extension.
- Identify ongoing and emerging CES priorities and national issues and provide mechanisms for collective action.
- Does your project specifically work with veterans or veteran farmers?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain briefly how your project specifically works with veterans or veteran farmers. (Maximum 250 words)
- Please upload a Letter of Support (LOS) from your Extension Director/Administrator
Office hours will be held in order for applicants to “drop in” to ask any questions they may have about the application, grant process, budget, project expectations, etc. The dates and times (eastern) are listed below:
- Friday, November 17: 9 am - 2 pm
- Monday, November 20: 9 am - 12 pm; 2 pm - 5 pm
- Tuesday, November 21: 1 pm - 5 pm
- Monday, November 27: 4 pm - 6 pm (budget help will be available)
- Wednesday, November 29: 10 am - 12 pm (budget help will be available)
Please use this Zoom link for all dates and times: https://extension.zoom.us/j/84382433828
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