Conservation Innovation Grants

The summary for the Conservation Innovation Grants grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Conservation Innovation Grants: The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) into NRCS technical manuals or guides, or to the private sector. CIG does not fund research projects. Instead, it is a vehicle to stimulate the development and adoption of conservation approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a likelihood of success and that are candidates for eventual technology transfer. CIG funds projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations. Funds will be awarded through a nationwide competitive grants process. There are three CIG components available in FY 2006: Natural Resource Concerns Component, Technology Component, and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Component. NRCS will accept applications for single- or multi-year projects, not to exceed three years, submitted to NRCS from eligible entities, including Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, State and local governments, and non-governmental organizations and individuals. Applications are accepted from all 50 States, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Basin Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Proposal submissions to NRCS National Headquarters must be accompanied by a letter of review from the appropriate NRCS State Conservationist(s). Complete applications will be evaluated by a technical peer review panel and scored based on the Criteria for Proposal Evaluation identified in this document. Scored applications will be forwarded to a Grant Review Board. The Grant Review Board will make recommendations for project approval to the Chief. Final award selections will be made by the Chief. Link to Full Announcement: Conservation Innovation Grants Announcement for Program Funding (link is: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig) Technical Contact: Kari Cohen, CIG Program Coordinator, Office: 720-2335, email: [email protected]