The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) staff partner annually with state Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station staff to provide a venue for updates and information, networking, and professional development through the NERAOC Conference.
The 2019 National Extension and Research Administrative Officers Conference (NERAOC), held in Denver, CO (April 14-17), provided opportunities to share and exchange current and relevant best practices and to discuss policy and issues that impact land-grant institutions like Colorado State University.
Issues addressed during the 2019 NEROAC included:
NIFA Staffing
While NIFA has added a number of new staff, they still remain understaffed. This translates into delays in processing documents and returning communications. Be aware if you are submitting a question or report at fiscal year-end (September – October), there may be additional delays.
Farm Bill
A new Farm Bill, passed December 20, 2018, supersedes the 2014 Farm Bill. The new Farm Bill caps indirect cost recovery at 30% of total Federal funding for the Prime and any subrecipients. This translates into the need for crucial conversations at the proposal stage between the Prime and subrecipients regarding amount of indirect cost recovery for each.
Additionally, under-recovery of F&A cannot be used to meet any match requirements. If a program has a match requirement, administrators/faculty may need to consult the program officer to identify flexible ways to meet the match requirement.
As always, consult the solicitation and program officer when working to meet match requirements. Additionally, look for NIFA to publish Fact Sheets this May/June.
Compliance Reviews
Compliance reviews provide an opportunity for institutions to convey what is and what is not working to the USDA. Common findings include:
- Need for improved/increased subrecipient monitoring
- Validation of cost allowability
- Misuse of travel cards
- Lack of procurement source documentation
- Inconsistent communication between entities (such as sponsor, Prime, and subrecipients)
- Underspending on awards (which brings up the question of how/if work is being done)
As with all federal awards, good grants management is essential and means:
- Paying attention to award terms and conditions (Read the Notice of Award!)
- Ensuring adequate financial data and accounting records
- Providing source documentation
- Building and relying upon solid internal controls
- Communicating issues in a timely manner
Preparing USDA/NIFA Applications
Successful applications are complete, compliant, and compelling.
Complete applications in a timely manner (all applications due by 5:00 PM EST unless otherwise stated in the solicitation) and in compliance with program guidelines. Begin early (~9 months prior to application deadline) and consult the program officer as needed. Finally, write a compelling application that addresses review criteria without being overly ambitious. Rely on successful grantees to review proposals and provide feedback.
To learn more about the USDA and its funding programs, visit the USDA NIFA website.
Blog post by Jenny Harding, Research Administrator, and Tricia Callahan, Senior Research Education and Information Officer, Office of Sponsored Programs, Colorado State University.