Louisiana Conservation Innovation Grants FY 2017 | USDA NRCS LA CIG 17 01

Louisiana Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY 2017 - FAQs

1) What is the Louisiana Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) FY 2017 program?

The Louisiana CIG FY 2017 opportunity is a competitive grant program administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Its purpose is to speed up the real-world use of practical, innovative conservation methods in Louisiana that improve natural resources (such as soil, water, air, and wildlife habitat) while still supporting agricultural production.

2) What is the main goal of this grant program?

The core goal is adoption and implementation: helping producers and partners apply, demonstrate, and scale conservation approaches and technologies that have already shown promise, so they can be used more widely. A key emphasis is technology transfer so that useful tools, management systems, and approaches move into broader practice and can potentially be incorporated into NRCS technical guidance (for example, manuals and field office tools) or transitioned into private-sector use.

3) What kinds of projects does CIG typically support?

Supported projects are expected to be hands-on and field-focused, such as pilot projects, on-the-ground demonstrations, and implementation efforts. Projects should show how a proven practice or an emerging strategy works under real conditions at farm scale or landscape scale in Louisiana.

4) Is this program intended to fund basic research?

No. The program is not designed to pay for basic or exploratory research. The focus is on applying and demonstrating conservation solutions that are already promising and are ready to be tested, demonstrated, improved for practical use, and adopted more broadly.

5) Is any research allowed under this opportunity?

Yes, but only under a specific exception for on-farm conservation research. Even then, NRCS frames the research as something that directly stimulates innovative natural resource management in conjunction with agricultural production, rather than academic or laboratory research that is disconnected from practical adoption.

6) What counts as "on-farm conservation research" for this program?

On-farm conservation research is narrowly defined in this opportunity. It must: (a) be designed to answer a specific conservation-related question; (b) use a statistically valid approach; (c) include an appropriate number of replications; (d) analyze results with proper statistical methods; and (e) be conducted using farm-scale equipment on actual farm fields.

7) Who is eligible to apply?

The competition is open to eligible applicants located in Louisiana. Eligible entity types listed include: federally recognized Native American tribal governments; state and local governments (including counties, cities/townships, and special districts); public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than universities); individuals; and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits).

8) Do applicants have to be located in Louisiana?

Yes. The opportunity states that the competition is open to eligible applicants located in Louisiana.

9) What is the maximum project length?

Projects may be single-year or multi-year, with a maximum project period of up to three years.

10) What is the funding type or instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a discretionary grant.

11) What program area does this opportunity fall under?

The activity area is natural resources, and the program is listed under CFDA 10.912.

12) How much funding is available per award?

For FY 2017, the notice lists an award ceiling of $100,000 per award.

13) How many awards does NRCS expect to make?

The opportunity anticipates making about two awards.

14) When was the opportunity posted and what was the application deadline?

The opportunity was posted on January 3, 2017. The original application deadline was March 3, 2017.

15) What happens if an application is incomplete or does not comply with the solicitation?

Applications are screened first for completeness and compliance with the solicitation requirements. Incomplete or noncompliant submissions are removed from consideration, and applicants are notified.

16) How are proposals reviewed and selected for funding?

Proposals that pass the initial screening are scored by a technical peer review panel using the evaluation criteria described in the solicitation (referenced as Section V.B.). After peer review, proposals and reviews move to the Louisiana Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist in Louisiana. The NRCS State Conservationist makes the final funding selections.

17) What does NRCS mean by "technology transfer and adoption" in this program?

Technology transfer and adoption means the applicant should explain how the project will move knowledge, tools, management systems, or market-based approaches into broader use, rather than simply proving a concept in isolation. The project should show how outcomes will be shared and positioned for practical uptake by producers, NRCS field staff, and other stakeholders.

18) What does "leveraging federal investment" mean in the context of this grant?

Leveraging federal investment refers to NRCS seeking projects that make conservation spending go further by pairing environmental benefits with workable agricultural outcomes and by encouraging collaboration among communities, government entities, and institutions so conservation innovations are accessible to more users.

19) What makes a project "innovative" under this opportunity?

Based on the notice description, innovation can involve the application or delivery of a conservation practice or strategy, including the use of market-based mechanisms. The emphasis is on practical innovation that can be implemented and adopted, not solely theoretical or lab-based novelty.

20) What should a strong proposal include, according to the opportunity description?

A strong proposal would: clearly describe a proven or near-ready conservation innovation; explain how the project will demonstrate it under Louisiana conditions; identify measurable natural resource and production outcomes; and present a credible plan for adoption and technology transfer beyond the project sites. It should also explain why the approach is innovative in application or delivery (including potential market-based mechanisms), show how partners will share skills and resources, and describe how results will be packaged so they are usable by NRCS field staff, producers, and other stakeholders.

21) Are collaborations and partnerships important for this program?

Yes. The program description highlights collaboration among communities, government entities, and institutions, and it notes that strong proposals should show how partners will share skills and resources to expand access to conservation innovations.

22) Does the program focus on outcomes for both conservation and agriculture?

Yes. The program is designed to improve natural resources (soil, water, air, and habitat) while still supporting agricultural production, and it emphasizes pairing environmental benefits with workable agricultural outcomes.

23) Is the program intended to influence NRCS guidance or tools?

Yes. The program description states that successful projects ideally produce results that can be incorporated into NRCS technical guidance (such as manuals and field office tools) or moved effectively into private-sector use.

24) What scale of work does NRCS expect to see in funded projects?

The opportunity emphasizes field-focused work and expects projects to demonstrate practices or strategies at farm scale or landscape scale, using real-world conditions in Louisiana.