Professional Development Program Grants

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Professional Development Program Grants, known as train-the-trainer grants, are available to help further education and outreach strategies for ag professionals and ag educators who work directly with farmers and ranchers.

The grant funds training activities that educate ag professionals in up-to-date strategies and technologies to help farmers and ranchers increase profits and lessen environmental impacts. PDP grants support such activities as producing workshops, creating educational manuals and videos, or conducting on-farm tours and demonstrations.

Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill.

A simple way to think about sustainable agriculture is that it involves producing enough food and fiber to satisfy today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. Sustainability as defined by the SARE program embraces three common goals (or pillars of sustainability):

• Profit over the long term;
• Stewardship of our nation’s land, air and water;
• Quality of life for farmers, ranchers, farm employees and our communities.

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Eligibility Requirements

The Professional Development Program Grants involve a pre-proposal and full proposal application process. Applicants whose pre-proposals are selected will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Professional Development Program Grant proposals must meet the following basic requirements in order to be considered for funding:

• Project outcomes must focus on developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing systems toward sustainability.
• A project’s central purpose must be to provide or enable training to one or all of the following: Cooperative Extension Service agents; USDA field personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, or other USDA agencies; ag professionals and educators, include mentor farmers who serve as trainers.
• Per USDA-NIFA, proposals must not promote, support, or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or any other initiatives that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or other protected characteristic.
• Quality of Life- Explain how will this Train-the-Trainer program lead to improved quality of life for producers, and, by extension, communities and consumers in the Southern region.
• Outreach- Indicate how you will conduct your outreach plan, such as trainings, workshops, or field days.

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Who Can Apply?

SARE is an inclusive program and encourages pre-proposals from land-grant institutions, and other colleges/universities, USDA agencies, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and mentor farmers.

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General Guidelines for Pre-proposal Submission

Professional Development Program Grants fund training activities, including seminars, workshops, farm tours, demonstrations, or the development, marketing and distribution of training materials. Activities can take place in a single state, multiple states, or throughout the entire Southern region.

Projects should include the following general guidelines:

• The development of a case for relevancy to southern agriculture and significance to the state(s) involved;

• Participation or support from both 1862 and 1890 land grant universities, or other colleges/universities;
• How the training need was determined;
• Effective participatory training methods;
• Systems approach that includes environmental, societal, and economic impacts to the community;
• Interdisciplinary efforts and multi-institutional partnerships that can endure beyond the
  life of the project;
• Farmer involvement in planning, evaluation, and delivery of training;
• When possible, multiple formats should be used in the delivery of training material; while other formats are allowed, final deliverables should be in an internet-ready format.

Pre-proposals should include the following format:

• General Information: This includes such information as project title, project director information, institutional administrative contact, and institutional financial contact.

• Project Information: This should reflect the key collaborators and major partnerships of the project, project summary, project goals and objectives, activities proposed, evaluation of results, and project timetable.

• Funding Request: An estimation of the total funding request, including budgets for cooperating institutions. If invited to submit a full proposal, a full, itemized budget will be required at the full proposal stage.

General Guidelines for Full Proposal Submission

Projects should include the following general guidelines:

• The development of a case for relevancy to southern agriculture and significance to the state(s) involved;

• Participation or support from both 1862 and 1890 land grant universities, or other colleges/universities;
• How the training need was determined;
• Effective participatory training methods;
• Systems approach that includes environmental, societal, and economic impacts to the community;
• Interdisciplinary efforts and multi-institutional partnerships that can endure beyond the
  life of the project;
• Farmer involvement in planning, evaluation, and delivery of training;
• When possible, multiple formats should be used in the delivery of training material; while other formats are allowed, final deliverables should be in an internet-ready format.

Full-proposals should include the following elements:

• General Information: This includes such information as project title, project director information, institutional administrative contact, and institutional financial contact.
• Project Justification: Rationale and significance of project to farmers/producers in the Southern Region and/or the state(s) involved.
• Collaboration Plan: Describe how collaborators will work together in planning project activities and how each will contribute to the implementation of the project(s).
• Budget: A detailed, itemized budget, including funding for cooperating institutions, with justification for each budget category.
• Approaches and Methods: Provide a detailed description of the activities and methods to be used to accomplish the project objectives.
• Project Evaluation: Description of evaluation methods to be used, indicating how the effectiveness of project processes and outcomes will be assessed.
• Project Linkages: An explanation of how the project builds upon or develops linkages to a previously SARE-funded research, if applicable.

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Funding Amount

One (1) or two (2) year projects can be funded up to $100,000.

USDA-NIFA will allow recovery of indirect costs.

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Grant Writing Tips

Southern SARE Professional Development Program Grants are competitive. Each year we receive more grant proposals than we have monies to award funding. Here are some suggestions that might aid in strengthening your proposal:

• Follow the instructions in the Call for Proposal. Failure to follow directions or omit any required information will result in your proposal being rejected.
• Thoroughly research your project before applying. You may have a great idea for a project, but the research related to the topic may already be well established. We look for projects that are new, innovative, generate results that are useful beyond one year and produce information that many farmers can use.
• Successful projects include clear goals and objectives. Make sure the methods are appropriate to accomplish your goals.
• Make sure you include an outreach plan, and have a process in place for evaluating your results.
• Clearly outline the activities of your training program and discuss how the activities proposed will reach the target audience and achieve your objectives.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to begin your proposal and to submit it to the SARE Grants Management online system. The deadline for proposal submissions is firm. Anticipate technological glitches, budget issues, user error or other issues that might cause delays.
• Be clear on the “what”, “why”, and “who cares” of your research project and how it pertains to sustainable agriculture. This is your “hook” for reviewers. Remember, they get to know you through your proposal.

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How Your Proposal Will Be Reviewed

The Professional Development Program Committee of the Administrative Council (the governing body of Southern SARE) is involved in screening pre-proposals at the close of the pre-proposal grant deadline. Members vote on whether or not a pre-proposal should move forward to the full proposal stage.

Full proposal invite is based on the following review criteria:

• Collaboration: The pre-proposal should demonstrate interdisciplinary efforts and multi- institutional partnerships that can endure beyond the life of the project. Collaboration may
  include: non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, land grant universities, non-land grant universities, colleges, USDA agencies, and mentor farmers. There is meaningful farmer / producer participation in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the training. Farmers and ranchers are not the primary audience of the training, but they are the ultimate beneficiaries of information, so they can provide a valuable perspective and should be included in the planning and implementation of training.
• Project Summary: A project’s central purpose must be to provide or enable training to one or more of the following: Cooperative Extension Service agents; USDA field personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, and other USDA agencies, and; Other agricultural professionals and educators, including farmers who will serve as trainers. Research projects and farmer-outreach or education projects do not qualify for this funding.
• Project Objective: Project outcomes must focus on developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing systems toward sustainability, as defined in the 1990 Farm Bill.
• Project Activities: The proposed training projects must be relevant to sustainable agriculture in the Southern SARE service region.
• Project Evaluation: A coherent evaluation plan should demonstrate a feedback loop, which is essential to assess the effectiveness of the training model and include a plan to measure realistic outcomes that assess the change in attitudes, knowledge, skills, and actions of the trainees.
• Project Timeline: Timeline of project activities reasonable for to achieve objectives in a one or two year time frame.
• Estimated Budget.

Each criteria is scored on a scale of One to Four (1-4) with the scores averaged for a final score. Each proposal is scored as described:

• Four (4): High Priority. Meets the mission/vision of the SARE program, addresses SARE’s three pillars of sustainability, and fulfills the review criteria. Proposal requirements are met and addresses a topic of need with a unique, innovative, sustainable ag solution.
• Three (3): Proposals are not as strong as high priority proposals, but there are elements that might make them worth funding. Proposal meets the mission/vision of the SARE program, pertains to sustainable agriculture, and fulfills the review criteria.
• Two (2): Revise and Resubmit: Proposal meets the mission/vision of the SARE program and pertains to sustainable agriculture, but there are sections of the proposal that don’t fulfill review criteria or not all requirements of Call for Proposals have been met. Applicant is encouraged to Revise and Resubmit for the next grant cycle per the Administrative Council reviewer’s comments to strengthen the proposal.
• One (1). Do Not Fund: Proposal does not fit into the grant program applied for; proposal does not meet the mission/vision of the SARE program; does not pertain to sustainable agriculture; and/or does not meet the requirements of the Call for Proposals.

A brief, written explanation is also included in the review process. Based on this score and the comments, the Administrative Council makes a recommendation to invite pre-proposal applicants to submit a full proposal.

The full proposals are reviewed by an outside review team made up individuals who are trained and experienced in developing educational programs for agricultural professionals.
The role of this review team is to focus on the theoretical approach of the program design, review the objectives, methods, approaches, design, timeline, and evaluation plan.

The review team provides a written review that concentrates on:

• Methods and appropriateness of project design (including objectives and timeline)
• Evaluation and impact design
• Ability of project director and major participants

Proposals based on the following criteria:

• Farmer/Producer Participation
• Collaboration of Diverse Groups
• Behavior-based Objectives
• Project Activities- Makes a case for relevancy to sustainable agriculture in the Southern SARE service region.
• A coherent evaluation plan
• Leverage other inputs and sustain outcomes in the future
• Appropriate educational methodology
• Realistic timelines and cost-effective budget
• Develop linkages to other SARE proposals

Proposals are rated High Priority( 4), Fundable (3), Revisions Required (2) or Non-Fundable (1). The strength and weakness of each proposal is clearly stated. Based on this information, the Administrative Council makes the final decision on funding.

By late February or early March, applicants are notified of the status of their proposals and review comments are provided.

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Expectations for Funded Proposals

If the Southern SARE Administrative Council selects your project for funding, you will expect the following:

Notification: Southern SARE selects Professional Development Program Grant proposals during its winter Administrative Council meeting February of each year. Applicants will be notified via email soon after regarding the status of their project. All projects officially start April 1.

Budget Reviews and Contracting: Proposals selected for funding will undergo a budget review by Southern SARE. Any revisions or changes will be made prior to the proposal sent to University of Georgia (Southern SARE’s host institution) for contracting. Applicants will receive a subaward agreement by University of Georgia via email for signature. Once signed, the project is officially executed.

UGA Vendor Database: All applicants of SARE-funded projects are required to register in University of Georgia’s Vendor Database at https://suppliers.uga.edu as an entity conducting business with University of Georgia. Registering in the vendor database during the budget review process will expedite grant contracting once the budget review process is complete.

Invoicing: All project expenses are paid on a reimbursement basis. Applicants will receive an invoice template and be required to submit receipts and invoices during the course of their grant project to be reimbursed for their expenses.

Required Reporting: Professional Development Program Grant recipients are required to submit an annual report each year their project is active, detailing the progress of their research. In the year the project ends, recipients are required to submit a final report, documenting their findings, outreach, and project impacts. Reports are submitted online to the SARE Grant Management System. Southern SARE will hold the final invoice submitted for reimbursement until the final report is submitted and approved. Read more about Southern SARE’s Reporting Requirements.

Grant Management Support: Southern SARE staff is available throughout the life of the project to assist recipients on questions or issues related to their grant project. Management guidelines are available for PI changes, budget modifications, and no-cost extensions. Read more about Southern SARE’s acounting and management guidelines.

Acknowledging Funding: As Southern SARE grantees work on their outreach plans and develop project products related to their grant, they are required by USDA-NIFA to acknowledge SARE funding in the materials that are developed. Read more about Southern SARE’s guidelines for acknowledging funding.