USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is inviting stakeholders to submit applications for fiscal year (FY) 2017 National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) projects under the 2014 Farm Bill Section 10007.
APHIS will accept applications for FY 2017 NCPN cooperative agreements from August 17, 2016 through October 26, 2016.
The NCPN provides high-quality, propagated plant material that is free of plant pathogens and pests that can cause economic losses to the American specialty crop industry. USDA’s goal is to create an effective, uniform, consistent, efficient, and highly self-sufficient network of clean plant centers serving the needs of specialty crop industry.
Funding will be provided to Land-Grant Universities, Non Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture, State Agricultural Experiment Stations, State Governments, and Federal Agencies to support implementation and ongoing activities of the NCPN.
Funding priority will be given to support existing successful NCPN facilities and projects that address a specific specialty crop and that would help develop and maintain a comprehensive, cohesive, and efficient clean plant network. Historically, NCPN funded specialty crops have focused on grapes, fruit trees, citrus, hops, berries, roses, and sweet potatoes.
A total anticipated amount of $5 million in cooperative agreements will be awarded under the NCPN section of Farm Bill 2014 Section 10007. APHIS will announce the FY2017 projects selected for funding in the NCPN spending plan in late 2016. Applicants are encouraged to develop cost sharing plans as part of their applications to foster sustainability.
Detailed submission instructions and an explanation of the evaluation process are available on the APHIS Farm Bill Section 10007 website here: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/section10007/ncpn
- Questions about the FY 2017 request for applications and review process should be directed to ncpn@aphis.usda.gov.
- Submit applications through Grants.gov.