 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
January 26, 2006 Professional Development Grant Opportunities Available for Sustainable Ag Educators The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program (PDP) is requesting pre-proposals for professional development projects that provide training to agricultural professionals and educators in the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other governmental agencies, and educators in the profit and nonprofit sector serving the food and fiber system. Agricultural Educators in the North Central Region, which includes North Dakota, can submit proposals for up to $75,000. The projects may be two to three years in duration. The projects should contribute directly to the overall outcome of the North Central SARE Professional Development Program. This includes educators who are knowledgeable in the general concepts of sustainable agriculture and motivated to work in partnership with farmers, ranchers and the public on developing programs and activities that enhance the sustainability of rural communities and the food and agricultural system. The PDP grant program has funded nearly 200 projects for a total of approximately $7 million since its inception. The grant projects employ a “teaching the teachers” model, which allows the exchange of important new learning opportunities for educators throughout the North Central Region. Some examples of successful grant proposals include bison education on the Great Plains, on-farm composting workshops and developing statewide agriculture teams, as well as using Web sites, video and audio to further sustainable agriculture efforts. “Proposals are evaluated for their technical merit and relevancy,” says Frank Kutka, the sustainable agriculture coordinator based in Dickinson. “Funded proposals should demonstrate short-term and intermediate-term outcomes that will be expected from project participants because of participating in the grant. Including farmers and ranchers in the grant proposal is strongly encouraged.” Pre-proposal authors should contact Kutka prior to submission of their pre-proposal. He can be reached at (701) 483-2063 or fkutka@ndsuext.nodak.edu. The current call for pre-proposals is available through the NCR-SARE Web site at www.sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/pdp.htm. Those interested also may request the proposal or more information by contacting the NCR-SARE office in Lincoln, Neb. at ncrsare@unl.edu or (402) 472-7081. The deadline for proposal submissions is March 22. The NCR-SARE program receives its funding through the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Previous project reports are available through the national SARE Web site at www.sare.org. ### Source:
Frank Kutka, (701) 483-2063, fkutka@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
|
North Dakota State University |
