Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) FY24 Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation (MAE)

Summary
FSA is announcing the availability of cooperative agreement funding for up to $10 million to monitor, assess, and evaluate conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with the Conservation Reserve Program. Projects are expected to inform policy and/or improve delivery of the Conservation Reserve Program. For 2024, applications will be accepted from eligible entities for projects addressing at least one of the following priorities:

Ecosystem Benefits
Assess CRP’s impact on natural resources such as climate mitigation/adaptation, wildlife habitat, water quality/quantity, and soil health.

Bottom Up, Middle Out
Evaluate CRP’s role in strengthening farm operations’ viability and resilience. Develop program delivery strategies that improve the CRPs function to support economic growth and stability within rural communities.

Citizen Science
Identify ways for agricultural producers to monitor conditions on and share lessons learned from enrolled CRP acres.

Evaluating CRP in the Big Picture
Evaluating and developing strategies of how CRP fits into a larger framework of natural resources management and conservation.

Applications will be accepted from all non-Foreign, non-Federal entities (see Section C-Eligible Applicants). Projects may be between 1 and 5 years in duration. The minimum amount for an award is $500,000, while the maximum amount for an award is $5 million.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the MAE website (https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/economic-and-policy-anal…) to learn more about the MAE program and past projects.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates
Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 31, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NOFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NOFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NOFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

The agency anticipates making selections by July 12, 2024, and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.