Passing this on...

Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RD SNAP-Ed Connection

To: EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Program Coordinators and Implementing Agencies, Researchers, FCS Leaders, Extension Directors/Administrators, State SNAP-Ed Agency contacts, and other interested persons:

Greetings friends and colleagues,

On 3 March 2015, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a modified* NEW funding opportunity for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (SNAP & EFNEP): Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention: Regional Centers of Excellence (RNECE) Program. This RFA, which reflects the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) and NIFA's continued commitment to evidence-based programming, is included as part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (AFRI) Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area. It provides three opportunities, which are to:

· Establish one new regional center;

· Establish one new signature research project; and

· Augment the work already underway by existing Centers

The AFRI - FY 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (SNAP & EFNEP): Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Centers of Excellence (RNECE) RFA is now available for public viewing. See:

* NIFA Funding Opportunity Page: http://nifa.usda.gov/fo/childhoodobesityafri.cfm The RNECE funding opportunity starts on page 11.

* Grants.govhttp://Grants.gov Synopsis Page: http://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?oppId=274624

* Grants.govhttp://Grants.gov Application Package: http://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?dpp=1&oppId=274624

Eligible applicants for this RFA include institutions/organizations that are EFNEP and/or SNAP-Ed implementing agencies - in other words institutions and organizations that received EFNEP and/or SNAP-Ed funding directly (not as a subcontract) in FY 2015 - along with other non-profit organizations/agencies that have developed and/or delivered and/or evaluated similar low-income nutrition education/obesity prevention programs. Please note that this RFA is designed to bring together EFNEP and SNAP-Ed nutrition education and childhood obesity programming and research interests. Also, although only one institution/organization is eligible for each of the awards that will be given, there is an expectation that other agencies and organizations will also be involved through subcontracts and other means, since part of the intent of this new funding opportunity is to facilitate program and research cooperation and collaboration through these regional research centers.

I will hold a 1 ½ hour webinar to explain the funding opportunity, review the RFA, and address questions. It will be held Monday, 9 March 2015, 9:00 - 10:30 am EDT and repeated Tuesday, 10 March, 2:00 - 3:30 pm EDT. It will also be recorded and posted, as we want to make this information as broadly available as possible.

Access information for the webinar: Audio: Number: 1-888-844-9904 Passcode: 1130278# - Once you are on, please mute your phone so that we can get a good recording Visual: http://nifa-connect.usda.gov/rnecerfa/ (log in as a guest).

Participation in the webinar will be on a first come, first serve basis as we were only able to secure a limited number of lines during this busy grant panel season. If possible, we ask people from the same site to meet together. We also ask you to register, by emailing Ms. Marly Diallo at mdiallo@nifa.usda.govmailto:mdiallo@nifa.usda.gov and copying me, hchipman@nifa.usda.govmailto:hchipman@nifa.usda.gov. Please indicate the date/time of your anticipated participation. Thank you.

We are excited about this collaborative funding opportunity from FNS and NIFA. We encourage you to review the RFA, participate in this week's webinar, and submit a proposal before 5:00 pm EDT, 30 April 2015.

Whether or not you can participate in the webinar, I encourage you to send your questions to me at hchipman@nifa.usda.govmailto:hchipman@nifa.usda.gov.

Regards,

Helen Helen Chipman, PhD, RD National Program Leader, Food and Nutrition Education United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Nutrition Division Mail: 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop 2225, Washington, D.C. 20250-2225 Deliveries: Waterfront Centre, 800 9th St. SW, Washington D.C. 20024 Room 2336 Phone: (202) 720-8067; Fax: (202) 401-0776 E-mail: hchipman@nifa.usda.govmailto:hchipman@csrees.usda.gov Website: www.nifa.usda.govhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/

------- *Please note: This announcement represents a new funding opportunity that was initially released Wednesday, 18 February 2015, and then modified on 3 March 2015. We held off announcing the RFA until corrections were made as we didn't want to add confusion by announcing the funding opportunity before required changes were made. We have also extended the deadline to 30 April 2015, 5 pm EDT. It's important that you follow the modified RFA in submitting your application.

Please also note: This FY 2015 opportunity will not be subject to the Centers of Excellence provision in the 2014 Farm Bill.

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