UNH Cooperative Extension recently received the following grants and awards:

Malcolm Smith, Extension Specialist, Family Education and Policy, will serve as project director for an interdisciplinary team of UNH policy analysts and researchers who received $120,489 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of New Hampshire’s child-support guidelines. The contract funds a federally-mandated review of economic and policy guidelines used to establish child-support payments for children. The project is funded by the N.H Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). Dr. Michael Kalinowski, an associate professor of family studies at UNH, will join Smith as primary co-investigator. Dr. Reagan Baugman, assistant professor, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, will serve as economic analyst.

Three awards went to Matt Tarr, Extension Specialist, Wildlife. He received the final award of a $50,569 grant from the NH Dept. of Fish and Game for the "Taking Action for Wildlife" project. The $31,500 payment goes toward providing and enhancing private landowner assistance leading to the protection, restoration and management of habitats that benefit species at risk, as identified in New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan. Frank Mitchell and Amanda Stone are working with Matt on this project.

Tarr also received $65,000 from the NH Dept. of Fish and Game to continue providing technical training and information on wildlife habitat conservation to landowners, natural resource management professionals, community leaders, regional planners and other conservation groups. Another $30,000 from Fish and Game went toward the NH Landowner Incentive Program efforts.

Julia Steed Mawson, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, received a $5,000 grant from the NH Charitable Foundation for the project, "Cultivating Community Capacity: Nurturing an Action Committee." The money will be used towards hiring a consultant to work with the NH Common Ground Garden Project steering committee to develop a plan and support materials to enlarge and recruit the project's volunteer corps.

Mark Wiley, Extension Specialist, Marine Science Education, received $20,271 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in support of Sea Grant marine education programming efforts.

Julia Peterson, Extension Specialist, Water Resources, received $15,394 from NOAA in support of Sea Grant coastal communities programming efforts.

Brian Doyle, Program Leader, Sea Grant Extension and Water Resources, received $64,800, and Extension Educator Rollie Barnaby, an additional $18,000, from NOAA in continued support of the Sea Grant program.

Carl Majewski, Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources, received a $10,000 grant from the University of Vermont and USDA, for his project, "Assessing Pasture Grasses, Legumes and Pasture Blends for Varying Soil Conditions in New England and Pennsylvania."

Suzann Knight, Extension Specialist, Family Resource Management, received $2,000 from the National Endowment for Financial Education, for the High School Financial Planning Program.