Extension Update: Grants Archives

USDA, along with other federal agencies, now require submission of research proposals through the government's electronic system called Grants.gov

Eventually, the over 900 grant programs from the 26 federal grant-making agencies will use Grants.gov as their only mechanism for submitting proposals.

To ease your transition to this new system, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) has created a one-hour workshop that provides an overview of how grants.gov is organized, how it works, and how to interact with OSR to be sure to submit your proposals successfully.

It highlights the basics of Grants.gov and provides some advice on using this new system.

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this workshop. The next scheduled session is on Wednesday, December 6 from 2-3 pm. For a complete schedule and how to sign up. click on this web site.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, emerging in the past decade to challenge smoking as the most significant public health problem in the United States today.

UNH Cooperative Extension's response to this critical issue is the Lighten Up NH! initiative. Working since 2003, this interdisciplinary team has created an initiative that will bring agencies and organizations from all corners of the state together to work on obesity prevention.

An additional component of this initiative is the development of a web site for professionals and consumers to access for help with nutrition and physical activity. This initiative was funded for three years by the HNHfoundation for $214,879.

The Lighten Up NH! team includes Val Long, Julia Peterson, Colette Janson-Sand, Joanne Knowlton, Terri Schoppmeyer, Debbie Luppold, Martha Judson, Patricia Halpin, Helen Costello, Brenda Carey, Debbie Cheever, Sue Cagle, Peg Boyles and Charlene Baxter.

Congratulations to our staff for participating in the recent round of mini-grants offered through JC Penney 4-H Afterschool. In total, New Hampshire programs will receive $138,395 to serve 171 afterschool children in programs that need to secure new funds to either sustain or create slots.

The programs funded must provide 100 percent matching funds, remain open Monday-Friday during the school year, serve children in grades K-12, partner with a local 4-H program, and be within 20 miles of a JCPenney store. The recipient programs from New Hampshire include:

* Cheshire YMCA, serving local schools in Westmoreland, Chesterfield and Fitzwilliam, $18,660 for 12 children - Lauren Bressett
* Project REACH, Littleton, $30,000 for 30 children - Kathy Jablonski
* Hinsdale Elementary and Middle/High School, $18,690 for 35 children - Lauren Bressett
* Marl-Harris Before and AfterSchool Program in the Harrisville School District, $18,935 for 23 children - Lauren Bressett
* Crispin's House, Goffstown, $9,250 for 37 children - Julia Steed-Mawson
* Winchester School's ACCESS Program, $36,640 for 24 slots - Lauren Bressett
* Seacoast Youth Services, Seabrook, $6,220 for 10 children - Rick Alleva

Shane Bradt, Geospatial Extension Specialist, is the recipient of two new grants. The first is a $9,000 grant from Utah State University and the U.S. Geological Survey for Spatial Analyses of Trophic Linkages between Basins in the Great Salt Lake.

The second is a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for On-Lake Remote Sensing of Chlorophyll and Cyanobacteria as a Lake Monitoring Tool. Bradt will conduct all remote sensing analyses for these projects.

The Healthy New Hampshire Foundation awarded a $12,210 grant to Charlene Baxter to conduct a "Needs Assessment for Physical Activity Equipment, School Breakfast Program Start-Up and Nutrition Education."

The work will focus on towns and cities that fall into the NH Child Potential Index - Wealth Clusters as designated by NH Kids Count 2003 data. Additionally, elementary schools with free and reduced-price lunch participation of 50 percent or higher will be included as high priority sites

The needs assessment will focus primarily on these elementary schools grades pre-kindergarten through third grade, with additional needs assessments conducted at selected Head Start programs, YMCA/YWCA's, Boy's and Girl's Clubs, School Age Child Care Programs, Family Resource Centers, and Town Recreation Programs.

Former Sullivan County Forest Resources Educator, Joseph Szymujko, died July 12 at the Sullivan County Home.
Well-known and respected in the New Hampshire forestry community, he retired in 1987 from UNH Cooperative Extension where he had worked for over 30 years. He was also a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

Charlene Baxter was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Brookdale Foundation for its "Relatives As Parents Programs" (RAPP) initiative. RAPP encourages and promotes the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting.

The program awards seed grants of $10,000 over a two-year period in two categories: local agencies and state public agencies. The grant to Cooperative Extension is for developing statewide programs. Thom Linehan will provide leadership to this initiative, Claudia Boozer-Blasco and Gail Kennedy will provide program support, and Emily Douglas will provide evaluation support.

UNH Cooperative Extension is the recipient of the following new grants:
• Bob Edmonds, three grants from the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, $17,897 for “Urban and Community Forestry,” $34,060 for “Forest Stewardship," and $46,953 for “Forest Land Enhance Program”
• Rollie Barnaby, a $60,000 grant from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for creation of a collaborative fisheries research newsletter. The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Northeast Consortium also are participating in the grant efforts.
• Sadie Puglisi, $4,983 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for an “IPM Turfgrass” website
• Juli Brussell, four grants from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, $3,809 for “IPM Concepts Carroll & Belknap Counties,” $3,823 for “IPM Concepts Sullivan & Merrimack Counties,” $4,508 for “IPM Concepts Coos & Grafton Coutnies,” and $4,779 for “IPM Education for Homeowners”
• Becky Grube, $2,779 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for the “IPM for Organic Growers” workshop
• George Hamilton, three grants from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, $4,963 for monitoring Fall Armyworm, $4,988 for monitoring European Corn Borers and $4,987 for monitoring Corn Earworm for Hillsborough County sweet corn growers
• Wendy Brock, $10,000 from the National 4-H Council, to participate as a state pilot site for Organizational Change in Youth in Governance, in partnership with the National 4-H Council and the Surdna Foundation
• Suzann Knight, $25,000 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, to expand access to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, conduct outreach to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) eligible population, increase the number of regional VITA coalitions and establish an EITC Alliance to share best practices.

UNH Cooperative Extension recently received the following grants:

Three awards from the USDA Forest Service through the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development to Program Leader Bob Edmonds:
• $55,344 for the 2004 Urban and Community Forestry Program
• $27,973 for the 2004 Rural Development through Forestry – Technical Assistance, and
• $156,505 for the 2004 Forest Stewardship/Forest Resource Management/Conservation Educational Programs.

Bob also received a $45,155 grant from the USDA Forest Service through the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development for improving the application of forestry best management practices and a $2,500 award from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to develop a handbook, “Expanding Coverage of Forest Regeneration.”

Others include:
Two NH Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) awards to Extension Specialist Frank Mitchell, $40,000 and $16,000 for the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition – Coordination and Delivery. Frank also received a $5,000 award from the Center for Land Conservation to provide services to land trusts, municipal conservation groups, other conservation groups, professionals involved in land conservation and landowners.

A NH Dept. of Environmental Services award of $5,000 to Extension Specialist Mark Wiley in support of the DES Shellfish Program.

An award from USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to Extension Specialist Alan Eaton in support of the New England Pest Management Network 2005 efforts.

An award from NOAA to Program Leader Brian Doyle for the Sea Grant Program of $99,998.

An award from the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services for $947,498 to Extension Specialist Suzann Knight and Extension Educator Debbie Luppold for the Family Lifeskills Program.

Two awards in support of the New England Regional Water Quality project from USDA through the University of Rhode Island for $71,000 and $63,526 to Extension Specialist Julia Peterson.

A $297,874 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service to Extension Specialist Pingguo He for the design and testing of a Soft Species Separation System for the New England trawl fishery.

A $64,900 grant from the Northeast Consortium to the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and Extension Educator Roland Barnaby for a collaborative research reporter to increase the number of fishermen and scientists throughout New England knowledgeable about collaborative research.

A $744,255 award from the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services to Valerie Long and Debbie Luppold for the NH Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program.

A $98,997 award from the Northeast Consortium and a $25,000 award from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce to Program Leader Brian Doyle for the Sea Grant program.

A $10,500 award from the National 4-H Council to Program Leader Wendy Brock for the project,
4-H Time in Afterschool Time.

A $25,000 award from the National 4-H Council to Program Leader Wendy Brock for the project,
4-H Time in Rural New Hampshire.

A $6,668 award from the North Country Resource Conservation and Development Area Council to Program Leader Juli Brussell for a Business Assistant Team member for the NH Agricultural Innovation Program

An award of $18,030 from USDA to Extension Specialist Cheryl Smith for participation in the “Sudden Oak Death National Survey”

A $45,000 award from the NH Charitable Foundation to Extension Specialist Suzann Knight to support the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) VISTA site coordination

A $20,000 award from the NH Charitable Foundation to Extension Specialist Charlie French for a feasibility study for a GIS social capital asset mapping system.

A $225,000 grant from the NH Dept. of Environmental Services to Extension Specialist Jeff Schloss for the Biocontrol of Milfoil Using Parasitic Nematodes project

A $100,000 award from USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service through Auburn University to Program Leader Wendy Brock and Extension Specialist Charlotte Cross for the Operation Military Kids efforts. In addition, a $50,000 award from the National Military Families Association/Sears American Dream Foundation was awarded for Operation Camp Purple/New Hampshire.

Extension Specialist Mark Wiley is the recipient of a $75,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fund a New England Sea Grant Aquatic Nuisance Species Outreach proposal. This was an intense competition nationwide with only 5 of 19 proposals funded for a two-year period.

Among the objectives of the grant are the engagement of 250 divers in volunteer marine invasive species monitoring, who will deliver a coordinated dive training program, increase the data available to managers related to the presence, abundance and distribution of a number of target subtidal invasive species, and raise awareness and stewardship activities in the dive community related to marine invasive species.

For more information, contact Mark Wiley at mark.wiley@unh.edu

For the 16th consecutive year, Gov. Craig Benson and the Executive Council and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved the 2005 Food Stamp Nutrition Education grant. Implemented by UNH Cooperative Extension's Nutrition Connections Program, this $1,488,511 grant is a combination of federal and state matching funds: $744,255 in federal funds and $744,255 in state matching funds.

The major activities of this grant include a statewide social marketing campaign that reaches all food stamp households with three nutrition newsletters and television commercials, one-to-one and small group nutrition interventions, home study courses for senior citizens and youth, and youth nutrition education in schools, after-school programs, and gardens.

The December 1 Staff Professional Development Grant deadline for the 4th quarter of this year has been extended to December 7th. If you wish to apply for the Staff Professional Development Grant, with a maximum award of $750, submit your application by December 7.

Grant application information is available at the UNH Human Resources Professional and Organizational Development site.

A CSREES grant awarded last week to UNH Cooperative Extension for $63,088 will support water quality programs in New Hampshire. It is part of a grant awarded to the New England Water Quality Program that includes Extension programs from URI, UConn, UMass, UNH, UVM and UMaine.

The University of Rhode Island is the lead institution for this project. UNH Cooperative Extension's portion of the funding will support our work in fresh and estuarine water quality monitoring and community-based natural resource protection education.

The regional aspects of the project encourage us to share expertise across states, collaborate on multi-state projects and report our impacts collectively. In addition to our efforts within the state to improve water quality, staff members from each state also contribute to some aspect of the regional coordination. UNH Cooperative Extension's contribution will facilitate program planning and evaluation by training other New England water quality staff in using logic models.

Three farmers' markets in New Hampshire now accept the Food Stamp EBT card thanks to a $31,000, three-year grant from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program(SARE). Grant recipients are Helen Costello, Debbie Luppold and Valerie Long. Two additional markets also participate, supported by the Nutrition Connections Program.

Earlier this month, the first Food Stamp EBT customers used their Food Stamp EBT cards at the Manchester Downtown Farmers' Market. Funding for the project provides a central location at each pilot market staffed and equipped to accept the cards. Food Stamp customers go to the UNH Cooperative Extension booths at each market for card authorization in exchange for market scrip, which they spend on food at the markets. Staff at the booths also share nutrition and program information.

This grant also provides for nutrition and gardening demonstrations by Nutrition Connections educators in collaboration with Master Gardeners. The New Hampshire Farmers' Market Association and the market managers from the five pilot markets, Manchester, Nashua, Sanbornton, Laconia, and Enfield, are all enthusiastic partners in this project.

With a new $47,628 USDA grant, the University of New Hampshire's Cooperative Extension, Space Grant, and Sea Grant Programs and Complex Systems Research Center, along with other agencies, institutions, and private sector supporters, will collaborate to develop a geospatial technology training and resources center. The grant also provides for the development of MapCorps, a volunteer training program with adult and youth components, and an update of natural resources-related GIS exercises from ArcView 3.x to ArcGIS 8 software.

The University of New Hampshire Staff Professional Development Grant Committee meets four times each year to review applications and award grants. Applications for the fourth quarter of the year are due Tuesday, June 1. Information and grant applications are on line at http://www.unh.edu/hr/pdfs/staffdev.pdf or contact Patsy Stuart at 862-3160.

One of five strategic themes in the recently approved University’s Academic Strategic Plan is “engagement and outreach.” To reflect this theme, grant money from the UNH Vice President for Research and Public Service’s discretionary fund is available for “outreach scholarship.” Outreach Scholarship projects represent research efforts that provide a mutually beneficial collaboration between UNH and external partners to generate and apply relevant knowledge that directly benefits the public.

Applications are available now for Fiscal Year 2004 discretionary grants. An application form and other guidelines are available in the Vice President for Research and Public Service office in Thompson Hall or by calling Kathy Mandsager at 862-1997. The deadline for proposals is April 15 at 4:30 pm. Awards will be announced by May 15, and funds available June 1. A total of $100,000 is available for FY04. All funding is for one year.

The spring application deadline for the Irvine Professional Development Grant is February 1, 2004. The Irvine Grant, awarded twice yearly, provides $250 to support professional development of UNH administrative office professionals. All benefits-eligible UNH/UNHM administrative office professional staff are eligible to apply after one year of service.

Grant opportunities might include workshops/classes not covered by USNH tuition waivers and travel/accommodations for off-campus professional development workshops. The application comes with grant criteria. For more information/questions about the Irvine Grant and/or a grant application, visit http://www.unh.edu/hr/pod/learn-assist.htm or contact Christina VanHorn, Office of Human Resources at 862-0519.

A grant from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation provided the Geospatial Technologies Training and Resource Center with a 42” plotter (i.e. a giant printer). Located at the Family, Home and Garden Education Center, it is available to any staff members for use (though it may require some experimentation to determine the best file types, file transfer methods, and so on.) While intended mostly for map production, the plotter creates posters, banners and other large prints up to 42 inches wide, and any length. For more information, contact Anne Deely at 629-9494 x150, or anne.deely@unh.edu

Congratulations to the five county teams submitting community collaboration applications for the 2004-2009 CYFAR New Communities Project. After careful review, the Proposal Review Team selected two applications. If accepted at the federal level, our two new CYFAR sites on May 1, 2004 will be:

Project LEAD (Leadership Education and Diversion)
Rockingham County: Lower Seacoast Area, School Administrative Unit (SAU) 21, Seabrook, Hampton, North Hampton, Hampton Falls
Project LEAD will bring positive youth development and life-skills education opportunities, including leadership training and community service-learning, to young people and families at the Seacoast Diversion Program who wouldn’t otherwise access asset-building activities.

Extension Program Team
Rick Alleva - Lead staff member
Lynn Garland - Planning, curriculum development
Karen Blass - Planning, media literacy, parent education
Claudia Boozer-Blasco - Planning, parent education
Terri Schoppmeyer - Planning, nutrition/fitness education

Hillsboro Area After School CYFAR Project
Hillsborough County: Hillsboro-Deering School District
This after-school program will serve the Hillsboro-Deering School District student population (30 elementary, 30 middle, 30 high school) and their families by enriching educational, physical and social activities fostering self esteem, positive self-image and confidence.

Extension Project Team
Dan Reidy - Lead staff member
Penny Turner - Youth leader development and training
Sharon Cowen - Family and resource management education
Heidi Bennett - Food preparation and nutrition education
Jon Nute - Forest and natural resource education
George Hamilton - Farmers market development
Julia Steed Mawson - Environmental and outdoor education
Margaret Hagen - Plant, bird and butterfly programs

The Review Team unanimously commended each county on their efforts to address genuine community needs and encourage staff to continue partnerships to strengthen programs for children and families.

UNH Cooperative Extension is the recipient of the following new grants:

Darrel Covell, $43,340 from the NH Fish and Game Department, for the Extension Wildlife Conservation Program

Stefan Seiter (overseen by Seth Wilner), $63,260 from the University of Maine, for the Farmer Research Education Program

Frank Mitchell, $52,560 from the NH Office of State Planning, for the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition program delivery

Anne Deely, $128,323 from the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), for the technology transfer project, “Spatial Analysis of Raster Data: Watershed Analyses and the Land Cover Data Set”

David Foote, $1,500 from the New England Cooperative Extension Consortium for Two-Way Interactive Video Technology Utilization-Planning

Suzann Knight, $995,406 from the NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Family Assistance, for the Family Lifeskills Program

Wendy Brock, $34,400 from the Rural Youth Development Grant Program for the project, “Engaging Youth Serving Community”

Jeff Schloss, $19,829 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation for the NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program web project

Anne Deely, $18,810 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation for GIS Analysis for Land and Resource Planning

Frank Mitchell, $9,000 from the NH Center for Land Conservation Assistance to provide services to land trusts, municipal conservation groups, other conservation groups, professionals involved in land conservation and landowners as part of the Center for Land Conservation Assistance’s activities

Jeff Schloss, $27,055 from the US Dept. of Transportation, US Geological Survey, for Land Use on Water Quality

Sharon Meeker, $10,000 from the Office of State Planning for support of the Great Bay Coast Watch Support for Shellfish Program Activities

Brian Doyle, $70,108 from NOAA for Fisheries Enhancement

Rollie Barnaby, $404,909 from NOAA for Fisheries Enhancement

Charlie French, $1,500 from the New England Extension Consortium for the “Web-Based Community Capacity Index” project

Tom Buob, $34,000 from the NH Department of Environmental Services for the Riparian Buffer project

Tom Buob, $40,000 from the NH Department of Environmental Services for the “Development of Nutrient Plans” project

Julia Peterson, $1,500 from the New England Extension Consortium for the “Educational Initiatives for Private Well Owners in New England” project

Catherine Violette, $9,980 from the New England Extension Consortium for On-line Support for New England Food Entrepreneurs project

External funding is an increasingly important revenue source for Cooperative Extension (CE). As traditional sources of funding become less available, we must seek more diverse funding such as grants, contracts and private gifts. I encourage all Extension Educators to seek these new sources of revenue to support programs of high organizational priority. Please note the attached UNH Cooperative Extension procedures for securing grants, contracts and gifts.

Congratulations to the following staff who recently received grants or other funding: Bob Edmonds - USDA Forest Service grants through the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development - Division of Forest and Lands, to deliver university-based natural resource educational programs through the following:

$2,184 - Forestry Incentive Program $77,424 - Forest Stewardship and Forest Resources Management Programs $52,947 - Urban and Community Forestry Program $14,985 - Conservation Education Program

Ellen Snyder - $29,970 from USDA Forest Service through the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development - Division of Forest and Lands for "Conserving Ecosystem Function in Urban and Rural Watersheds".

Sarah Smith - three grants from USDA Forest Service: $10,000 for NH/Quebec Forest Industry Interdependence Project; $30,000 for Improving Competitiveness of NH's Sawmill Industry; and $27,972 for Rural Development through Forestry Technical Assistance Project.

Wendy Brock - $34,000 from National 4-H Council for "Engaging Youth Serving Community".

Brian Doyle - $124,573 from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for 2003 Sea Grant Extension; and $50,000 for Coastal Communities.

Sharon Meeker - $82,595 from NOAA for 2003 Sea Grant Extension.

Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid - $10,000 from NH Office of State Planning for Great Bay Coast Watch Volunteer Training.

Rollie Barnaby - $31,832 from NOAA for Sea Grant Extension.

Frank Mitchell - $9,000 from Center for Land Conservation Assistance/Society for the Protection of NH Forests, supporting Extension work with land trusts, municipal and other conservation groups and professionals involved in land conservation.

Val Long and Debbie Luppold have been awarded $777,753 for the development and implementation of nutrition education activities for food stamp recipients and eligibles. This grant is funded for FY03, and includes a variety of interventions including one-to-one, small group, and social marketing. In its 14th year, New Hampshire was one of the first states to work with USDA Food and Nutrition Service to provide nutrition education to food stamp recipients.

Julie Steed Mawson received a $49,690 grant from the NH Coastal Program to develop, with Lisa Townson and the 4-H Science and Tech Work Team, a 4-H marine project entitled, "4-H Goes to Sea."

The following staff have recently received grants:

* Suzann Knight, National Endowment for Financial Education, a $1,000 grant for the High School Financial Planning program

* Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid, NH Office of State Planning, a $5,000 grant for Great Bay Coast Watch volunteer training enhancement

* Charlotte Cross, The Endowment for Health, a $13,683 grant for a TAP Multi-Community Gender Study

* Ellen Snyder, NH Audubon Society, an $18,000 grant for support of the NH Living Legacy Project

* Bill Lord, Cornell University, a $3,000 grant for the NH IR-4 Liaison program

* J-J Newman, University of Delaware, a $7,519 grant in support of the project, "Determining the Demand for Locally Produced Baitfish in the Northeast"

* John Roberts, New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation, a $10,000 grant for the "Turf Tolerance Covered by Ice" project

* Pingguo He, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a $246,341 grant for the project, "Effect of Mesh Size on Trawl Codend Selectivity."

All UNH faculty, including Extension Faculty, are eligible to apply for annual research and outreach grants. Applications for FY03 grants are due April 15. Proposed projects should be mutually beneficial collaborations between UNH and external partners for the purpose of generating and applying relevant knowledge to directly benefit the public. Awards will be announced by May 15 with funds available June 1. A total of $100K is available but awards do not exceed $7,000. Additional information and application materials are available at:

* Application Cover Sheet
* Application Guidelines
* Memo from Don Sunberg

The New England Extension Consortium has announced 2003 Request for Proposals (RFPs) for:

Planning Grants - up to 6 will be funded (up to $1,500 each) for December 31, 2003 project completion

Implementation Grants - up to 3 will be funded (up to $10,000 each) for completion within one year (by April 2004)

Proposals are due electronically April 2. Grants will be awarded by the New England Directors the following week. Proposals are most competitive when projects are a collaboration of all or most New England states.

Successful projects will address challenges described in the ECOP report, The Extension System: A Vision for the 21st Century, (2/02) with a specific focus on New England. Challenges for Extension cited in the report are:

Faces of America (diverse and changing population)
Globilization (local implications and potential)
Community Capacity and Vitality (current social and economic issues)
Communities of Interest and Place (supporting communities of both place and interest)
Information Technology (making maximum use of new technologies)
Crises, Risk and Uncertainty (public understanding and informed decision-making)

Detailed RFPs are available on the Consortium web page: http://www.extensionconsortium.org/grant.htm

The following grants have recently been received by UNH Cooperative Extension:

* Frank Mitchell - $52,650 from the Office of State Planning, Coastal Zone Management, to provide UNH Cooperative Extension staff support for the benefit of the Natural Resource Outreach Coalition

* Michael Sciabarrasi - $77,000 from the US Dept. of Agriculture for support of the "Crop Insurance Education for NH Farmers" program

The following grants have been received by UNH Cooperative Extension:

* Stefan Seiter - $15,997 from the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program to implement statewide strategic plans for professional development/training efforts for sustainable agriculture.

* Charlotte Cross - $13,683 from the Endowment for Health for support of the "Multi-Community Gender Study: TAP" program.

The E-Grants Program Management Office, which is managing the Presidential Initiative for E-Grants, has released a new website called Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/index.html. This site will be the electronic storefront for Federal grants. After January 2003 this site will feature links to find Federal Financial Assistance, and starting in October 2003 this site will feature E-Apply to submit applications. More information about the Presidential Initiative for E-Grants can now be found on the E-Grants website at http://www.grants.gov/pmo.html.

The following grant awards have been received in recent weeks:

* Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid - $13,152 from the NH Office of State Planning, for Great Bay Coast Watch Phytoplankton monitoring and training

* Seth Wilner - $1,863 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for "Advancing IPM Principles to Implement an Ecologically-Based Cropping System."

* Jeff Schloss - $24,663 from the University of Connecticut for "Nemo Enhancement for NROC: Evaluation and Marketing."

* Bill Lord - an additional $16,049 from the University of Maine for "Pest Management User Resources/Education."

The Farm Foundation will fund graduate fellowships in the social sciences and extension administration for the academic year 2003-2004. Extension workers at the administrative level receive top priority, and specialists receive secondary priority. The period of study may range from one quarter to one year. The applicant's qualifications and needs determine the award amounts. The maximum award is $5,500. The application form is available at: http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/FarmFF.pdf

Farm Foundation must receive the applications, application statement, letter of recommendation from state extension director, and two additional letters of recommendation, postmarked by March 1, 2003. Applicants will be notified of decision in early April.

The UNH Staff Professional Development Grant Committee meets 4 times each year to review applications and award grants. Applications for the second quarter of the year are due on Monday, December 2 , 2002. Information and grant applications can be found on line at http://www.unh.edu/hr/staffdev.pdf.

Recent grants received by UNH Cooperative Extension staff include:

* Tom Buob, $52,186 from NH's Dept. of Environmental Services for his project, "Development and Implementation of Nutrient Management Plans on NH Farms.

* " Julia Steed Mawson, $10,000 from the Bean Foundation for her project, "Strengthening the 4-H Green Thumb Team."

* Brian Doyle, $74,235, Rollie Barnaby, $528,254, and Pingguo He, $41,691, $76,564 and $81,004, all from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for 2003 Northeast Consortium projects. Also, Pingguo He, $297,874 from NOAA for his project, "Soft Species Separation System for the New England Multi-Species Fisheries."

* Mike Sciabarrasi, $34,380 from the University of Delaware for his project, "Northeast Regional Center for Rick Management Education," and $15,000 from the University of Delaware for his project, "Central New England Human Resource and Orchard Risk Management."

* Charlotte Cross, $5,000 from the Endowment for Health for her project, "Adolescent Health Institute 2002."

* Jeffrey Schloss, $10,000 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation, for Lakes Lake Monitoring Program analytical equipment support.

* Darrel Covell, $10,315 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation, for his program, "How to Inventory and Monitor Wildlife on Your Land."

* Nancy Lambert, $20,000 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation, for a mobile computer lab for geospatial technology education, part II.

* William Lord, $4,000 from Cornell University for IR-4 Food Use Trials.

* Nada Haddad, $10,000 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, for her project, "NH Consumer Behavior and Attitudes," and $2,000 from the Northeast Farm Credit AgEnhancement for her project, "A Guide to Conservation Easement."

* Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid, $40,000 from the NH Office of State Planning, for their project, "Great Bay Coast Watch Instream and Riparian Habitat Assessment."

* Bob Edmonds, an $85,000 grant and a $161,000 grant from the USDA Forest Service through the NH Division of Forests and Lands for Phase 1 and 2, Northern Forests Ice Storm of 1998 projects.

* Cheryl Smith, $18,766 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture for her project, "Rapid Plant Problem ID."

* Sarah Smith, $5,000 from the Limestone Bluffs RC&D, Inc., for the "Pallet Phylo Sanitary Project."

The UNH Staff Professional Development Grants Program provides funds to attain new skills or knowledge in a manner that will enhance the staff member's performance or eligibility for promotion, and be of specific benefit to the department and university. PAT and Operating Staff are eligible to apply for awards not to exceed $750. The Grant Committee meets 4 times each year to review applications and award grants. Applications for the first quarter of the year are due on Monday, September 9, 2002. Information and grant applications can be accessed on line at www.unh.edu/hr/staffdev.pdf

The UNH Alumni Association's Endowment, the Alumni Enrichment Fund, provides funds to: (1) enrich existing programs, (2) provide services not currently funded, and (3) serve purposes that will benefit UNH alumni, faculty and students. Proposals can request up to $8,000 but average awards are around $1500. Applications are due October 11 with awards available for use during second semester. To request information and copy of the application form contact Polly Daniels, Director of Alumni Activities at 862-2040 or polly.daniels@unh.edu

The B.E.S.T. Project, funded through the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) NH State Strengthening grant from CSREES, received a county incentive award of $10,000 from the Merrimack County Human Services Department for the 2002–2003 year. The funds will be used to cover operational expenses of the B.E.S.T After School Enrichment Program for children in grades one though five located at the Boscawen Elementary School.

Merrimack County educators Marilyn Sullivan, Kathleen Jaworski, Debbie Cheever and Nancy Evans collaborated in their efforts to secure the award. The B.E.S.T Project focuses on quality after school programming, family strengthening through parent involvement activities, and community collaborations. The after school program is beginning its fourth year at the Boscawen Elementary school. Monetary award from the county has grown over the past three years from $4000 to $5400 to $10,000. Community efforts to sustain the program are being made, as the project enters its fourth and final year of federal funding.

The City of Manchester awarded a $20,160 "Manchester Millyard Sustainable Landscape" grant to Mary Tebo to develop a sustainable landscape plan, begin site renovations on city property and educate the Manchester community on watershed sensitive landscape practices.

A $14,900 grant has been awarded to Nancy Lambert from the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) for the project, "Developing a GIS Course" customized for local needs.

Jeff Schloss has been awarded $7,584 from the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, in support of Year 2 of the NH Water Resources Research Center 2002 administration.

A $50,000 grant has been awarded to Extension's Sea Grant Program from NOAA for the 2001-2002 NH Sea Grant Program.

Val Long and Debbie Luppold have been awarded $680,962 from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service for the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program for the 2002 program year. Congratulations on achieving this substantial grant award!

Three grants, each up to $10,000, are offered by the New England Extension Consortium. The purpose is to encourage collaborative efforts among the Extension, Research and Academic Programs at the six New England Land-Grant Institutions. Projects must be multi-state and address a regional issue, plus one or more of the challenges described in the new report, Extension Vision for the 21st Century (http://www.adec.edu/ext21/draftreport.html). Proposals are due April 9. Full application details are available at: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/NEECRFP.pdf

Requests for Applications for the USDA/CSREES Integrated Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program , and the Pest Management Alternative Research Program for FY02 are available on the CSREES web site at: http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/funding/ourfund.htm

The Supplemental Program Description for the USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program for FY02 is available at: www.reeusda.gov/nri

The New England Extension Consortium is offering three grants, each up to $10,000, to address emerging regional issues. Proposed projects must address one or more of the challenges described in the new report, "Extension Vision for the 21st Century". Proposals are due April 9. Both the Request for Proposals (RFP) and on-line 21st Century report should be available next week. We'll forward this information to all staff as soon as it's received.

It appears three implementation grants, each up to $10,000, will be offered very soon by the New England Extension Consortium. Projects must be collaborative, multi-state efforts that address a high priority regional need, and produce a measurable impact. Specific details and application information will be provided as soon as available.

Several grants have been awarded recently to UNH Cooperative Extension:

* Pingguo He - $24,570, National Marine Fisheries Service, Hydrodynamic Cover Project
* Pingguo He - $24,885, National Marine Fisheries Service, industrial training
* Charlotte Cross - $21,000, NH Dept. of Health and Human Services, Community Integrated Service System Program
* Roland Barnaby - $46,998, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Open Ocean Aquaculture Demonstration Project
* Ellen Snyder - $27,400, Nature Conservancy, 2002 NH Ecoreserve Project
* Nancy Lambert - $40,000, NH Charitable Foundation, Natural Resources Applications of Geospatial Tools
* Stefan Seiter - $10,000, US Dept. of Agriculture, Implementation of Sustainable Agriculture Strategic Plan
* Michael Sciabarrasi - $100,000, NH Dept. of Agriculture, Crop Insurance Education.

Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid have received a grant of $24,962 from the NH Office of State Planning's NH Coastal Program for the Great Bay Coast Watch monitoring project.

Terri Schoppmeyer, Rockingham County, has received a $1,390 mini-grant from NH Celebrates Wellness to purchase 140 pedometers and related equipment to implement the Walk Fit Program for limited resource youth and adults.

Joanne Knowlton, Carroll County, received $320 from NH Celebrates Wellness to conduct a Strong Living Program, designed for adults age 50 and over for a strength, balance and flexibility program.

Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) recently announced the availability of Research, Education and Professional Development grants. Applications are due in early November. Contact Ed McAllister for details or go directly to the SARE web page: http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/

Proposals are sought from faculty and staff seeking funding from the UNH Alumni Association's Enrichment Endowment Fund. Funding is available to: (1) enrich existing programs; (2) provide services currently not funded; and (3) serve purposes that will benefit UNH alumni, faculty and students. Proposals can range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000 (awards average $1,500). Proposals are due Oct. 12. Contact Sharon Blake for a copy of the application.

New Hampshire's Office of State Planning has awarded $2,400 to Sharon Meeker to revise and enhance the UNH Marine Docent Handbook, the Great Living Lab and the UNH Floating Lab Instructor's Manual.

Nancy Lambert recently received $19,943 from the NH Charitable Foundation for the "Geospatial Technology Applications Training and Resource Center" program.

Paul Fisher and Geoffrey Njue have been granted $4,750 from the Fred C.Gloeckner Foundation for a project entitled "A Production and Post-Harvest Blueprint for Cut Poinsettia". The project is in collaboration with Dr. John Dole at North Carolina State University. Research is underway at both universities, and UNH Cooperative Extension staff will also support three NH growers who are trialing this new variety of poinsettia that is grown as a cut flower rather than a potted plant.

Paul Fisher has received a grant for $14,350 from the FIRST Foundation for "MANAGING IRON AND MANGANESE TOXICITY IN GERANIUMS AND MARIGOLDS." This project is funding student research, and results are being published in an 11-part series in the national Greenhouse Grower industry magazine.

Frank Mitchell was awarded $20,000 for the "Community Conservation Assistance" program from NH's Office of State Planning. Sharon Meeker and Ann Reid were awarded a grant of $6,033 from NH's Dept. of Environmental Services for their project, "Storm Drain

The following proposals submitted by NH staff have been funded by the New England Extension Consortium. Projects will include all six New England states:
* 4-H CCS Curriculum Training ($7,300) - Dotty Burrows
* STAFF: 4-H CAMPS' GREATEST RESOURCE! Developing a resource guide for attracting, training, and retaining staff at New England 4-H Camps ($1,377) - Ann Dolloff
* New England 4-H Youth Development Conference: Life Skill Development ~ Four Fold and For the Future ($1,500) Lisa Townson

Other recent grants awarded are:
* 2001 Water Resources Research ($4,500) from the US Geological Survey- Jeff Schloss
* Storm Drain Stenciling ($9,965) from the NH Office of State Planning - Julia Peterson

Mary Tebo, Wendy Scribner and Charlene Baxter have completed and submitted a COPC grant to the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Partnering with UNH Cooperative Extension are UNH Manchester and Manchester Neighborhood Housing Services. The grant, if approved, will focus on Green Space, Community Revitalization and Education in the Enterprise Zone of Manchester.

Several grants have been awarded to UNH Cooperative Extension in the past several weeks. Pete Erickson received $14,850 from the George Walker Fund in support of the "Dairy Biosecurity" program. The Office of State Planning has awarded Sharon Meeker a grant of $9,400 for the NH Estuaries Project, with Ann Reid as the project director. The purpose of the NH Estuaries Project is to implement a plan to protect, restore and manage the state's estuarine systems. The Great Bay Coast Watch will assist in plan implementation. Nancy Lambert received $20,000 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation for purchase of laptop computers and a wireless network hub for a mobile classroom for GPS and GIS education and for use in community GIS projects.

Several grants have been received over the past few weeks. Charlotte Cross received $5,000 from the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation for the Teen Assessment Project to support staff time to develop partnerships with UNH and New Hampshire state agencies. The NH Charitable Foundation awarded $4,208 to Nancy Lambert to purchase a laptop computer for community GIS projects. Jeff Schloss received $10,000 from the Samuel P. Pardoe Foundation for support of the program, "Mobile Computer Lab for Geospatial Education."

Requests for Proposals for the following USDA/CSREES programs can now be accessed via the CSREES web site linked to the UNH CE web page under Other Links:

* Rural America (quite different from the last RFP and focused on Rural Community Innovation and Demographic Change)
* Integrated Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program (Water Quality, Food Safety Initiative, Pest Management)
* Pest Management Alternative Research
* Application of Geospatial and Precision Technology Program
* Risk Management Education Program
* Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS)

The Endowment for Health is a statewide, independent, private, nonprofit foundation created in 1999 as a result of the sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of NH to Anthem. Their mission is: "To improve the health and reduce the burden of illness of the people of New Hampshire."

Regional meetings have been scheduled to provide information about their funding applications and guidelines. Priorities this year are Access to Health and Improving Oral Health. Proposals are due June 22. Informational meetings are scheduled as follows:

May 2 - Keene Country Club
May 3 - Cabot Motor Lodge, Lancaster
May 4 - Event Center at CR Sparks, Bedford
May 7 - UNH Elliott Alumni Center

Contact Sharon Ross (862-2034) for a copy of the mailing with further details and draft application form.

Program Leader Bruce Marriott has received a $37,175 grant from the University of Vermont for sustainable agriculture programming. Extension Educator Steve Turaj received $3,500 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for the "Dairy Fly Integrated Pest Management" project.

The Youth Community Garden Program, a cooperative effort with Nutrition Connections and the Newmarket Recreation Department, was selected as a 2001 Youth Garden from the National Garden Association. This organization awards 400 Youth Garden Grants to schools, neighborhood groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and inter-generational programs throughout the United States. In addition to receiving the grant, the garden program was recognized as a 2001 Kidsgardening Community Spirit Award winner, which honors the top 100 Youth Garden Grant applicants nationwide. Selected from nearly 1,500 applicants, this 2001 YGG "high honor roll" includes youth gardens from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa.

Under this grant, submitted by Extension Program Associate Terri Schoppmeyer, leading companies from the lawn and garden industry provide tools, seeds, plants, and other garden products valued at more than $750. Selection of winners was based on "demonstration of a child-centered plan that emphasizes children directly learning and working in an outdoor garden."

I am very pleased to announce the establishment of the Maynard and Audrey Heckel Extension Educator Fellowship. Created with a generous donation Maynard and Audrey made to the UNH Foundation, this permanent endowment will provide a minimum annual award of $1,000. Maynard was Director of UNH Cooperative Extension and Professor of Adult Education from 1971 to 1983. Maynard spent his professional career in Cooperative Extension, starting as a county agent in Connecticut and later serving as Associate Director in Virginia before his selection as New Hampshire's Director. In 1977 Maynard designed and established the Extension Educator ranking system because he saw the need to recognize the educational role of professional Cooperative Extension agents and specialists in carrying out the outreach function so important to the mission of a land-grant university.

The purpose of the fellowship is to recognize Cooperative Extension Educators for exemplary program accomplishments achieved through innovative and creative approaches in at least one of the following areas:
* Involvement of University faculty beyond traditional disciplines in meeting the educational needs of the citizens of NH;
* Development and involvement of strong local leadership in support of Extension programs;
* Assisting and supporting low-income families. The first recipient will be selected next fall, with the monetary award to be used to support the continued work of the chosen fellow.

* The Nutrition Connections Program received $669,166 from USDA Food and Nutrition Service for a food stamp nutrition education program to be conducted throughout New Hampshire. In its 12th year, this grant project provides nutrition education and food resource management education to food stamp participants and those eligible for food stamps throughout the state. A centerpiece of this grant will be the development of a social marketing strategy delivered over a two-year period. Principal investigators are Val Long and Debbie Luppold.

* Julia Peterson is the recipient of a $128,000 grant from the University of Rhode Island for support of the "New England Regional Water Quality Program: Region One Water Quality Coordination Project."

* Catherine Violette received $38,637, also from the University of Rhode Island, for "Using Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to Integrate Food Safety Principles into Small Farm Production of Fresh and Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetables."

* Cathy Neal received a $2,150 grant from the NH Plant Growers Association for "Production Systems for Small Trees in New Hampshire."

* Alan Eaton was awarded $4,999 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture for a pocket guide to aid greenhouse growers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

* A $1,000 grant was awarded to Suzann Knight from the National Endowment for Financial Education for the "High School Financial Planning" program.

* David Seavey received $4,999 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for his project, "Pre-Plant Mycorrhizal Inoculation of Nursery Seedlings and Its Impact on Quality and Production."