Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS GA CIG 001
The NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), Fort Worth office, focused on agriculture, the environment, and natural resources. Its core purpose is to move conservation forward by encouraging new, practical ideas that work alongside real-world agricultural production. Instead of funding routine conservation work, CIG is aimed at innovations that can be tested, proven, and then adopted more broadly by producers and the conservation community.
CIG is designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. In practice, that means projects should introduce or validate new tools, methods, or systems that improve conservation outcomes on working lands while remaining workable for farms, ranches, and private forest operations. A key expectation is that funded projects do not stop at experimentation; they should produce results that can be transferred into day-to-day use. That transfer might happen through direct uptake by agricultural producers, by incorporation into NRCS technical manuals and guides (so the methods become part of standard conservation assistance), or through commercialization and broader distribution via the private sector. The program also recognizes that innovation is not limited to equipment or agronomic practices, and it explicitly allows for innovative approaches such as market-based systems, which can create financial or incentive structures that encourage better conservation performance.
The types of activities CIG generally supports include pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. Pilot projects and demonstrations typically emphasize trying an approach at a realistic scale and showing how it performs under actual operating conditions, with enough documentation that others can replicate or adopt it. On-farm conservation research is described in fairly specific terms: it is an investigation intended to answer a particular applied conservation question using a statistically valid design, and it must use farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. That definition matters because it distinguishes CIG from purely academic or laboratory research. The emphasis is on applied questions, credible experimental design, and results generated under real production conditions, which helps ensure the findings are relevant and usable.
From the posted opportunity details, the funding opportunity title is "NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)" with the opportunity number USDA NRCS GA CIG 001 and CFDA number 10.912. The funding instrument is a grant, and eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may appear in the full announcement. The award ceiling is $75,000, and the agency anticipated making about 25 awards under this posting. The opportunity was created on February 22, 2018, with an original closing date of March 30, 2018.Apply for USDA NRCS GA CIG 001
- The Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-MSD-Ft Worth Office in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 22, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - FAQs
What is the NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program?
The NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), Fort Worth office. It focuses on agriculture, the environment, and natural resources, and is intended to move conservation forward by supporting innovative ideas that can work alongside real-world agricultural production.
What is the main purpose of CIG funding?
CIG is meant to encourage new, practical conservation ideas that can be tested, proven, and then adopted more broadly by agricultural producers and the conservation community. It is specifically aimed at innovation rather than routine conservation work.
Does CIG fund routine conservation practices?
No. The program is described as focusing on innovations, not routine conservation work. Projects should introduce or validate new approaches, tools, methods, or systems rather than simply implementing standard practices.
What kinds of innovations does CIG support?
CIG supports innovative conservation approaches and technologies, including new or improved tools, methods, or systems that improve conservation outcomes on working lands while remaining practical for farms, ranches, and private forest operations. The program also allows for innovative approaches beyond equipment or agronomic practices, including market-based systems that create financial or incentive structures tied to conservation performance.
What types of project activities are generally supported?
The opportunity description notes that CIG generally supports pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research.
What is a pilot project or field demonstration under CIG?
Pilot projects and field demonstrations typically involve trying an approach at a realistic scale under actual operating conditions. A key expectation is that results are documented well enough that others can replicate or adopt the approach.
What does "on-farm conservation research" mean in this opportunity?
On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation designed to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design. It must use farm-scale equipment and take place on farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
How is CIG different from academic or laboratory research?
CIG emphasizes applied questions, credible experimental design, and results generated under real production conditions. The description distinguishes this from purely academic or laboratory research by requiring farm-scale equipment and work conducted on working lands.
What is expected after a CIG project tests an innovation?
The program expects projects to produce transferable results that can move into day-to-day use. Transfer can happen through direct uptake by producers, incorporation into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or commercialization and broader distribution through the private sector.
Who can apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full announcement.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed for this posting is $75,000.
How many awards does NRCS anticipate making?
The agency anticipated making about 25 awards under this posting.
What is the opportunity title and number?
The funding opportunity title is "NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)" and the opportunity number is USDA NRCS GA CIG 001.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 10.912.
Which USDA office is associated with this posting?
This opportunity is associated with USDA-NRCS, Fort Worth office.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on February 22, 2018. The original closing date was March 30, 2018.
What kinds of lands or operations does CIG focus on?
The description emphasizes working lands and specifically mentions farms, ranches, and private forest operations. On-farm conservation research must occur on farms, ranches, or private forest lands.
Does CIG require projects to be practical for production agriculture?
Yes. The program description emphasizes that innovations should improve conservation outcomes while still being workable under real-world agricultural production conditions.
Can a project focus on market-based conservation approaches?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly notes that CIG allows innovative approaches such as market-based systems that can create financial or incentive structures to encourage improved conservation performance.
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Previous opportunity: Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 - Virginia
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| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 – Rhode Island Apply for USDA NRCS RI CIG 18 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS RI CIG 18 001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 -Maryland Apply for USDA NRCS MD CIG 18 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MD CIG 18 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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