Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA CSREES OP 002325
Apply for USDA CSREES OP 002325
- The CSREES in the agriculture environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Critical Agricultural Materials" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.200 Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 15, 2009 and posted on Jun 2, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 7, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Applications may be submitted by any person, or public or private agency or organization.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2009 Critical Agricultural Materials grant opportunity (USDA CSREES OP 002325) is a discretionary grant program run by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). It is focused on pushing forward biobased and environmentally friendly material technologies, specifically targeting real-world product development and demonstration for paints and coatings, as well as adhesives used in composite materials. The main idea is to help move beyond basic lab research into technologies that can realistically be adopted by government buyers and private industry, with an emphasis on solutions that reduce environmental impacts compared to conventional fossil-based products.
A central feature of this opportunity is its strong preference for projects that include a life cycle analysis component. Applicants are encouraged, and effectively prioritized, to compare a proposed biobased product against a fossil-based counterpart using the BEES model (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. BEES is designed to evaluate environmental impacts across every stage of a product's life cycle, which generally means looking at upstream raw material extraction or cultivation, manufacturing and processing, transportation and distribution, use-phase considerations, and end-of-life disposal or recycling. The program notes that BEES is already used by USDA for the BioPreferred Program, which is the federal initiative aimed at expanding the purchase and use of biobased products. In practical terms, that alignment signals that proposals demonstrating clear performance and environmental advantages using BEES may be better positioned to support federal procurement and broader market adoption.
The agency frames expected outcomes in fairly applied terms: projects funded under this program are anticipated to result in tangible products, particularly paints, coatings, and adhesives, that can help federal agencies, state governments, and companies meet environmental or sustainability goals. Another explicit goal is that the BEES-based assessment will do more than just produce a scorecard; it is also meant to reveal where products still fall short, identifying gaps that need additional research in both functional performance (how well the paint, coating, or adhesive works) and environmental performance (where impacts remain high across the life cycle). In other words, the life cycle analysis is positioned as a decision tool to guide both development priorities and future R and D directions.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted June 2, 2009, with an application closing date of July 7, 2009, and it was later archived February 17, 2010. The estimated total program funding listed is $1,000,000. The funding instrument is a grant, and it falls under the CFDA number 10.200 (Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants). The announcement indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowers the barrier for applicants who may not have non-federal funds available to contribute.
Eligibility is intentionally broad. Applications may be submitted by any person, or by public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions, with the listing indicating "Others" and pointing to additional eligibility details in the full announcement. That broad language typically implies openness to universities, nonprofits, companies, and potentially individuals or consortia, provided they can meet standard federal grant requirements and demonstrate the capability to carry out the proposed work. For applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically, CSREES provided help desk contact information (202-401-5048) during business hours, and noted that additional support was available for questions related to preparing application content.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a targeted push to accelerate biobased, lower-impact materials into practical paint, coating, and composite adhesive applications, while using a standardized federal life cycle tool (BEES) to quantify environmental benefits, enable comparisons to conventional petroleum-based alternatives, and highlight remaining technical or sustainability hurdles that should drive the next wave of research and product improvement.
FY 2009 Critical Agricultural Materials (USDA CSREES OP 002325) - FAQs
What is the FY 2009 Critical Agricultural Materials grant opportunity?
It is a discretionary grant program run by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) under the opportunity identifier USDA CSREES OP 002325. The program is designed to advance biobased and environmentally friendly material technologies, with an emphasis on moving concepts toward real-world products rather than staying at the basic laboratory research stage.
What kinds of projects does this program focus on?
The opportunity is specifically targeted at product development and demonstration for (1) paints and coatings and (2) adhesives used in composite materials. The intent is applied: to support technologies that can realistically be adopted by government purchasers and private industry.
What is the main goal of the program?
The main goal is to accelerate practical, adoptable biobased materials that reduce environmental impacts compared to conventional fossil-based products, especially in the paints/coatings and composite-adhesives space.
Is the program more about basic research or applied development?
It is framed as applied development and demonstration. The description emphasizes pushing beyond basic lab research into technologies that can be used in real products and evaluated in a way that supports procurement decisions and market adoption.
What outcomes does USDA CSREES expect from funded projects?
Expected outcomes are tangible products, particularly paints, coatings, and adhesives, that help federal agencies, state governments, and companies meet environmental or sustainability goals. The program also expects projects to generate practical insights into both functional performance and environmental performance.
What is the life cycle analysis (LCA) expectation in this program?
A central feature is a strong preference for proposals that include a life cycle analysis component. Applicants are encouraged and effectively prioritized to evaluate the proposed biobased product against a fossil-based counterpart using a standardized approach.
What tool does the opportunity prefer for life cycle analysis?
The opportunity highlights the BEES model (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the preferred method for comparing a biobased product to a fossil-based alternative.
What does BEES evaluate?
BEES is designed to evaluate environmental impacts across a product's full life cycle. That generally includes upstream raw material extraction or cultivation, manufacturing and processing, transportation and distribution, use-phase considerations, and end-of-life disposal or recycling.
Why is BEES important in this opportunity?
The program notes that BEES is already used by USDA for the BioPreferred Program, a federal initiative aimed at expanding the purchase and use of biobased products. Because of that alignment, proposals that can demonstrate performance and environmental advantages using BEES may be better positioned to support federal procurement and broader market adoption.
Does the life cycle analysis serve any purpose beyond documentation?
Yes. The announcement positions the BEES-based assessment as a decision tool. It is intended not only to compare products, but also to reveal where a proposed product still falls short, identifying gaps that may require additional research in functional performance and/or environmental performance across the life cycle.
What types of conventional products are proposals expected to compare against?
The opportunity emphasizes comparisons against fossil-based counterparts. In practical terms, this means evaluating a proposed biobased paint, coating, or composite adhesive against a comparable petroleum-based or otherwise fossil-derived conventional product.
How much funding is available under this program?
The estimated total program funding listed for the opportunity is $1,000,000.
What is the funding instrument?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.200 (Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants).
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The announcement indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as intentionally broad. Applications may be submitted by any person, or by public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions. The listing uses "Others" and points to additional eligibility details in the full announcement.
Does the opportunity indicate a preference for certain applicant types (universities, nonprofits, companies, individuals)?
The text provided does not specify a narrow set of applicant types. Instead, it uses broad language ("any person" and public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions), which generally suggests openness to universities, nonprofits, companies, and potentially individuals or consortia, provided they can meet federal grant requirements and demonstrate capability to perform the work.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on June 2, 2009, and the application closing date was July 7, 2009.
Is this opportunity still active?
No. The opportunity was later archived on February 17, 2010.
What agency administered this program?
The program was administered by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).
What kinds of environmental benefits is the program trying to encourage?
The program emphasizes solutions that reduce environmental impacts compared to conventional fossil-based products. It encourages using life cycle thinking (via BEES) to quantify and compare impacts across the entire product life cycle rather than focusing on a single stage.
How does this opportunity connect to federal purchasing?
The opportunity ties project evaluation to BEES, a model used by USDA for the BioPreferred Program. This alignment is presented as a way to support federal procurement decisions and encourage adoption by government buyers, as well as by private industry.
What if an applicant could not access the full announcement electronically?
CSREES provided help desk contact information at 202-401-5048 during business hours for applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically.
Was application-preparation support mentioned?
Yes. In addition to the help desk for access issues, the announcement notes that additional support was available for questions related to preparing application content.
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