Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 004336
Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 004336
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Department of Defense Child Care Curriculum" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.500 Cooperative Extension Service.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 26, 2013 and posted on Jul 26, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,545,455.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,545,455.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Applications may be submitted by State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, all colleges and universities, other research or educational institution or organization, and any other contractor or recipient, either foreign or domestic, to further research, extension, or teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences of the Department of Agriculture.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Defense Child Care Curriculum (DoD CCCD) grant opportunity was a discretionary, one-time federal funding announcement led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. The core purpose was to create and implement a single, standardized child care curriculum for the Department of Defense Child Development System that could be used consistently across all Military Services. The intended curriculum needed to be high quality, research- and evidence-based, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate for young children, and cost effective to deploy at scale. While designed for military child care settings, the announcement also notes the curriculum could have broader value by helping enhance child care quality across the nation.
The project focus was on children from birth to five years old and explicitly covered both center-based programs and home-based care settings. The funded work was not limited to writing lesson plans; it was expected to produce a complete, classroom-ready curriculum package along with all supporting materials needed for practical implementation. That included classroom resources and teacher-facing materials, as well as a training component for child care personnel so the curriculum could be delivered reliably and with fidelity across the DoD system. In other words, the grant was aimed at producing an end-to-end curriculum solution: what to teach, how to teach it, what materials are needed to support it, and how to train the workforce to use it.
From a funding standpoint, the opportunity was offered as a grant with an estimated total funding amount of $4,545,455, and the listed award ceiling matched that same amount, indicating the program anticipated funding up to that level for the selected proposal. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which meant applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award. The award floor was listed as $0, which typically signals that the agency did not guarantee a minimum award amount for any applicant aside from what would be negotiated or determined through the selection process.
Eligibility was broad and included a range of domestic and foreign entities capable of conducting research, extension, or teaching programs aligned with USDA's food and agricultural sciences mission. Eligible applicants included state agricultural experiment stations, state cooperative extension services, colleges and universities, and other research or educational institutions or organizations, as well as other contractors or recipients. This breadth suggests the agency was open to proposals from universities and other capable organizations with expertise in early childhood development, curriculum design, evaluation, workforce training, and large-scale implementation.
Administratively, the opportunity was identified as Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA EXCA 004336 under CFDA 10.500 (Cooperative Extension Service), categorized under the Agriculture funding activity area. It was posted on July 26, 2013, with an original and final closing date of August 26, 2013, and it was later archived on September 25, 2013. For access issues with the full announcement, the notice directed applicants to the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during standard weekday business hours, and it also referenced support for questions related to preparing application content.
In practical terms, a competitive proposal for this opportunity would have been expected to demonstrate the applicant's ability to build a research-grounded curriculum for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; show how the curriculum would work in both child development centers and home-based care; provide concrete implementation supports (materials, guidance, tools); and deliver a scalable training approach for the workforce serving military families. The overarching goal was consistency and quality across the entire DoD child care system, with an emphasis on evidence-based practice and cost-effective deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DoD Child Care Curriculum (DoD CCCD) Grant Opportunity
What is the DoD Child Care Curriculum (DoD CCCD) grant opportunity?
The DoD Child Care Curriculum (DoD CCCD) opportunity was a discretionary, one-time federal grant funding announcement. It was led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
What was the main purpose of this grant?
The core purpose was to create and implement a single, standardized child care curriculum for the Department of Defense (DoD) Child Development System that could be used consistently across all Military Services.
Who led and partnered on this funding announcement?
USDA/NIFA led the opportunity, in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
Was this a recurring program or a one-time funding opportunity?
It was described as a discretionary, one-time federal funding announcement.
What age range did the curriculum need to cover?
The project focus was on children from birth to five years old.
What child care settings were included?
The opportunity explicitly covered both center-based programs and home-based care settings.
What qualities did the curriculum need to have?
The intended curriculum needed to be high quality, research- and evidence-based, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate for young children, and cost effective to deploy at scale.
Was the curriculum intended only for military child care programs?
It was designed for military child care settings within the DoD Child Development System. However, the announcement also noted the curriculum could have broader value by helping enhance child care quality across the nation.
Was the project limited to writing lesson plans?
No. The funded work was expected to produce a complete, classroom-ready curriculum package along with all supporting materials needed for practical implementation.
What deliverables were expected beyond the curriculum content?
The announcement emphasized an end-to-end curriculum solution, including classroom resources and teacher-facing materials, plus supporting tools and guidance needed for real-world use.
Was training for child care personnel part of the expected scope?
Yes. The work was expected to include a training component for child care personnel so the curriculum could be delivered reliably and with fidelity across the DoD system.
What does "implementation with fidelity" mean in the context of this grant?
Based on the announcement language, it refers to implementing the curriculum reliably and consistently across the DoD system, supported by training and materials so staff can deliver the curriculum as intended.
How much funding was available under this opportunity?
The estimated total funding amount was $4,545,455, and the listed award ceiling matched that same amount.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $4,545,455, indicating the program anticipated funding up to that level for the selected proposal.
What was the minimum award amount (award floor)?
The award floor was listed as $0, which typically indicates no minimum award amount was guaranteed and that the amount would be determined through the selection process.
Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award.
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included a range of domestic and foreign entities capable of conducting research, extension, or teaching programs aligned with USDA's food and agricultural sciences mission. Examples listed included state agricultural experiment stations, state cooperative extension services, colleges and universities, other research or educational institutions or organizations, as well as other contractors or recipients.
Were both domestic and foreign entities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility description included both domestic and foreign entities, as long as they were capable of conducting qualifying research, extension, or teaching programs aligned with USDA's mission area described in the notice.
What kinds of expertise would likely have been important for a competitive proposal?
Based on the description, a competitive proposal would have been expected to demonstrate the ability to build a research-grounded curriculum for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; show how it would work in both child development centers and home-based care; provide practical implementation supports (materials, guidance, tools); and deliver a scalable training approach for the workforce serving military families.
What was the overarching goal of the project?
The overarching goal was consistency and quality across the entire DoD child care system, with an emphasis on evidence-based practice and cost-effective deployment at scale.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The opportunity was identified as Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA EXCA 004336.
What CFDA number was associated with this funding?
The announcement referenced CFDA 10.500 (Cooperative Extension Service).
What was the funding activity area/category?
It was categorized under the Agriculture funding activity area.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on July 26, 2013.
What were the application closing dates?
The original and final closing date listed was August 26, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The notice indicates it was later archived on September 25, 2013.
Who could applicants contact for access issues with the full announcement?
For access issues with the full announcement, the notice directed applicants to the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during standard weekday business hours.
What kind of support was referenced for application preparation questions?
The notice referenced support for questions related to preparing application content (in addition to the help desk guidance for access issues).
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