Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA CSREES AFRI 002564

  • The CSREES in the agriculture disaster prevention and relief sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
  • This funding opportunity was created on Sep 28, 2009 and posted on Sep 24, 2009.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 20, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
  • Please refer to Part III Eligibility Information in the RFA.
Apply for USDA CSREES AFRI 002564

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Opportunity Summary:

The grant opportunity titled "Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities" (Funding Opportunity Number USDA CSREES AFRI 002564) was a discretionary federal grant competition offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through CSREES under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), CFDA 10.310. It focused on agriculture-related disaster prevention and relief, with an emphasis on generating new research rather than delivering direct services or emergency response. The central purpose was to launch research that explains why some rural communities and families recover, adapt, and continue functioning effectively after disasters while others struggle, with the goal of identifying the factors and conditions that produce resilience.

At its core, the program sought studies that could deepen understanding of resilience in rural settings, including the social, economic, institutional, and environmental conditions that help households and communities withstand and rebound from disruptive events. While the brief description does not list specific hazards, the framing around disaster prevention and relief suggests relevance to the kinds of events that commonly affect rural America and agricultural regions, such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, severe storms, disease outbreaks, or other shocks that damage livelihoods, infrastructure, and community systems. The research orientation implies interest in explaining resilience mechanisms like risk management behavior, social networks and mutual aid, access to services and information, governance and local capacity, economic diversification, mental and physical health supports, and how families make decisions under stress.

The opportunity offered an estimated total of $3,000,000 in funding. Awards were to be made through the grant instrument type, and applicants needed to account for a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients were expected to contribute non-federal resources alongside the federal award according to the rules laid out in the official Request for Applications (RFA). The competition was posted on September 24, 2009, created on September 28, 2009, and had an original and current closing date of January 20, 2010, after which it was archived on February 21, 2010. In other words, it was a time-limited competition from the 2009-2010 cycle and is no longer open, but it can still be useful as a reference point for the kinds of resilience research priorities USDA has supported.

Eligibility was not fully spelled out in the summary fields and was instead defined in the RFA, specifically Part III (Eligibility Information). The listing indicates "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which usually signals that eligibility could extend beyond a single standard category and might include a mix of entities such as universities, research institutions, nonprofits, and potentially other organizations, depending on the AFRI program rules and the specific language in the announcement. Anyone evaluating whether they would have qualified would need to consult the RFA for the exact eligible applicant types, any restrictions, and any partnering or collaboration expectations.

For support, the announcement provided a CSREES Help Desk contact for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically (phone: 202-401-5048, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays). It also noted there was a separate point of contact for questions about preparing application content, implying that applicants could receive guidance on submission requirements, forms, and application structure, though the full details of that content contact were not included in the excerpt.

Overall, this opportunity was designed to strengthen the evidence base around what drives disaster resilience in rural communities and families, using research funded through USDA's AFRI program. The practical intent behind that kind of research is typically to inform better policies, programs, and community strategies that reduce vulnerability and speed recovery when disasters occur, especially in places where agricultural economies and rural infrastructure make disaster impacts uniquely complex.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities (USDA CSREES AFRI 002564)

What is the "Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities" funding opportunity?

"Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities" (Funding Opportunity Number USDA CSREES AFRI 002564) was a discretionary federal grant competition offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through CSREES under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), CFDA 10.310.

What was the main goal of this grant program?

The central goal was to fund research that explains why some rural communities and families recover, adapt, and keep functioning effectively after disasters while others struggle. The intent was to identify factors and conditions that produce resilience.

Was this grant intended to fund direct disaster response or emergency services?

No. The opportunity emphasized generating new research rather than delivering direct services or providing emergency response activities.

What kinds of research topics did the program aim to support?

The program sought studies that deepen understanding of resilience in rural settings, including social, economic, institutional, and environmental conditions that help households and communities withstand and rebound from disruptive events.

What types of disasters or hazards were relevant to this opportunity?

The brief description did not list specific hazards. However, because the program was framed around agriculture-related disaster prevention and relief, it was relevant to events that commonly affect rural America and agricultural regions, such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, severe storms, disease outbreaks, or other shocks that damage livelihoods, infrastructure, and community systems.

What resilience mechanisms or factors were implied as areas of interest?

The research orientation implied interest in resilience mechanisms such as risk management behavior, social networks and mutual aid, access to services and information, governance and local capacity, economic diversification, mental and physical health supports, and how families make decisions under stress.

How much funding was available under this competition?

The opportunity offered an estimated total of $3,000,000 in funding.

What type of award instrument was used?

Awards were to be made using the grant instrument type.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. Applicants needed to account for a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients were expected to contribute non-federal resources alongside the federal award, consistent with the rules in the official Request for Applications (RFA).

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The competition was posted on September 24, 2009, created on September 28, 2009, and had an original and current closing date of January 20, 2010.

Is this funding opportunity still open?

No. It was a time-limited competition from the 2009-2010 cycle. It was archived on February 21, 2010 and is no longer open for applications.

Can this archived opportunity still be useful today?

Yes. Even though it is no longer open, it can still serve as a reference point for the kinds of disaster resilience research priorities USDA has supported through AFRI.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was not fully spelled out in the summary fields and was defined in the RFA, specifically Part III (Eligibility Information). The listing indicates "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which suggests eligibility may have extended beyond a single standard category and could have included multiple entity types depending on AFRI rules and the specific announcement language.

Where would an applicant have found the exact eligibility rules?

The exact eligible applicant types, restrictions, and any partnering or collaboration expectations would have been described in the official RFA, Part III (Eligibility Information), and any referenced eligibility clarification text.

What should someone do if they are trying to determine whether they would have qualified?

They would need to consult the RFA for the specific eligible applicant categories, any limitations, and the detailed requirements for participation.

What support was available for applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically?

The announcement provided a CSREES Help Desk for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically: 202-401-5048, available Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Was there a contact for questions about preparing the application content?

Yes. The announcement noted there was a separate point of contact for questions about preparing application content, indicating applicants could get guidance on submission requirements, forms, and application structure, although the details of that contact were not included in the excerpt provided.

Which USDA program and CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity was offered through USDA CSREES under AFRI and was associated with CFDA 10.310.

What was the practical intent behind funding resilience research like this?

The practical intent of this research was typically to inform better policies, programs, and community strategies that reduce vulnerability and speed recovery after disasters, particularly in rural and agricultural contexts where disaster impacts can be uniquely complex.

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