Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS WIC PRIL 2017
Apply for USDA FNS WIC PRIL 2017
- The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PARTICIPANT RESEARCH INNOVATION LABORATORY" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.540.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 02, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 02, 2016. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Participant Research Innovation Laboratory (PRIL) opportunity is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funding announcement tied to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC is the federal program that supports low-income pregnant women, postpartum women (breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding), infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk by providing supplemental foods, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and health care referrals. This grant is grounded in federal statutory authority, including Section 17(g)(5)(1) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (as amended) and Section 1472 of the National Agriculture Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318), reflected in USDA regulatory authority cited at 7 CFR 2.19(a)(3)(x).
The core purpose of the award is to establish a Participant Research Innovation Laboratory that functions as a hub for participant-centered research focused on keeping eligible children enrolled in WIC over time. Rather than funding a single on-the-ground intervention directly, the cooperative agreement funds an academic or research institution to create and operate an entity that can administer and award sub-grants. Those sub-grants would support researcher-initiated projects designed to develop, pilot, and test strategies that improve retention of children in WIC. In other words, the main awardee is expected to set up the infrastructure, processes, and oversight needed to competitively fund multiple smaller studies or projects, and to ensure those projects align with USDA/FNS priorities and generate useful evidence.
The strategies to be developed and tested are expected to focus on practical settings where WIC participation is experienced and influenced, especially WIC service delivery sites (such as clinics or agencies where eligibility is determined and benefits are managed) and retail environments (where WIC foods are purchased and redeemed). The announcement signals that USDA is looking for approaches that can be evaluated in real-world operational contexts, where factors like appointment logistics, participant communications, clinic workflow, shopping experience, benefit redemption, and participant support systems can directly affect whether families remain engaged with the program.
A major requirement embedded in the description is that proposed strategies must explicitly recognize the social and cultural diversity of WIC participants and those eligible for WIC. This implies that the PRIL and the projects it funds should be attentive to differences across communities and populations, such as language needs, cultural food preferences, varying norms around health care and breastfeeding, geographic differences (urban, rural, tribal communities), and differing barriers to program participation. The underlying expectation is that retention solutions should not assume a one-size-fits-all participant experience, and that research designs should consider equity and relevance across diverse participant groups.
Structurally, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning USDA/FNS anticipates substantial involvement in the project beyond a typical pass-through grant. The announcement indicates USDA intended to make one new award for the FY 2017 to 2019 period, with an anticipated funding level up to $1,000,000 as the award ceiling. The funding activity category is Food and Nutrition, the CFDA number is 10.540 (WIC), and the opportunity was posted on September 2, 2016 with an original application deadline of November 2, 2016. Eligible applicants are described broadly but point to public or private academic or research institutions as the target partners for creating and operating the lab and managing the sub-grant portfolio.
In practical terms, an institution pursuing this opportunity would be expected to propose how it will build and run the PRIL, including how it will solicit, review, select, and manage sub-grants; ensure methodological rigor and ethical standards; support implementation and evaluation in WIC service and retail contexts; and synthesize findings into actionable guidance for WIC program improvement. The intended outcome is a stream of tested, evidence-based strategies that can help reduce drop-off and improve continuity of WIC participation among children, ultimately strengthening the program’s impact during early childhood.
Participant Research Innovation Laboratory (PRIL) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Participant Research Innovation Laboratory (PRIL) opportunity?
PRIL is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funding opportunity tied to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The award supports creating a participant-centered research hub (the PRIL) focused on developing evidence about how to keep eligible children enrolled in WIC over time.
Which federal program is this opportunity connected to?
This opportunity is connected to WIC, the federal program that supports low-income pregnant women, postpartum women (breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding), infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk.
What does WIC provide to participants?
WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and health care referrals for eligible participants.
What is the main purpose of the PRIL award?
The main purpose is to establish a Participant Research Innovation Laboratory that serves as a hub for participant-centered research, specifically aimed at improving retention of children in WIC (keeping eligible children enrolled and engaged over time).
Is this grant meant to fund a single direct intervention in the field?
No. The description emphasizes that the cooperative agreement is not primarily to fund one on-the-ground intervention directly. Instead, it funds an institution to create and operate an entity that can administer and award sub-grants to support multiple researcher-initiated projects.
What is the expected role of the main award recipient?
The main awardee is expected to build and run the PRIL infrastructure and oversee a portfolio of sub-grants. This includes establishing processes to solicit, review, select, and manage sub-grants; ensuring projects align with USDA/FNS priorities; and generating useful evidence that can inform WIC program improvement.
What are the sub-grants expected to support?
The sub-grants are expected to support researcher-initiated projects designed to develop, pilot, and test strategies that improve retention of children in WIC.
What kinds of settings should proposed retention strategies focus on?
The opportunity highlights practical, real-world settings where WIC participation is experienced and influenced, especially:
- WIC service delivery sites (such as clinics or agencies where eligibility is determined and benefits are managed)
- Retail environments (where WIC foods are purchased and benefits are redeemed)
What types of real-world factors may be relevant to retention research under this opportunity?
The announcement points to operational contexts where elements such as appointment logistics, participant communications, clinic workflow, shopping experience, benefit redemption, and participant support systems may directly affect whether families remain engaged with WIC.
How does the opportunity address diversity and equity among WIC participants?
A stated requirement is that proposed strategies must explicitly recognize the social and cultural diversity of WIC participants and those eligible for WIC. This implies research and project designs should account for differences such as language needs, cultural food preferences, norms around health care and breastfeeding, geographic differences (including urban, rural, and tribal communities), and differing barriers to participation.
What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism. The description indicates USDA/FNS anticipates substantial involvement in the project beyond what is typical for a pass-through grant.
How many awards did USDA/FNS intend to make under this announcement?
The announcement indicates USDA intended to make one new award for the FY 2017 to 2019 period.
What is the maximum funding level mentioned for this opportunity?
The anticipated funding level is up to $1,000,000, described as the award ceiling.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Food and Nutrition.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 10.540 (WIC).
When was this opportunity posted, and what was the application deadline?
The opportunity was posted on September 2, 2016, with an original application deadline of November 2, 2016.
Who is eligible to apply for the PRIL award?
Eligible applicants are described broadly, but the opportunity points to public or private academic or research institutions as the target partners for creating and operating the lab and managing the sub-grant portfolio.
What is PRIL expected to produce or deliver?
The intended outcome is a stream of tested, evidence-based strategies that reduce drop-off and improve continuity of WIC participation among children, along with synthesized findings that can be translated into actionable guidance for WIC program improvement.
What does an applicant institution need to propose in its PRIL plan?
Based on the description, an institution would be expected to propose how it will:
- Build and operate the PRIL as a participant-centered research hub
- Solicit, review, competitively select, and manage sub-grants
- Provide oversight and ensure alignment with USDA/FNS priorities
- Support implementation and evaluation in WIC service delivery and retail contexts
- Ensure methodological rigor and ethical standards across projects
- Synthesize results into usable insights for improving WIC retention among children
What legal and regulatory authorities are cited for this opportunity?
The opportunity is grounded in federal statutory authority, including Section 17(g)(5)(1) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (as amended) and Section 1472 of the National Agriculture Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318). The USDA regulatory authority cited includes 7 CFR 2.19(a)(3)(x).
Why is child retention in WIC a central focus of PRIL?
The PRIL is designed to generate evidence about strategies that help keep eligible children enrolled in WIC over time. The overall intent is to strengthen WIC’s impact during early childhood by reducing drop-off and improving continuity of participation.
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