Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (SNAP EFNEP) Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention | Apply Online

FAQs: SNAP-EFNEP Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant (USDA NIFA, 2014)

What was the SNAP-EFNEP Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention grant opportunity?

It was a discretionary USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant program designed to strengthen the evidence base for nutrition education and obesity prevention strategies serving disadvantaged, low-income families and children connected to SNAP and EFNEP audiences.

What was the main purpose of this funding program?

The central purpose was to build stronger, measurable evidence for strategies and interventions that improve outcomes USDA cares about, including health status, obesity-related measures, nutrition and food behaviors, and physical activity behaviors.

What kinds of outcomes did USDA want projects to measure?

The opportunity emphasized measurable improvements in health status, obesity-related measures, nutrition and food behaviors, and physical activity behaviors.

Was this opportunity focused only on research?

No. In addition to generating research findings, it emphasized translating results into practical education and extension activities, as well as broader environmental, systems, and policy approaches that could realistically be adopted and sustained in communities.

What does "translation into education/extension activities" mean in this context?

Based on the program description, it meant turning research results into actionable, real-world education and extension efforts, and communicating results in ways that could be implemented through education/extension networks and community partners.

Did the program include environmental, systems, and policy (ESP) approaches?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly highlighted broader environmental, systems, and policy approaches alongside education/extension activities, with an emphasis on approaches that could be adopted and sustained in communities.

What was a major structural feature of the program?

A major feature was creating a set of regional research centers along with a national coordination center.

Why did the program use regional research centers and a national coordination center?

The intent was to support multi-site, coordinated work that could generate stronger, more generalizable evidence than isolated projects, improve consistency in evaluation, support shared learning, and strengthen dissemination of results.

What was the goal of coordinating work across regions?

By organizing efforts regionally and coordinating them nationally, the program aimed to accelerate development, testing, and scaling of effective nutrition education and obesity prevention approaches for SNAP- and EFNEP-related audiences, and to ensure results could be communicated and implemented broadly.

What type of funding instrument was used?

The funding instrument type was a grant.

What activity category did this opportunity fall under?

It was listed under the Agriculture and Food and Nutrition activity category.

What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was tied to CFDA 10.200 (Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants).

How much total funding did USDA estimate was available?

USDA estimated a total of $4,000,000 available under the opportunity.

What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $856,250 per award.

Were matching funds or cost sharing required?

No. The opportunity stated that no cost sharing or matching funds were required.

When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted July 15, 2014 (created July 17, 2014). The original closing date and the final closing date were both August 15, 2014.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The listing reflects a 2014 competition cycle and was archived on September 16, 2014.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," with full eligibility details referenced in Part III of the Request for Applications (RFA). Applicants were expected to consult the full announcement to confirm eligibility.

Where were the full eligibility requirements described?

The full eligibility details were referenced as being in Part III of the Request for Applications (RFA).

What was the practical focus for applicants and prospective grantees?

The program was positioned as coordinated, evidence-driven work with clear expectations for measurable outcomes and real-world translation, focusing on actionable approaches and implementation pathways to improve diet, physical activity, and health outcomes among low-income families and children.

What audiences were the interventions intended to serve?

The description emphasized disadvantaged, low-income families and children, specifically in connection with SNAP and EFNEP audiences.

How could applicants get help with the announcement or application questions?

NIFA directed users to its Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, excluding federal holidays) for help accessing the full announcement or preparing an application, and for questions related to application content.

What were the Help Desk hours and availability?

The Help Desk was available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, excluding federal holidays.

What phone number was provided for the NIFA Help Desk?

The phone number provided was 202-401-5048.