DES MOINES — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of funding to support Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) in Iowa to support the development of innovative approaches and technologies. Grant proposals are due May 7, 2023.
CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. Project proposals must be more than $25,000 but not exceed $200,000 and run 1 to 3 years. The CIG requires applicants to supply at least a 50-50 match.
This year’s state priorities are:
• Soil Health/Climate Smart Ag
• Water Quality and Quantity
• Wildlife Habitat
• Urban Agriculture
• Equity/Reaching Underserved Customers
Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov. For those new to the grants.gov system, there are several preliminary steps required before an application can be submitted. To register in the grants.gov system, go to www.grants.gov, click on “Applicants”, then click on “Get Registered.” All non-Federal entities and individuals are invited to apply.
Funded through NRCS, CIG helps stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector.
Visit the Iowa NRCS CIG webpage at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov for more information.