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Description

This crosscutting program addresses the priority of childhood obesity prevention. Obesity is the number one nutritional problem in America. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prevalence rates for overweight and obesity in children and adolescents have tripled in the past 30 years. One in eight pre-school children is overweight or obese, as is one in six teenagers. These figures are even grimmer for many low-income and minority communities. At the same time, the U.S. food supply contains an abundant amount of foods that are high in energy with appealing taste, but which are low in nutrient content. Food is an integral part of the process that leads to obesity and USDA has a unique responsibility for the food system in the United States.

To meet these identified needs, the long-term outcome for this program is to reduce the prevalence of
overweight and obesity among children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 years. Projects are expected to
address the stated Program Area Priority which collectively contributes to the achievement of the
following goals:

1. Generation of new knowledge about behavioral and environmental factors that influence excessive weight gain by children.
2. Development of effective behavioral and environmental interventions to increase dietary intakes of fruits and vegetables; increase the variety of vegetables in the diet, decrease dietary intakes of foods high in solid fats and added sugars; increase the number of children that meet guidelines for television viewing and computer use; increase physical activity in children; and ultimately to decrease the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. The development of new, more effective evaluation tools may be necessary.
3. Expansion of interventions proven effective and assessment of their impact.
4. An increase in the number of educators, practitioners, and researchers who receive the training needed to address the complex problem of childhood obesity prevention.
In order to achieve these program goals, the Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area will address several focused objectives. In FY 2010, preschool and early elementary school age children (ages 2-8 years) were targeted. In FY 2011, pre-adolescent and early adolescent children (ages 9-14 years) will be targeted. It is anticipated that adolescents ages 15-19 years will be targeted in FY 2012. While new funding opportunities to address program goals with older children are anticipated for future fiscal years, these opportunities will be contingent on funding available to NIFA for this purpose.

Available Funding

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of
awards. In FY 2011, subject to availability of funds, approximately $262 million is available for support of the AFRI program. Of this amount, no less than 30 percent will be made available to fund integrated research, education, and extension programs. Of the AFRI funds allocated to research activities, section 7406 of the FCEA directs 60 percent toward grants for fundamental (or basic) research and 40 percent toward grants for applied research. Of the AFRI funds allocated to fundamental research, not less than 30 percent will be directed toward research by multidisciplinary teams. It is anticipated that no less than 10 percent of the FY 2011 funds will be made available for Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants, and no more than two percent of the funds available for fundamental research will be made available for Equipment Grants. AFRI funds may be used to support applications submitted to supplementary AFRI RFAs and/or solicitations for multi-agency programs in which AFRI is and will be participating.

NOTE: This RFA is being released prior to the passage of an Appropriations Act for FY 2011. Enactment of additional Continuing Resolutions or an Appropriations Act may affect the overall level of funding for the AFRI program. Therefore, NIFA reserves the right to amend, delete, or alter any programs outlined in this RFA.

In FY 2011, subject to availability of funds, it is anticipated that approximately $33.5 million will be madeavailable to support the Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area within AFRI with approximately $8.5 million available for new awards.

Awards issued as a result of this RFA will have designated the Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service, as the payment system for funds. For more information see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html.

Eligible Applicants

Applicants must respond to the Program Area Priorities and deadlines found in the FY 2011 RFAs. Grant recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

1. Integrated Projects

Since only Integrated Projects are being solicited under this RFA, eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include: 1) colleges and universities; 2) 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and 3) Hispanicserving agricultural colleges and universities.
For Integrated Projects, the terms "college" and "university" mean an educational institution in any state which 1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; 2) is legally authorized within such state to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; 3) provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded; 4) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and 5) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association. A research foundation maintained by a college or university is eligible to receive an award under this program.

2. Hispanic-serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

Section 7101 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub.L. 110-246) amended section 1404 of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3103) to create a definition for a new group of cooperating institutions: Hispanic-serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs). HSACUs are colleges and universities that qualify as Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) and offer associate, bachelors, or otheraccredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields. HSACUs do not include 1862 land-grant institutions.

Pursuant to section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) (7 U.S.C. 7626), which authorized the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grant Program, all four-year HSIs are eligible to apply for Integrated Projects as identified in the FY 2011 AFRI RFA. Two-year HSIs, however, may be eligible to apply only upon a determination by NIFA that the institution offers an associate or other accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields. To seek an eligibility determination for grants under the FY 2011 AFRI RFA, two-year HSIs may submit a one-page request to NIFA certifying that they are a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a), and providing a justification that they do offer associate or other accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields. Eligibility determinations are valid for FY 2011 only and must be renewed every fiscal year.

Additional questions on HSACU eligibility can be addressed to Dr. Irma Lawrence, HSI National Program Leader, at ilawrence@nifa.usda.gov, (202) 720-2082, or via fax (202) 720-3398. HSIs that seek a determination of eligibility may submit a request before the application deadline date to Dr. Lawrence directly or as a portable document format (PDF) attachment to the SF-424-R&R application package submitted through Grants.gov. The request should document that the HSI: 1) qualifies as aHispanic-serving institution; 2) offers accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields; and 3) is not an 1862 Land-Grant institution.

3. Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement Grants

The Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants have additional eligibility requirements. See Part II, D. 3 (page 11) for details.

Agency Name

National Institute of Food and Agriculture