Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS MI 17 01
The MI Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Fiscal Year 2017 is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) competitive grant opportunity focused on Michigan-based projects that can accelerate real-world adoption of practical conservation solutions in agriculture. The central goal is to stimulate innovative conservation approaches and technologies that protect and enhance natural resources while supporting agricultural production. Rather than funding basic or exploratory research, the program is geared toward projects that take proven or emerging conservation tools and show how they can be implemented, improved, and scaled through on-the-ground use, field demonstrations, pilot efforts, and broad knowledge transfer.
A key expectation of CIG projects is that successful approaches will be positioned for wider use beyond the grant period. That often means creating results and materials that can be folded into NRCS technical manuals, guides, and standard conservation practice support tools, or transferred into the private sector so producers and partners can adopt them more broadly. The program also emphasizes collaboration and information sharing, encouraging communities, governments, and institutions to share skills, facilities, technologies, and lessons learned so that conservation innovation becomes accessible to more users and not limited to a small set of early adopters.
The program is explicit about what it will and will not fund. CIG generally does not fund research projects, with one important exception: on-farm conservation research. In this context, on-farm conservation research must be designed to answer a specific conservation question using a statistically valid approach and farm-scale equipment on actual farm fields. That means a legitimate experimental design with an appropriate number of replications and proper statistical analysis, not informal trials or demonstrations without measurable, defensible evaluation. Even when research is supported under this exception, NRCS limits support to work that clearly stimulates innovative natural resource management tied directly to agricultural production.
Projects can be single-year or multi-year, but they cannot exceed three years in length, and all project work must be located in Michigan. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a grant funding instrument. It is listed under CFDA 10.912 and falls within the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources activity area. The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS MI 17 01, and it was created on March 10, 2017, with an original closing date of May 09, 2017. The award ceiling is $75,000 per award, and NRCS anticipated making about three awards under this Michigan solicitation.
Eligibility is broad and includes many public, private, and nonprofit applicants. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); individuals; for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses. This wide eligibility reflects the program’s intent to promote cross-sector innovation and to support projects that can move quickly from concept to demonstration and adoption.
The selection process described in the notice is structured and multi-step. Proposals are first screened for completeness and compliance with the solicitation requirements, and incomplete or noncompliant submissions are eliminated from consideration with notice provided to the applicant. Proposals that pass this initial screening are then evaluated by a technical peer review panel using the proposal evaluation criteria referenced in the instructions (section V.B of the full announcement). After peer review, proposals and their reviews are forwarded to the Michigan Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist. Final selection decisions are made by the NRCS State Conservationist, meaning the process combines technical scoring with state-level program priorities and oversight.
In practical terms, this opportunity is best suited for applicants who already have a conservation practice, technology, management system, or market-based approach that has shown promise and now needs a well-designed Michigan pilot, field demonstration, or adoption-focused implementation effort to prove its value at scale. Competitive proposals would typically show clear conservation benefits, credible methods for measuring outcomes, strong partner engagement, and a concrete plan for transferring results into NRCS guidance and/or broader private-sector use after the grant ends.Apply for USDA NRCS MI 17 01
- The Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-NHQ in the agriculture, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MI Conservation Innovation Grants for Fiscal Year 2017" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 10, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 09, 2017. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): MI Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - FY 2017 (USDA NRCS)
What is the MI Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program for Fiscal Year 2017?
The MI Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Fiscal Year 2017 is a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) competitive grant opportunity for Michigan-based projects. It is designed to accelerate real-world adoption of practical, innovative conservation solutions in agriculture that protect and enhance natural resources while supporting agricultural production.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central goal is to stimulate innovative conservation approaches and technologies by taking proven or emerging tools and showing how they can be implemented, improved, and scaled through on-the-ground use. The program prioritizes field demonstrations, pilot efforts, and broad knowledge transfer that help move conservation innovation into wider use.
Is this grant intended to fund basic research?
No. The program is clear that it generally does not fund research projects. The focus is on adoption-oriented work such as pilot implementation, field demonstration, and scaling of conservation practices rather than basic or exploratory research.
Is any type of research allowed under this program?
Yes, one exception is allowed: on-farm conservation research. To qualify, the research must answer a specific conservation question using a statistically valid approach, using farm-scale equipment on actual farm fields, with appropriate replication and proper statistical analysis. Informal trials or demonstrations without defensible evaluation do not meet this standard.
What does NRCS mean by "on-farm conservation research" in this notice?
In this opportunity, on-farm conservation research means research conducted on real farm fields using farm-scale equipment, structured around a legitimate experimental design. It must include an appropriate number of replications and a plan for statistical analysis, and it must be designed to answer a specific conservation question tied directly to agricultural production and innovative natural resource management.
Where must project work take place?
All project work must be located in Michigan. This is a Michigan-focused solicitation and is intended for Michigan-based projects.
How long can a project last?
Projects may be single-year or multi-year, but they cannot exceed three years in length.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $75,000 per award.
How many awards does NRCS expect to make under this Michigan solicitation?
NRCS anticipated making about three awards under this Michigan solicitation.
What type of funding is this (formula vs. competitive)?
This is a competitive grant opportunity.
Is this discretionary or mandatory funding?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
What funding instrument is used?
The opportunity uses a grant funding instrument.
What is the CFDA number and program area for this opportunity?
The listing is under CFDA 10.912 and falls within the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources activity area.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NRCS MI 17 01.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on March 10, 2017, and the original closing date was May 09, 2017.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County, city, township, and special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- Individuals
- For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
Why is eligibility so broad for this program?
The wide eligibility reflects the program's intent to promote cross-sector innovation and support projects that can move quickly from concept to demonstration and adoption. The program emphasizes collaboration and knowledge transfer across communities, governments, institutions, producers, and private-sector partners.
What kinds of projects are a good fit for MI CIG?
This opportunity is best suited for applicants who already have a conservation practice, technology, management system, or market-based approach that has shown promise and now needs a well-designed Michigan pilot, field demonstration, or adoption-focused implementation effort. The strongest fit is work that can prove value at scale and lead to broader adoption beyond the grant period.
What outcomes does NRCS expect after the grant period ends?
A key expectation is that successful approaches will be positioned for wider use beyond the grant period. That often includes producing results and materials that can be incorporated into NRCS technical manuals, guides, and conservation practice support tools, and/or transferred into the private sector so producers and partners can adopt the approach more broadly.
Does the program encourage collaboration and sharing of results?
Yes. The program emphasizes collaboration and information sharing, encouraging communities, governments, and institutions to share skills, facilities, technologies, and lessons learned so conservation innovation becomes accessible to more users rather than remaining limited to a small set of early adopters.
How are proposals selected?
The selection process is multi-step. Proposals are first screened for completeness and compliance with solicitation requirements. Incomplete or noncompliant submissions are eliminated and the applicant is notified. Proposals that pass screening are evaluated by a technical peer review panel using the evaluation criteria referenced in the instructions (section V.B of the full announcement). After peer review, proposals and reviews go to the Michigan Review Board, which makes recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist. Final selection decisions are made by the NRCS State Conservationist.
What happens if a proposal is incomplete or does not follow the solicitation requirements?
Proposals are screened for completeness and compliance. Incomplete or noncompliant submissions are eliminated from consideration, and notice is provided to the applicant.
Who makes the final award decision?
The final selection decisions are made by the NRCS State Conservationist, after considering peer review results and recommendations from the Michigan Review Board.
What does a competitive proposal typically include?
Based on the notice description, competitive proposals typically demonstrate clear conservation benefits, credible methods for measuring outcomes, strong partner engagement, and a concrete plan for transferring results into NRCS guidance and/or broader private-sector use after the grant ends.
What kinds of activities does the program emphasize?
The program emphasizes on-the-ground use, field demonstrations, pilot efforts, and broad knowledge transfer to accelerate adoption of practical conservation solutions in agriculture. It is designed to show implementable pathways for conservation tools rather than focusing on early-stage exploration.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| South Carolina Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS SC CIG 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS SC CIG 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Colorado Conservation Innovation Grants - Fiscal Year 2017 Apply for USDA NRCS CO CIG 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS CO CIG 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Utah State Office Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Pennsylvania Cheseapeake Bay Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS PABAY CIG 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS PABAY CIG 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| California Conservation Innovation Grants Apply for USDA NRCS CA CIG 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS CA CIG 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Mississippi Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Apply for USDA NRCS MS CTA 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MS CTA 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Vermont Conservation Innovation Grant Apply for USDA NRCS VT CIG 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CIG 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Mississippi ACEP-WRP-EWP Apply for USDA NRCS MS ACEP 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MS ACEP 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Oregon Conservation Innovation Grants - Forest Stand Resiliency Apply for USDA NRCS OR CIG 17 02 Funding Number: USDA NRCS OR CIG 17 02 Agency: Department of Agriculture, NRCS Oregon Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Inventory and Monitoring Changes In Vegetative Communities on Flood Irrigated Wet Meadows Apply for F17AS00244 Funding Number: F17AS00244 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $65,000 |
| Assistance with the organization and function of the Pike River - Lake Carmi and Rock River Watersheds Planning Groups (VT) Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 03 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 03 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Assistance with the organization and function of the Hungerford Brook and St Albans Bay Watersheds (VT) Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 02 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $87,500 |
| 2017 NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance in Vermont Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP ACEP FRPP WRP 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP ACEP FRPP WRP 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Assistance with the organization and function of the East Creek and McKenzie Brook Watersheds (VT) Apply for USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS VT CTA EQIP 17 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-NHQ Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $87,500 |
| Conservation Collaboration Grants or Agreements Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Apply for USDA NRCS MULTI STATE CENTRAL CCG 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MULTI STATE CENTRAL CCG 001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Apply for USDA NRCS GA CIG 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS GA CIG 001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-MSD-Ft Worth Office Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 – Pennsylvania Apply for USDA NRCS PA CIG 18 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS PA CIG 18 001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 – Rhode Island Apply for USDA NRCS RI CIG 18 001 Funding Number: USDA NRCS RI CIG 18 001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018- New York Apply for USDA NRCS NY CIG 18 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS NY CIG 18 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS' Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 -Maryland Apply for USDA NRCS MD CIG 18 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS MD CIG 18 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Accelerate conservation adoption in the Western Lake Erie Basin Apply for USDA NRCS IN WLEB 18 01 Funding Number: USDA NRCS IN WLEB 18 01 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Kentucky State Office Category: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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