Terry Cosby, Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced a $3 million investment in research partnerships to improve soil surveys. Institutions of higher education within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network are encouraged to submit proposals by July 8, 2024.
Collaboration and partnership are crucial for achieving NRCS’s goals of supporting community planning, resource development, environmental quality, recreational needs, land and water conservation, and pollution control through soil surveys. Proposals for funding must involve significant cooperation with soil survey personnel from organizations such as the National Soil Survey Center or Major Land Resource Area soil survey offices.
The research should have national or broad regional significance and address gaps in soil survey databases, explore new data collection methods, and tackle emerging issues in research priority areas. Projects funded through this initiative could begin in October 2024 and last up to three years, with costs ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. The research priorities for fiscal year 2024 were developed in partnership with the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Research Priorities Committee, NRCS, and the Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD).
Interested parties can find more details on the funding opportunity on the NRCS website’s notice of funding section.
