Competitive Cooperative Agreement Award To Establish a USDA RIDGE Partnership for Food and Nutrition Assistance Research

Background
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS), in collaboration with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), invites applications for a competitively awarded cooperative agreement to establish a research partnership to administer the Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Program. The USDA RIDGE Partnership will provide renewed focus on economic aspects of food and nutrition assistance research, stimulate innovative research on domestic food and nutrition assistance issues, and broaden the network and diversity of social scientists working to expand the understanding of the economic, nutrition, and health outcomes of participation in USDA’s food assistance programs.

Grant Details
The RIDGE Partnership will administer a program of grants to researchers at universities and other institutions, oversee the application, peer review, sub-grant award, and quality assurance processes of RIDGE. The institute awarded with the RIDGE Partnership will support food and nutrition assistance research at the national level as well as for specific populations. ERS anticipates funding the RIDGE Partnership beginning September 16, 2022, with an anticipated funding of approximately $750,000 for FY 2022. The RIDGE Partnership is expected to solicit, review, and select research proposals for RIDGE subawards in the form of grants. It should also broaden the network of researchers who collaborate in investigating food and nutrition challenges that exist throughout the Nation.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants for the USDA RIDGE Partnership for Food and Nutrition Assistance Research are restricted to public or private institutions of higher education.

Period of Performance
The award pursuant to this announcement will be made on or about September 16, 2022. ERS expects to fund the USDA RIDGE Partnership for Food and Nutrition Assistance Research in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and may provide a comparable level of funding in one or two subsequent years.

Grant Value
$750,000 will be awarded in fiscal year 2022 to support this activity. If funding is available, the Research Partner could be asked to fund subsequent rounds of small grants in FY 2023 and FY 2024.