USDA funds co-op impact research
griculture Secretary Mike
Johanns in late April
announced about
$495,000 in competitive
funds are available to
institutions of higher learning to conduct
research on the national economic
impact of cooperatives.
“Cooperatives play an important role
in the growth of our rural economy,”
said Johanns. “This research will help
to measure the full impact cooperatives
are making in rural communities across
America and provide USDA with an
overview of what is working and how
cooperative businesses can play central
roles in vibrant rural economies.”
The competitive funds will be used
to establish cooperative research agreements
with institutions to examine the
impact of cooperatives, in cooperation
with USDA Rural Development. Each
agreement will include guidance on the
development of a methodology for collecting
and assembling basic impact
data; applying the methodology to collect
data and analyze the economic
impact of cooperatives and other appropriate
studies to examine the socio-economic
impact of cooperatives on local
communities. Projects must be completed
by September 30, 2008.
Potential applicants are institutions
of higher education; public or private
colleges or universities, research foundations
maintained by a college or university
or private nonprofit organizations
funded by a group of colleges or
universities.
Application forms, guides and materials
for the cooperative agreement can
be found at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
rbs/coops/reic.htm or by contacting
USDA Rural Development at (202)
690-0368; TDD: (800) 877-8339.
Paper applications must be received in
the USDA Rural Development National
Office, postmarked no later than
June 30, 2006; electronic applications
are to be received by the same deadline
date via: http://www.grants.gov.
For more information, go to: http://
www.rurdev.usda.gov/ and click on
“Available Funds.”
