Request for USDA-ARS/USWBSI Continuation Funding

The FY25-YR4 and YR2 Continuation Funding Request Submission Portal will open in August 2024, awarded PIs will be contacted directly with instructions.

Each year of a USDA-ARS/USWBSI multiple-year project is funded annually. The first increment of funding is issued with a “new” USDA-ARS agreement. The following years are each issued as a continuation award with amendments to the original agreement. Continuation awards are funded in 12-month increments regardless of the agreement period of performance (4YR or 2YR). Continuation awards are reviewed annually for successful outcomes on prior year funding and assessed against requirements and funding availability to determine funding amount. Full funding of the continuation requested amount should not be assumed.

The USWBSI continuation award funding process includes two-phases, in order to obtain the next allotment of funding, upon notification, grantees must:

1. Submit a USWBSI Request for Continuation by September 19, 2024 (instructions below). The USWBSI reviews and determines recommended amount to be funded.
2. Based on review, submit a USDA-ARS Continuation Award Application in February 2025. The USWBSI NFO will review and forward the application materials to the USDA-ARS.

USDA-ARS/USWBSI Continuation Awards will depend upon:

• Eligibility, only currently funded USDA-ARS/USWBSI PIs (with agreement established in FY22 or FY24) are eligible
• Availability of funds
• Satisfactory recipient progress and objectives
• Timely submission of required financial data and reports
• Compliance with all terms and conditions of the award (awards are subject to 2 CFR 200, as adopted by the USDA-ARS at 2 CFR 400)

USWBSI Continuation Submission Instructions (FY25-YR4 and YR2) - OPENS Early August 2024

When the process opens in August 2024, PIs will be able to login to the USWBSI Submission Portal and link(s) to their continuation request submission form(s) for currently funded projects.  
FY25-YR4 and YR2 Award Year will be 5/1/2025-04/30/2026

USWBSI Submission Form Requirements

• Summary of Progress/Changes – Download the Summary of Progress and Requested Changes form, complete and upload a signed PDF version. 
  Note: It is critical that a comprehensive account of your project progress be provided, funding determinations will be made on the assessment of progress. (Samples of effective summaries are provided in sidebar for your reference.) 
• Project Description – Download and review your original Project Description (included as link in submission form), if changes are needed for YR4 or YR2 make them in the document, indicate if any changes were incorporated via checkbox provided, complete and upload project description.
• Breeder/Pre-Breeding/IM-CP Trial Report – If required for your project, upload your updated Breeder, Prebreeding or IM-CP Trials report (see templates in right-hand sidebar on this page).
• FY25-YR4/YR2 Budget Request – Your FY24 Budget will be available to download for reference only, a new FY25 Budget Justification and Summary template is required. The expectation is that continuation requests are to be submitted at same amount as approved in FY24 in January 2024 notice, if budget was modified in May 2024 the initial amount can be used see note in your submission form with details.
• Multi-PI Projects – For continuation requests, the Lead PI should submit the FY25 Continuation request collectively for the group, including all individual budgets (use the Multi-PI budget template in right hand sidebar). The co-PIs will not submit at this stage, co-PIs will be contacted directly to provide their individual materials for the USDA-ARS Continuation Award Application stage.

USDA-ARS Continuation Award Application (FY25-YR4 and YR2) - OPENS in January 2025

Once the USWBSI review and recommendation process is complete, PIs will be contacted to prepare a USDA-ARS Continuation Award Application, where any adjustments from the USWBSI review are incorporated and a final budget and summary of progress/changes file are submitted.