Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard 

2024 Cooperative Agreements 

Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Opportunity Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-24-0010

Publication Date: March 19, 2024

Application Due Date: May 20, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time
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Funding Opportunity: Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard 2024

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) is announcing the availability of cooperative agreement funding to carry 

out the Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard (AMR Dashboard) as described in the U.S. House of 

Representatives Report for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2021. Through public-private partnerships, USDA APHIS will 

develop and utilize antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools to improve access to information on 

antimicrobial resistance in domesticated animals, including livestock, poultry, and companion animals. 

All antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools developed will provide data protections similar to the 

Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act. Once created, the antimicrobial 

resistance dashboard tools will be used to monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance patterns, detect 

emerging resistance profiles, and better understand relationships between antimicrobial use and animal 

health management practices and antimicrobial resistance. Additional details about the program and 

this funding opportunity, including additional information for applicants, are available at USDA APHIS 

One Health – Funding Opportunities.

SYNOPSIS 

Funding Opportunity Title: Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard (AMR Dashboard) 2024

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-24-0010

Funding Type: Cooperative Agreements

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.025, Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and 

Animal Care

Application Due Date: Applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time on May 

20, 2024. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Funding Opportunity Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) is announcing the availability of up to $3 million in 

funds in the Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard (AMR Dashboard) to support projects in the topic areas 

listed below. 

Topic 1. Develop or enhance antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools that can securely track the 

emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant microbes in domesticated animals. 

• Must ensure similar confidentiality protections to the Confidential Information Protection and 

Statistical Efficiency Act. 

o Can include identifying and/or developing methods for protecting confidentiality of 

data. 

• Must be able to track antimicrobial susceptibility phenotype and/or genotype of microbes over 

time. 

• Can include data collection as long as data related to antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility 

of microbes from domesticated animals is incorporated into an antimicrobial resistance 

dashboard.

• Can include exploration of data user needs and preferences for antimicrobial resistance 

dashboard tools, including necessary information to be included for different audiences. 
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• Can include pilot testing antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools.

Topic 2. Maintain, expand, and utilize antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools previously developed to

build an understanding of dynamics and frequencies of resistance emergence in microbial populations:

• Monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance patterns in microbes over time.

• Model antimicrobial resistance and forecast potential future antimicrobial resistance patterns. 

• Leverage baseline findings to prioritize the detection of emerging pathogens or antimicrobial 

resistance profiles of greatest concern via a science and risk-based approach, both for 

domesticated animals and from a One Health perspective.

• Explore aspects of data management for antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools.

o This could include data acquisition, data transfer, data flow, data storage, data 

aggregation, data analysis, and long-term support of dashboard tools.

• Evaluate performance and user applicability of existing antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools 

developed in Year 1. 

• Validate data included in previously developed dashboards with external data sources.

Topic 3. Work with APHIS to develop a communication, coordination, and collaboration strategy for 

antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools. 

• Must include plans for marketing and promotion of antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools. 

• Explore incentives for participating in the antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools developed. 

• Develop messages tailored to specific audiences.

Eligible Applicants:

1. State departments of agriculture

2. Offices of the chief animal health official of a State

3. Nonprofits 

4. Institutions of higher education

5. State or national livestock, poultry, or aquaculture producer organizations with direct and 

significant economic interest in livestock, poultry, or aquaculture production

6. State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organizations or specialty boards recognized by the 

American Veterinary Medical Association

7. Tribal entities

Cost Sharing: Not required
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Synopsis ............................................................................................................................................1

Full Announcement............................................................................................................................4

A. Description .............................................................................................................................4

A.1 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION........................................................................................4

A.2 2024 FUNDING PRIORITIES ...........................................................................................................4

A.3 ALIGNMENT WITH USDA APHIS GOALS ........................................................................................5

A.4 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY...............................................................................................................6

B. Federal Award Information .....................................................................................................6

B.1 COST GUIDANCE............................................................................................................................6

C. Eligibility Information .............................................................................................................6

C.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS....................................................................................................................6

C.2 COST SHARING ..............................................................................................................................7

C.3 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.................................................................................................7

D. Application and Submission Information .................................................................................7

D.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE ........................................................................................7

D.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE.................................................................7

D.3 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)...........................8

D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES ...................................................................................................9

D.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW....................................................................................................9

D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS...............................................................................................................9

D.7 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS...........................................................................................9

E. Application Review Information ............................................................................................10

E.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................................................10

E.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS .............................................................................................10

F. Federal Award Administration Information ...........................................................................11

F.1 AWARD NOTICES .........................................................................................................................11

F.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS........................................................11

F.3 REPORTING..................................................................................................................................11

F. 4 PROJECT EVALUATION.................................................................................................................12

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts........................................................................................12

H. Other Information.................................................................................................................12

APPENDIX 1. New Applicant Information..........................................................................................13

APPENDIX 2. Tips For Applicants.......................................................................................................14
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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

A. DESCRIPTION 

Awarding Agency Name: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS)

Funding Opportunity Title: Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard (AMR Dashboard) 2024

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.025

Key Dates: Applications must be received through ezFedGrants (eFG) by May 20, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern 

Daylight Savings Time. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

The agreement performance period is estimated to begin between October 1, and December 31, 2024,

and end no later than 12 months after the start date.

Applicants can find the funding opportunity information on the ezFedGrants website and the Grants.gov

website by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025-

VSSP0000-24-0010. Information is also available at USDA APHIS One Health – Funding Opportunities.

Applicants must submit all application materials electronically using the ezFedGrants system. 

A.1 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION 

This funding opportunity is provided to carry out the Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard (AMR 

Dashboard) as described in the U.S. House of Representatives Report for the Agriculture, Rural 

Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2021. Through 

public-private partnerships, USDA APHIS will develop and utilize antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools 

to improve access to information on antimicrobial resistance in domesticated animals, including livestock, 

poultry, and companion animals. All antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools developed will provide data 

protections similar to the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act. Once created, 

the antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools will be used to monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance 

patterns, detect emerging resistance profiles, and better understand relationships between antimicrobial 

use and animal health management practices and antimicrobial resistance. Additional details about the 

program and this funding opportunity, including additional information for applicants, are available at 

USDA APHIS One Health – Funding Opportunities.

APHIS will make available up to $3,000,000 in funds to support AMR Dashboard projects in 2024. In this 

funding opportunity, the AMR Dashboard is seeking proposals for projects that address the funding 

priority topics described in Section A.2, and funds will be awarded to eligible entities described in Section 

C.

A.2 2024 FUNDING PRIORITIES 

APHIS will consider project proposals that clearly and directly support one of the antimicrobial resistance 

dashboard topics described below. Regardless of the priority topic, applicants are encouraged to submit 

proposals that: 
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Topic 1. Develop or enhance antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools that can securely track the 

emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant microbes in domesticated animals. 

• Must ensure similar confidentiality protections to the Confidential Information Protection and 

Statistical Efficiency Act. 

o Can include identifying and/or developing methods for protecting confidentiality of 

data. 

• Must be able to track antimicrobial susceptibility phenotype and/or genotype of microbes over 

time. 

• Can include data collection as long as data related to antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility 

of microbes from domesticated animals is incorporated into an antimicrobial resistance 

dashboard.

• Can include exploration of data user needs and preferences for antimicrobial resistance 

dashboard tools, including necessary information to be included for different audiences. 

• Can include pilot testing antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools.

Topic 2. Maintain, expand, and utilize antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools previously developed to

build an understanding of dynamics and frequencies of resistance emergence in microbial populations:

• Monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance patterns in microbes over time.

• Model antimicrobial resistance and forecast potential future antimicrobial resistance patterns. 

• Leverage baseline findings to prioritize the detection of emerging pathogens or antimicrobial 

resistance profiles of greatest concern via a science and risk-based approach, both for 

domesticated animals and from a One Health perspective.

• Explore aspects of data management for antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools.

o This could include data acquisition, data transfer, data flow, data storage, data 

aggregation, data analysis, and long-term support of dashboard tools.

• Evaluate performance and user applicability of existing antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools 

developed in Year 1. 

• Validate data included in previously developed dashboards with external data sources.

Topic 3. Work with APHIS to develop a communication, coordination, and collaboration strategy for 

antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools. 

• Must include plans for marketing and promotion of antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools. 

• Explore incentives for participating in the antimicrobial resistance dashboard tools developed. 

• Develop messages tailored to specific audiences.

A.3 ALIGNMENT WITH USDA APHIS GOALS

This funding opportunity supports APHIS Veterinary Services’ (VS) mission to protect animal health as well 

as USDA APHIS Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safeguard American Agriculture, Objective 2.2: Manage plant and 

animal pests and disease once established in the United States to promote plant and animal health, Tactic: 

Understand antibiotic use in livestock, conduct surveillance of antibiotic drug susceptibility of selected 

bacterial organisms, and monitor antimicrobial resistance in animals over time. 
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A.4 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

The AMR Dashboard is authorized in the U.S. House of Representatives Report for the Agriculture, Rural 

Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2021.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 

Total Amount to be Awarded: APHIS will make available up to $3,000,000 in funds to support projects 

that address the funding priorities described in Section A.2. There is no commitment by USDA to fund any 

application or to make any Federal award as a result of this announcement. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: Awards will be funded via cooperative agreements. Cooperative 

agreements include substantial involvement by APHIS to assist in the completion of the goals and objectives 

of the work.

Anticipated Award Start Date: APHIS anticipates that work covered under these agreements will start 

between October 1, and December 31, 2024, but flexibility may be allowed to accommodate specific 

project needs. 

Period of Performance: Projects must be completed within 12 months. The period of performance will 

depend on the nature of the work. Funding will not be allowed, nor activities approved to occur, either 

before or after the designated period of performance. A pre-award must be established if activities need 

to occur before the period of performance.

Competitive Process: Funds will be awarded to the highest quality proposals through a competitive review 

and award process. The proposal review process is described in Section E. The number of awards is 

contingent on the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Final funding decisions 

are at the discretion of USDA.

Based on reviewer recommendations, APHIS may award less than the requested amount of funds for a

project. In these cases, applicants may accept or decline the award that is offered. If applicants accept a 

reduced funding level, applicants will submit a revised application that addresses reviewer concerns and 

aligns with the award amount. APHIS will provide additional guidance to applicants in these situations.

B.1 COST GUIDANCE 

All APHIS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, allowable and unallowable costs, 

direct and indirect costs, cost share and matching, and other considerations as described and defined in:

• Guidelines for Use of Fundsfor AMR Dashboard Cooperative Agreements. This document includes 

information on how to calculate indirect costs for AMR Dashboard Awards, and 

• 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles – General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

All applicants must submit a detailed Financial Plan that adheres to the documents referenced above.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 

C.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS 

AMR Dashboard eligible applicants are:

1. State departments of agriculture

2. Offices of the chief animal health official of a State

3. Nonprofits 
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4. Institutions of higher education

5. State or national livestock, poultry, or aquaculture producer organizations with direct and 

significant economic interest in livestock, poultry, or aquaculture production

6. State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organizations or specialty boards recognized by the 

American Veterinary Medical Association

7. Tribal entities

C.2 COST SHARING 

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for AMR Dashboard projects. If an applicant

includes contributions as part of a cost share in their budget proposal and it is accepted by APHIS, the 

commitment of funds becomes legally binding, must be reported on the SF-425, and is subject to audit. 

Additional information about cost sharing is available in the Guidelines for Use of Funds at USDA APHIS 

One Health – Funding Opportunities. 

C.3 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 

Application packages must meet these initial screening criteria to be considered for further review. 

Proposals that do not meet these initial screening criteria will not be considered.

1. Proposals must be submitted by eligible entities.

2. Proposals must address the funding priorities described in Section A.

3. All required documents and forms listed in Section D.2 must (a) be included in the application 

package, and (b) comply with the submission instructions described in Section D of this 

announcement. Any application package with missing or incomplete documents or forms will not 

be considered for review.

4. Proposals, including all associated documents and forms, must be received on or before the 

proposal submission deadline. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be 

considered.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

We urge applicants to submit their application packages early and to complete the following activities as 

soon as possible: (1) Register and maintain an active System for Awards Management (SAM) account, (2) 

create a Login.gov Account, and (3) establish an ezFedGrants (eFG) account. Instructions for these steps 

are available in Appendix 1 and at Here’s How to Get Ready Now.

Applicants may submit more than one project proposal. Applicants who submit more than one proposal 

must submit each proposal as a separate application package.

D.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

Applicants can find all application materials on the ezFedGrants (eFG) website or the Grants.gov website 

by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-23-

0003. Information is also available at USDA APHIS One Health – Funding Opportunities.

D.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE 

The application package must include the following: 
8

□ Project proposal WORK PLAN. See below.

□ Project proposal FINANCIAL PLAN. See below.

□ SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”.

□ SF-424A, “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs”.

□ Certification Regarding Lobbying. This is required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s 

financial plan / budget is greater than $100,000.

□ SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”. This is required if the Federal Assistance portion of the 

project’s financial plan / budget is greater than $100,000.

□ A signed copy of the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA must be attached 

to the Application in ezFedGrants if indirect costs are assessed). 

□ If applicable, States that are required to comply with Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental 

Review of Federal Programs, will need to include a waiver or approval response letter from the 

State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Check the Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List) (usda.gov)

for the most current list of required States for APHIS CFDA 10.025.

Applicants should refer to Appendix 2: Tips for Applicants when preparing a proposal package for 

submission. Any proposal with missing or significantly incomplete documents or forms will result in a 

rejected application.

Project Proposal Work Plan

Applicants must submit a project proposal Work Plan that provides details on all aspects of the project 

and includes all information that is requested in the AMR Dashboard Project Proposal Work Plan 

Template. The template is available at USDA APHIS One Health – Funding Opportunities. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to use the AMR Dashboard Project Proposal Work Plan Template. Applicants who do 

not use the template must include all the information requested in the template in their Work Plan. Work 

Plans should not exceed 25 pages. 

Project Proposal Financial Plan

Applicants must submit a project proposal Financial Plan that matches the information in the required 

form SF-424A, aligns with and supports the Work Plan, and includes details about the project budget. The 

AMR Dashboard Project Financial Plan Template is available at USDA APHIS One Health – Funding 

Opportunities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the AMR Dashboard Project Proposal Financial 

Plan template. Applicants who do not use the template must include all the information requested in the 

template in their Financial Plan.

When preparing a Financial Plan, applicants must comply with the guidance and funding restrictions 

described in Section B.1. 

D.3 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)

System for Award Management (SAM)

All applicants (except Federal agencies) are required to register in the System for Award Management 

(SAM) prior to submitting an application and continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current 

information throughout the award period of performance (2 CFR §200.205). To register, go to the SAM 

website. Please allow two weeks to complete the SAM registration. Frequently Asked Questions, User 

Guides, Demonstration Videos, etc., can be found on the SAM website, under the “Help” tab. Registration 
9

is free. Be sure to complete the Marketing Partner ID (MPIN) and Electronic Business Primary Point of 

Contact fields during the registration process. These are mandatory fields that are required when 

submitting grant applications. During the SAM registration process, it is mandatory to complete the 

Financial Assistance Certification Report to receive Federal financial assistance.

When creating a SAM account, it may take up to two weeks before the account appears in Federal 

systems. Applicants who are not already registered in SAM are encouraged to complete this task as soon 

as possible. Additional instructions for SAM registration are available in Appendix 1 and at Here’s How to 

Get Ready Now.

The full announcement can be viewed at APHIS Agreements Services Center.

D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES 

The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions is May 20, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight 

Savings Time. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

Applicants must submit all application materials electronically using ezFedGrants. We urge applicants to 

submit their application early. 

• To submit an application in ezFedGrants, applicants must have a USDA eAuthentication Account 

and an ezFedGrants Account. Applicants who do not already have these are encouraged to create 

the accounts as soon as possible. Additional instructions on these activities are available at Here’s 

How to Get Ready Now.

• eFG will not permit applicants to submit an application package after the deadline of May 20, 

2024, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Late application packages cannot be accepted.

• Non-Federal entities must be submitted electronically through the ezFedGrants system only. No 

emailed or hard copy application packages will be accepted from non-Federal entities. 

• Applicants who encounter problems with the eFG application process may contact 

VS.AMR@usda.gov – at least 48 hours before the deadline – for additional assistance with 

submitting an application package.

All applications must be complete and submitted by the deadline without exception.

D.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW 

The Intergovernmental Review Process (CFDA/Assistance Listing 10.025) is subject to Executive Order 

12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”. Awards will not be made until this process has 

been completed in applicable States. Names and addresses of States’ Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are 

listed in the OMB State SPOC List.

D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS 

Funding restrictions, including unallowable costs, indirect cost cap, and cost restrictions, are provided in 

the Guidelines for Use of Funds at USDA APHIS One Health – Funding Opportunities for APHIS Veterinary 

Services AMR Dashboard Cooperative Agreements and described in 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles –

General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost. 

D.7 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 

Letters of support are not required but may be included in the application package. Letters of support 

from State Animal Health Officials or livestock organizations are helpful for some types of projects but are 

not required. Applicants should not request letters of support from APHIS Veterinary Services employees; 
10

the AMR Dashboard will solicit input from APHIS VS experts during the review process. If included, letters 

of support should be uploaded separately from the Work Plan as attachments in the ezFedGrants system.

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should contact VS.AMR@usda.gov before the application 

deadline. APHIS complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Applicants must describe support needed from APHIS Veterinary Services personnel to accomplish their 

project. This includes participation by APHIS personnel in events associated with the project or services 

to be provided by VS subject matter experts to complete the project; it does not include VS' support to 

manage and advise on the project.

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The USDA is responsible for approving AMR Dashboard funded projects. This is a competitive funding 

opportunity. Applications that meet the threshold eligibility criteria in Section C will compete for available 

funds with all other eligible applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity 

announcement. 

E.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. Applicants should explicitly address these 

criteria in their project Work Plan.

1. Clear, strong, and direct alignment with one or more of the priority topics described in Section A

of the funding opportunity announcement. 

2. Extent to which the project addresses one or more critical current needs directly related to a 

funding priority topic or addresses an important gap in knowledge or capabilities directly related 

to a funding priority topic.

3. Feasibility of success demonstrated by a well-organized plan of action, a technically sound 

approach, a reasonable timeline to complete activities, consideration of key partnerships and 

collaborations needed for project success, consideration of maintenance of antimicrobial 

resistance dashboard tools developed, and skills and experience of the applicants.

4. Extent to which the project outcomes and deliverables are likely to have significant impact and 

value to stakeholders. 

5. Cost effectiveness, including whether all project costs are reasonable and necessary to produce 

expected outcomes and whether the project makes good use of existing resources.

E.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS

Eligible proposals will be evaluated by a team of subject matter experts nominated by APHIS VS. To avoid 

potential conflicts of interest, reviewers may have no association with projects they are reviewing. In the 

event of a real or perceived conflict of interest, a reviewer shall recuse themselves as appropriate. The 

review team may seek counsel from additional subject-matter experts as appropriate. USDA will consider 

the review team’s recommendations in making final funding determinations.

In addition to the evaluation criteria described in Section E.1, the review team and USDA may consider 

the dispersion of projects across geographic areas, animal industry sectors, and critical aspects of the 

funding priorities described in Section A.

During the application review process, APHIS will conduct a risk assessment for applicants. Applicants will 

be verified in the System for Award Management (SAM) to ensure they have not been disbarred or 
11

suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered 

transactions by any Federal department or agency. APHIS may not issue Federal award to an applicant 

until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifiers and SAM requirements. If an 

applicant has not fully complied with the requirements, APHIS may determine that the applicant is not 

eligible to receive a Federal award.

When anticipated total Federal share exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, APHIS is required to 

review and consider information about the applicant included in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM. An applicant, if desired, may review and comment on any 

information about their organization previously entered and currently in the system. When completing 

the risk assessment, APHIS will consider applicant comments in addition to other information in the 

designated integrity and performance system to assess applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record 

of performance under Federal awards. 

FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APHIS will administer the agreements and collaborate with project recipients to provide advice, receive 

and review project documents, offer comments and suggestions, track project performance, and 

communicate with recipients as necessary to ensure progress in accomplishing the project, identifying 

obstacles, and resolving concerns. 

Recipients will track performance and expenditures, provide progress reports and project deliverables in 

accordance with the project Work Plan, and communicate with VS staff to assess and evaluate progress. 

F.1 AWARD NOTICES 

All applicants will be notified by email after the spending plan is approved by the Secretary of Agriculture

and announced by USDA. Awards will be executed as quickly as possible after the spending plan is 

announced. Pre-awards may be requested in circumstances where there is urgency to begin work before 

the award can be executed.

Applicants selected for funding will receive instruction on next steps to process a Notice of Award (NOA) 

via ezFedGrants. The Notice of Award will provide pertinent instructions and information including but 

not limited to the information described in 2 CFR § 200.210 and a reference to the APHIS General Terms 

and Conditions.

F.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS 

Successful applicants must comply with the requirements contained in the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Successful 

applicants also must comply with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions, the approved project Work 

Plan, and the approved project Financial Plan. 

F.3 REPORTING

The Recipient’s Project Coordinator shall provide quarterly program reports to the APHIS Project Manager 

through the ezFedGrants system and in compliance with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions. Two 

quarterly reports are due each quarter, including a performance report describing progress towards 

accomplishing the objectives and activities outlined in the project’s approved Work Plan and a Federal 

Financial Report, SF-425. The reports will be used to verify compliance with provisions of the Cooperative 

Agreement.
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F. 4 PROJECT EVALUATION 

The Recipient’s performance will be evaluated through the review of quarterly performance and financial 

reports, as well as periodic discussions of project progress with the VS Program Manager. Performance is 

evaluated based on the following criteria to determine if the Recipient met the project standards included 

in the proposal Work and Financial Plans and if expected results and benefits were achieved:

1. Adherence to the project objectives.

2. Adherence to project schedule.

3. Adherence to project budget. 

4. Delivery of results that meet the agreement performance standards and achieve stated outcomes.

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 

For questions about the AMR Dashboard program and about this funding opportunity, required 

documents, or the ezFedGrants application process, please contact VS.AMR@usda.gov. You may also 

contact the following APHIS VS program staff: Chelsey Shivley, AMR Coordinator, 

chelsey.b.shivley@usda.gov, 970-593-8132.

OTHER INFORMATION 

The USDA is not obligated to make any award as a result of this announcement nor to make any changes 

to future announcements. Only the APHIS Authorized Departmental Officer can bind the Government to 

an expenditure of funds and this obligation of funds shall only occur in writing by authorized officials and 

under the approved USDA, APHIS Cooperative Agreement format.
13

APPENDIX 1. NEW APPLICANT INFORMATION

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations to be eligible to apply for 

or receive an AMR Dashboard award. These registrations must all be completed prior to the application 

being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration 

process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason 

for a late submission. Take these steps before submitting your application in ezFedGrants.

1. Register with System for Award Management (SAM): Organizations who wish to apply for AMR 

Dashboard funding are required to be registered with SAM. Instructions for registering with SAM 

are available here: Register With SAM. Please allow at least 10 business days after you submit 

your registration for it to become active in SAM plus at least an additional 24 hours for your 

registration to become available in other government systems. You can register in SAM any time, 

and entities interested in applying for AMR Dashboard funding should register now to avoid any 

future delays associated with mandatory SAM registration. 

2. Create a USDA eAuthentication Account: All applicants must have a Level 2 USDA 

eAuthentication Account to submit proposals for AMR Dashboard funding opportunities. USDA 

eAuthentication is the system used by USDA agencies to enable customers to obtain accounts for 

accessing USDA Web applications and services via the Internet. Please note that USDA will only 

accept eAuthentication Accounts from individuals. 

a. Visit https://www.eauth.usda.gov/eauth/b/usda/home to create an account.

b. For help with existing eAuthentication accounts or passwords, you can visit the USDA 

eAuthentication Website for help. Additional information is also available here: 

eAuthentication Frequently Asked Questions

3. Establish an ezFedGrants (eFG) Account: Applicants must have an active account in the USDA 

ezFedGrants system to submit their application for AMR Dashboard Funding. The ezFedGrants 

system requires each applicant to have a minimum of at least one Grants Administrative Officer 

(GAO) and one Signatory Official (SO). We recommend identifying these individuals prior to 

submitting proposals to help speed up the application process. For help with the USDA 

ezFedGrants system, applicants may contact the ezFedGrants help desk at 

ezFedGrants@cfo.usda.gov.

This information is also available at Here’s How to Get Ready Now.
14

APPENDIX 2. TIPS FOR APPLICANTS

Best Practices

• Get started early. Do not wait until the day of the application deadline.

• Complete the following registrations as soon as possible to avoid delays in submitting your 

application to ezFedGrants: (1) Register and maintain an active System for Awards Management 

(SAMs) account, (2) create a USDA eAuthentication Account, and (3) establish an ezFedGrants

(eFG) account. Instructions are available in Appendix 1 and at Here’s How to Get Ready Now.

• Read and follow all application instructions in this FOA.

• If you wish to submit proposals for more than one project, submit each proposal in a separate 

application package and make sure each application describes a distinct project. This makes it 

easier for reviewers to score and rank proposals and improves the likelihood of funding.

• Make sure that each item in the Budget and Financial Plan is reasonable and justifiable.

• Check that the total requested and budget details in the Work Plan, Financial Plan, SF-424, and 

SF-424A are aligned. Verify that the total amount of funding requested is the same in all of these 

documents. 

ezFedGrants Tips

• Read the Creating Applications section in the ezFedGrants ADVISORY, located in ezFedGrants.

• When uploading attachments in ezFedGrants, click the “Add Attachments” button. 

• Attachment titles must be 8 characters or less in ezFedGrants.

• Accept all tracked changes in documents before adding an attachment in ezFedGrants. 

• Avoid special characters in attachment file names ($, %, &, *, Spanish "ñ", etc.).

• Do not password-protect attached documents.

Work Plan Tips

• Make sure your project Work Plan includes all information requested in the Work Plan template 

and make sure the project Work Plan is no more than 25 pages total when complete. 

• Verify that the proposal directly and clearly supports one or more of the funding priority topics 

listed in this Funding Opportunity Announcement.

• Ensure that the document is in final format with no tracked changes or passwords.

• Ensure that the point of contact information is correct. The APHIS AMR Dashboard team may not 

be able to reach you if your information is incorrect. 

• A proposal that is well written and easy to follow will be well received by the review panel. Take 

some time to think out the proposal’s objectives, the deliverables and outcomes that will be 

produced from each objective, and the activities and methods that will be conducted to achieve 

each objective. Check that the project’s objectives are measurable, lead to specific results, and 

are attainable and realistic. Provide sufficient detail for a reviewer to be convinced that you have 

thought out the process well and understand the resources needed to complete the proposed 

tasks.
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• Do not exceed the 350-word limit for the executive summary; only the first 350 words of the 

executive summary will be shared with reviewers. 

• Check your proposal against the review criteria described in Section E.

• Describe in the Work Plan how the project results, findings, and deliverables will be shared with 

stakeholders. 

SF-424 Tips

• Check the SF-424, Box 16 to ensure the congressional district for the Applicant and Project are 

listed.

• If your organization has a SPOC requirement, indicate the status on the SF-424, Box 19.

• Ensure that point of contact information is correct. The APHIS AMR Dashboard team may not be 

able to reach you if your information is incorrect.

Financial Plan Tips

• Make sure the Financial Plan total budget is the same as the budget information in the SF-424, 

SF-424A, and the Work Plan.

• Clearly link items in the Financial Plan to the Work Plan objectives.

• Refer to the Guidelines for Use of Funds for calculating indirect costs accurately.

• If there are cost sharing/Recipient contributions, remember to list those values in the Financial 

Plan. 

• Use only whole dollar amounts, no cents, for all entries into the Financial Plan.

• Submit the Financial Plan in Excel file format, not PDF.