New Staff Orientation
AgrAbility National Training Workshop
Sacramento, California
October 30, 2007
Karen Hunter, CSREES
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
History of AgrAbility
• Grassroots effort
• Modeled after pioneering efforts in Iowa and
Vermont
• Grown from 8 awards in 1991 to 21 awards in
2007 totaling $4.3 M
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
CSREES?
• Cooperative State Research Education and
Extension Service
• One of agencies comprising the USDA
Research, Education, and Economics area
• Mission: to advance knowledge for
agriculture, the environment, human health
and well-being, and communities by
supporting research, education, and
extension programs
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
More on CSREES…
• Staff of about 360 USDA employees and 30
contractors
• Managed $1.1B in appropriations in FY 2007
• Extension appropriations of $430M in FY 2007
• Includes formula, special grants, and
competitive grant programs
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
What does CSREES DO?
• Program leadership to identify, develop, and
manage programs to support universitybased and other institutional research,
education, and extension
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
Administration of Funds
• Provide fair, effective, and efficient
administration of Federal assistance
• Satisfy Legislative and Executive branches
• Collect data to justify continuing programs
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
Cooperative Extension Service
• Partnership of:
– 3000 counties with over 9000 local educators
– Land-Grant Institutions
• 56 1862 institutions
• 18 historically black 1890 institutions
• 31 Native American 1994 institutions
– USDA-CSREES
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
CSREES and AgrAbility
• Promotes accomplishments across USDA
and university systems
• Assists during project transitions
• Helps projects make choices based on agency
administrative requirements and mandates
to the program by Congress
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
Farm Bills
• Authorized partnership between land-grant
institutions and disability organizations
• Established funding recommendations
• Provided guidance on eligible programs
• Appropriations for AgrAbility under SmithLever 3(d)
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
AgrAbility Funds DO Support…
• Education—long term investment strategy
– Accommodating disabilities and avoiding
secondary injuries
– Directed towards health, farm, and government
service providers
• Networking
– Sharing of information and provision of services
– Customers, peer supporters, volunteers,
stakeholders, other funding organizations, etc.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
AgrAbility Funds Also Support…
• Assistance
– Focuses on individualized consultative services
increasing likelihood of client’s success in farm
operation
– Includes client and others working at same place
• Marketing
– Increasing awareness of AgrAbility and its
initiatives
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
AgrAbility Funds May NOT…
• Pay for assistive technology or other farm
site modifications
• Solicit other federal funds
• Pay tuition or student fees
• Pay overhead or indirect cost
• Conduct research (work must remain within
accepted bounds of Extension)
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
New Staff Reminders
• Keep your directors, colleagues, and
CSREES informed of any significant
recognition of your project
• Inform me if you have a change in or
reorganization of project staff
• Submit reports on time
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov
Contact Information
• Karen Hunter, Program Specialist
– Phone: (202) 401-6825
– Fax: (202) 401-5179
– Email: khunter@csrees.usda.gov
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
http://www.csrees.usda.gov