Hatch Regional/Multistate Projects

 

MULTISTATE PROJECT OVERVIEW & PROCESS

The procedure for joining a regional research project is outlined below.

1.  Get approval from your department head to join the regional project.
   
   
2. Petition the project’s technical committee via the Administrative Advisor for approval to participate.
   
   
3. Fill out the Appendix E form and submit it to the Office of the Associate Dean for Research at agresch@uga.edu.  This will get you formally added as a project participant in the National Information Management & Support System (NIMSS).
   
   
4. Submit a project outline along with a completed Department Head Approval Form to the Accountability & Reporting office at nifahelp@uga.edu. (This is an outline and NOT a full proposal of the work you will be doing in Georgia as it relates to the overall NIMSS multistate project.  The Hatch proposal outline is driven by NIFA's requirements, so closely follow all directions found in the linked project outline template.)

In Georgia, as in all other states, a portion of our Hatch funds is designated as Regional Research Funds (RRF) or Multistate Research Funds (MRF) and can be used only for formal regional research undertakings.

Regional research supported by the Hatch Act is a joint effort for the region directed toward the solution of definite problems of important concern to agriculture. Two characteristics distinguish it from other types of research:

• The research focuses on a specific and important problem of concern to two or more states.
• The research is planned and conducted as a concerted team effort in which the participating scientists are mutually responsible for accomplishing undertakings.

Participation in a regional research project does not imply or assure that the participant will receive additional new funds for the regional research undertaking. In almost all instances, RRF that are placed in the appropriate department for support of regional projects replace regular Hatch or State funds, so that total fund support for the departmental research program remains the same. The regional research undertaking is, in effect, a substitution for other research work, or is complementary to ongoing projects.

 

Joining a Multistate Project

The procedure for joining a regional research project is outlined below.

1.  Get approval from your department head to join the regional project.
   
   
2. Petition the project’s technical committee via the Administrative Advisor for approval to participate.
   
   
3. Fill out the Appendix E form and submit it to the Office of the Associate Dean for Research at agresch@uga.edu.  This will get you formally added as a project participant in the National Information Management & Support System (NIMSS).
   
   
4. Submit a project outline along with a completed Department Head Approval Form to the Accountability & Reporting office at nifahelp@uga.edu. (This is an outline and NOT a full proposal of the work you will be doing in Georgia as it relates to the overall NIMSS multistate project.  The Hatch proposal outline is driven by NIFA's requirements, so closely follow all directions found in the linked project outline template.)
   

 

Acknowledgement of Funding

Proper acknowledgement of public funding in published articles, manuscripts, dissertations, posters, presentations, inventions, and patents is required.   Please use the following language to acknowledge NIFA support in such publications:

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project [insert accession number].

An abbreviated acknowledgement may be used in social media and press releases.  See language below:

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

 

Starting a New Multistate Project

There is a formal process for initiating a new multistate project.  More information can be found on the SAAESD website.  If, after reviewing this information, you are interested in starting a new multistate project, please consult the Associate Dean for Research’s office at agresch@uga.edu.

 

Reporting on a Multistate Project

You must submit TWO different progress and/or final reports:

1. First, you will be reporting progress to the regional research project team/project head.  This information gets compiled by the project team and submitted in an annual report.  The annual reports and other information about the project are housed in NIMSS.
   
   
2. However, you are also required to formally report progress on your work to the college for our accountability and reporting requirements for NIFA.  Reporting periods are October 1 – September 30.  Remember you are reporting progress on only the work being done in Georgia.  The Accountability & Reporting office will send reminders and due dates to PIs each fall with instructions for submitting a Progress Report and/or a Final Report, using the Hatch Project Reporting Template.