Southern Rural Development Center
 

Box 9656
410 Bost Extension Bldg.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: (662) 325-3207
Fax: (662) 325-8915
http://srdc.msstate.edu

 

 

 

Around the SouthFebruary 2006, Vol. 2 No. 2

In this Issue . . .


SRDC Items of Interest

  • Newest Round of Southern SARE/SRDC Sustainable Community Innovation Grants Awarded
    The Sustainable Community Innovation Grants funded jointly by Southern SARE and the Southern Rural Development Center have just been awarded. The seven 2005 recipients, along with the project descriptions, can be viewed on the Southern SARE website at http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare/winnerfiles/05winners/2005sciwinners.htm.

  • Registration Is Now Open for the Rescheduled Southern Institute for Rural Development! -- April 24-26, 2006
    Previously postponed due to Hurricane Katrina, the Southern Institute for Rural Development has now be rescheduled for April 24-26, 2006, in West Monroe, LA. Hosted by USDA Rural Development in Louisiana, in cooperation with the SRDC, this institute is designed for professionals who are, or wish to become, actively involved in rural development work at the local, multi-parish (county), state or regional level. This conference will provide participants a more in-depth understanding of topics that are vital to the long-term health of rural areas: strengthening rural economies, developing resilient communities, embracing change in population diversity, and building on local talents and strenghts. For more information visit http://srdc.msstate.edu/sird06/.


Other Items of Interest

  • 2006 ESRI GIS Grant Program for U.S. 4-H
    ESRI announces two grant options for the ESRI GIS Grant Program, designed for U.S. 4-H in cooperation with National 4-H Headquarters, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support its geospatial outreach, education, and community involvement efforts. The goal of this program is to foster and support the integration of geographic information system (GIS) software in U.S. 4-H clubs. Grant categories include an introductory grant for 4-H clubs new to GIS and global positioning systems (GPS) and an intermediate grant for those 4-H clubs that received previous ESRI 4-H grants and completed the grant requirements. Eligible Applicants: A U.S. 4-H community or in-school club, 4-H after-school program, 4-H special interest group, 4-H school enrichment group, 4-H camp, or similar 4-H unit that meets regularly and is recognized as an authorized 4-H group within its state’s 4-H program. The application period is January 1–March 31, 2006. More details can be found at http://www.esri.com/grants/esri/06003_4-h_fy06.html.

  • Committee on National Statistics Final Report on Food Security Measurement
    The Committee on National Statistics (of the National Research Council) just released the final report of its Panel to Review USDA's Measurement of Food Insecurity and Hunger. ERS, along with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, requested the National Research Council to convene this panel in the interest of ensuring that USDA's data collection and methodology in the areas of food security and hunger are relevant and scientifically sound. The report, titled "Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An Assessment of the Measure" is available on the National Academy Press website at http://fermat.nap.edu/catalog/11578.html. (NOTE: You can read the report page by page or download the entire report. The download is free, but requires a simple registration.) Additionally, the summary of recommendations from the Executive Summary of the report can be found on the ERS website at http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/foodsecurity.

  • National Low Income Housing Coalition's Out of Reach 2005
    Despite the emphasis on homeownership and the marginalization of renters, renter households still make up fully one-third of the households in the United States – nearly 36 million households. Out of Reach is a side-by-side comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area (MSAs/HMFAs), combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States. Established in 1974, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to ending America’s affordable housing crisis. NLIHC is committed to educating, organizing, and advocating to ensure safe, decent, affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods for everyone. NLIHC provides up-to-date information, formulates policy and educates the public on housing needs and strategies for solutions. View this report on the NLIHC website at http://www.nlihc.org/oor2005/.

  • New RUPRI Report Focuses on Funding Sources for Rural Development
    A new report from the Rural Policy Research Institute highlights the wide variety of funding sources states have used to fund recent rural development initiatives. Among the initiatives highlighted are Arkansas' revolving loan funds to improve rural healthcare, the One Georgia Authority and Georgia Entrepreneur and Small Business Coordinating Network, Mississippi's Rural Impact Fund, the Virginia Works Initiative, and North Carolina's Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship, Water 2030 Initiative, Economic Infrastructure Fund, and e-NC Authority. Download the report at http://www.rupri.org/ruralPolicy/publications/HowStatesFundInitiatives.pdf.

  • Southern Growth Policy Board Launches 2006 On-Line Survey
    Southern Growth Policies Board has launched its 2006 on-line survey at http://www.southern.org/main/surveyintro.shtml to poll Southern citizens on their attitudes towards innovation and technology, and their role in the economic future of the region. Share your opinions and ideas on strategies for increasing the role of innovation and technology in Southern businesses, universities and governments, and the potential of technology to create jobs and wealth in our communities. The 12-question survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and your thoughts will be included in Southern Growth's 2006 Report on the Future of the South and in presentations at the Southern Innovation Summit conference on June 4-6, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. To learn more about the Southern Innovation Summit conference and Southern Growth Policies Board, visit http://www.southern.org/conf.asp.

  • U.S. EPA Releases Four New Smart Growth Publications
    These new publications include: 1) Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development; 2) Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices; 3) Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies; and 4) Parking Spaces / Community Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions. Electronic versions of these publications are available at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.


Funding Opportunities

  • SRDC's Grant Connections: Rural Development Funding Opportunities
    Volume 8, Number 3, February 2006
    http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/feb06.htm -- Available on or before February 28

    The SRDC staff compiles Grant Connections primarily for the faculty of land-grant colleges and universities in the South to provide funding information in support of activities in agricultural economics, education, human sciences, rural sociology, youth development, and other related disciplines.


SRDC Sponsored Conferences & Trainings


Other Conferences & Trainings

  • GRANTS 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop
    University of Cincinnati
    February 27 - March 1, 2006
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    http://www.thegrantinstitute.com/

  • Community Leaders Business Retention and Expansion Visitation Consultant Course -- Online Version
    Course begins March 6, 2006
    **Registration deadline is February 24, 2006**
    http://www.bre.umn.edu/coursesConsult.htm

  • 2006 National Priester Health Conference
    April 25-27, 2006
    Louisville, Kentucky
    http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/priester/

  • 5th Natural Resource Extension Professionals Conference -- Finding the "Ability" in Sustainability
    May 14–17, 2006
    Park City, Utah
    **Early registration deadline is April 1, 2006**
    http://www.anrep2006.org/

  • Southern Innovation Summit
    June 4-6, 2006
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    http://www.southern.org/conf.asp

  • Connecting Rural Communities: Cooperative Extension as a Catalyst
    June 6-7, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    **Early registration deadline is April 15, 2006**
    A flyer is available to download at http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/ConnectingCommunities/Flyer.pdf
    http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/ConnectingCommunities/ConnectingCommunities.html

  • 2006 National Value-Added Agriculture Conference
    June 12-13, 2006
    Nashville, Tennessee
    http://cpa.utk.edu/default.htm

  • Creative Economy Workshop
    Sponsored by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, in conjunction with the 2006 annual meetings of the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA)
    June 13-14, 2006
    Mystic, Connecticut
    For more information, contact Todd Gabe, University of Maine, at todd.gabe@umit.maine.edu.

  • Intensive Economic Development Training Course
    Session I: July 24 - 28, 2006
    Session II: September 11 - 15, 2006
    Auburn, Alabama
     http://www.aces.edu/crd/iedtc.php

  • NCR-SARE 2006 National Conference -- A Midwest Homecoming: Sharing a New Tradition of Sustainability
    August 15-17, 2006
    Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
    http://www.sare2006.org

  • 2006 National Extension Tourism Conference -- NETworking in Tourism: People, Places and Partnerships
    September 10-13, 2006
    Burlington, Vermont
    **Deadline for Proposals is March 15, 2006**
    http://www.esf.edu/NET2006/

  • Closing the Wealth Gap: Building Assets Among Low-Income Households, A Policy Research Forum
    Held in conjunction with the CFED 2006 Assets Learning Conference
    September 19-21, 2006
    Phoenix, Arizona
    **Deadline for Papers is March 30, 2006**
    The call for papers is available here: http://www.frbsf.org/community/resources/callforpapers.pdf


Job Opportunities


Submit Announcements

Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Rachel Welborn, rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu, for possible inclusion in future issues.


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courtesy of USDA NRCS.

  

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