Center On Rural Innovation Inc

AWARD PURPOSE:THE PURPOSE OF WORC ROUND 6 IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO STABLE, HIGH-QUALITY, FAMILY-SUSTAINING JOBS FOR WORKERS IN THE APPALACHIAN, DELTA, AND NORTHERN BORDER REGIONS, INCLUDING THOSE IN CRITICAL SECTORS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLEAN ENERGY. IMPROVING ACCESS TO THESE GOOD JOBS WILL ENABLE THESE WORKERS TO REMAIN WITHIN THEIR REGION. THIS FOCUS ALSO IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATIONS COMMITMENT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO QUALITY JOBS, AS DEFINED BY THE GOOD JOBS PRINCIPLES, A SHARED FEDERAL VISION OF JOB QUALITY PUBLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR AND COMMERCE, AND THE RURAL PARTNERS NETWORK, AN ALL-OF-GOVERNMENT PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH RESOURCES AND FUNDING TO CREATE JOBS, BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SUPPORT LONG-TERM ECONOMIC MOBILITY.ACTIVITIES PERFORMED:ALLOWABLE PROJECT ACTIVITIES FOR WORC ROUND 6 GRANT AWARD RECIPIENTS INCLUDE WORKFORCE TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND CAREER SERVICES, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, EMPLOYER SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLANNING ACTIVITIES, AND EQUIPMENT AND RENOVATION PURCHASES.DELIVERABLES:WORC ROUND 6 GRANT AWARD RECIPIENTS IDENTIFY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS PROJECTED TO BE ENROLLED DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS PROJECTED TO ENTER GOOD JOBS OR OBTAIN NEW OR ENHANCED EMPLOYMENT AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT.SEE NOTICE OF AWARD, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, ATTACHMENT D, STATEMENT OF WORK, ABSTRACTINTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES):ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS FOR WORC ROUND 6 GRANT AWARDS INCLUDE: 1) NEW ENTRANTS TO THE WORKFORCE: FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS FOA, THE CATEGORY OF NEW ENTRANTS TO THE WORKFORCE REFERS TO THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER WORKED BEFORE OR WHO HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR A LONG ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE IT AS IF THEY ARE ENTERING THE WORKFORCE FOR THE FIRST TIME 2) DISLOCATED WORKERS: FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS FOA, THIS TERM REFERS TO THE DEFINITION FOUND AT SECTION 3(15) OF WIOA AND 3) INCUMBENT WORKERS: FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS FOA, THIS TERM REFERS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EMPLOYED BUT NEED EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES TO SECURE FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT, ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREERS, OR RETAIN THEIR EMPLOYMENT. WITHIN THESE ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANT CATEGORIES (NEW ENTRANTS, DISLOCATED WORKERS, AND INCUMBENT WORKERS), APPLICANTS MUST PRIORITIZE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE LOCAL OR REGIONAL ECONOMIC AREA SERVED BY THE GRANT, INCLUDING WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, VETERANS, INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, INDIVIDUALS WITH A HISTORY OF SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCY OR OTHER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, OR OTHER POPULATIONS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED JOB QUALITY AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES:WORC ROUND 6 GRANT AWARD RECIPIENTS MAY PARTNER WITH SUBRECIPIENTS AS WELL AS PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGH AMERICAN JOB CENTERS WITHIN THE AREA COVERED BY THE GRANT AS APPROPRIATE.

EAGER: EXPLORING PLACE-BASED INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH -TRADITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT METRICS SUCH AS SHORT-TERM JOB GROWTH MAY FAIL TO CAPTURE THE TRUE IMPACT OF INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM-BUILDING PROGRAMS WHEN IT COMES TO REVERSING THE LONGSTANDING TRENDS OF DECLINE AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE LONG-RUN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO IDENTIFY EARLY INDICATORS OF SUCCESS IN BUILDING RURAL TECH ECOSYSTEMS THAT FOSTER SUSTAINABLE LONG-RUN ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT BENEFITS COMMUNITIES. THIS STUDY WILL USE A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH, INTEGRATING BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES, TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL LEADING INDICATORS OF SUCCESS IN BUILDING RURAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE LONG-RUN COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING. THE STUDY WILL INVOLVE THREE KEY ACTIVITIES: 1) DESIGNING AND CONDUCTING A SURVEY OF COMMUNITIES IN VARIOUS STAGES OF BUILDING RURAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS TO ASSESS CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTIONS, SKILLS, AND ACTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE GROWTH OF RURAL TECH ECOSYSTEMS; 2) ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF PLACE-BASED INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM BUILDING ON VARIOUS DATA-DRIVEN LEADING INDICATORS SUCH AS TECH JOB CREATION, VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT, TECH STARTUPS, AND BROADER MEASURES OF COMMUNITY WELL-BEING; AND 3) CONDUCTING QUALITATIVE CASE STUDIES OF RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT EXHIBIT EXCEPTIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT, STATISTICAL OUTLIERS IDENTIFIED IN THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. BY IDENTIFYING LEADING INDICATORS OF SUCCESS FOR COMMUNITIES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN RURAL AREAS MAY BETTER ALIGN THEIR STRATEGIES IN BUILDING UP RURAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS TOWARD SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINED COMMUNITY-CENTERED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CORI RURAL OPPORTUNITY SEED FUND

THIS AWARD APPROVES FUNDING FOR THE 2022-23 VISTA SUPPORT GRANT DESCRIBED IN THE APPROVED PROGRAM NARRATIVE AND BUDGET.