RUSSELL L. RUSTICI RANGELAND AND CATTLE RESEARCH ENDOWMENT

Call for Proposals

Annual Research Proposals due Monday, November 18, 2024 by 5:00 PM PST to
rusticiresearch@ucdavis.edu

Extension Activity Proposals accepted year around to rusticiresearch@ucdavis.edu

Time Period

Research grants: January 1, 2025-December 31, xxxx (not to exceed two years)
Outreach / extending knowledge activities: request accepted year round (not to exceed two
years)

Mission

The Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment was established within the
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis through
a generous gift from the estate of Russell L. Rustici. Earnings from this endowment will be
allocated annually via this call for competitive projects. Funding is available to University of
California personnel to support problem-solving research to benefit California range cattle
producers. The goal of this program is to promote and support collaborative research between
UC academics and range cattle producers to provide practical answers to critical issues and
challenges facing the industry. More information about the Rustici rangeland endowments can
be found on the UC Rangelands website (https://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/rustici/)

Funding Available

It is anticipated that 3 to 4 research proposals will be awarded with a total annual budget
typically not exceeding $60,000/year. Matching funds from other sources that provide
leverage will be favorably considered. Funding will also be available to support
outreach/extending knowledge activities with budgets not to exceed $10,000/project.

Eligibility for Submission

All principal investigators must be University of California faculty/cooperative extension
(CE) specialists or advisors. Proposals based upon clear collaborations among UC faculty
and specialists, CE advisors, CSU faculty, and range cattle producers are highly encouraged.

Restrictions on the Use of Research Funds

Indirect costs/overhead are not allowed.
Funds do not support salary of faculty (i.e., IR, AES, or CE appointments as professor,
specialist, or advisor in cooperative extension).
Only in-state fees for graduate students are allowed.
Travel is restricted to the U.S. with a preferred focus on California.
Equipment is not allowed unless critical to the research and requires prior approval.

Research Priorities for Call (not in order of priority)

There are long-standing, broad areas of research priority for which research and extension
proposals are encouraged relative to improving cattle health and quality, sustainable rangeland
management, and ranch profitability. All proposals are expected to 1) build upon existing
published research, 2) advance the scientific base, and 3) propose novel solutions to critical
problems. Proposals are encouraged which include cross discipline collaboration and direct
engagement with cattle producers and range managers.

Improving Cattle Health, Genetics, Productivity, and Quality
Healthy, productive, high quality cattle are a cornerstone for any sustainable ranching
operation, and are essential in meeting the demands of both conventional and niche markets.
Proposals are encouraged which address the suite of issues associated with cattle welfare;
genetics, breeding and reproduction; herd health and disease prevention; nutrition; and
antibiotic stewardship.
Managing Rangelands for Multiple Ecosystem Services
California’s rangelands provide a suite of benefits to society including clean water, healthy
soils, wildlife habitat, nutrient sequestration, forage production, fire and fuels management,
and livelihoods. Proposals are encouraged which address information gaps managers and
policymakers face when attempting to simultaneously optimize ecosystem services and
agricultural goods provisioned from cattle grazed rangelands.
Enhancing the Productivity and Profitability of Rangeland Cattle Operations
Cattle ranching operations that depend upon rangelands are embedded in an ever changing
social-economic-ecological system. These operations must profitably adapt to dynamic
environmental, economic, market, and regulatory conditions. Proposals are encouraged
which examine opportunities to enhance forage quality and quantity, as well as cattle
performance and production; improve resilience to drought, invasive species, predators, and
other stressors; improve economic, business management and marketing strategies to
sustainably increase profitability.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

The proposal must be submitted in .pdf format. All items (#1-12) must be included in the
single .pdf submission. The proposal should be scientifically and technically sound and should be written in a
manner such that a non-specialist can evaluate. (Note: review committee consists of both
industry and research members.) Do not exceed 8 pages including tables and figures, 1”
margins, and not smaller than 11-point font in the main text. The literature citations,
budget, budget justification, biographical sketch, and letters of support are not included in
the 8-page maximum length.

The research proposal should include:

Principal investigator name(s), institution, mailing address, phone number and e-mail
address.
Project title.
List of collaborators and their affiliations.
Project background, objectives/hypotheses, and scientific significance of the proposed
work.
Approach and methods.
Project timeline (two year maximum).
Relevance to the mission of the Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research
Endowment (please see the “Mission” section on page 1. If the PI has previously
received research funding from the endowment, provide a detailed description of the
research accomplishments (impact) and outreach activities delivered by the previous
work. If this is a continuation of endowment-supported research, clearly distinguish
how the proposed research differs from the previous research objectives.
Qualifications of the principal investigator(s).
Literature citations.
Budget and budget justification.
Biographical sketch of the PI(s). Include brief vitae, professional and academic
experience, and contact information (telephone and fax, email and mailing address). List up
to five refereed publications most closely related to the proposed project and up to five other
significant publications, including those in press. This document should not exceed two pages
and is not counted in the 8-page limit for the proposal.
Letter(s) of support for the value and benefit of the project from key non-UC stakeholders engaged in the proposed project (e.g., ranchers, rangeland managers).
If you need assistance in identifying or contacting potential producer partners,
please contact Ken Tate at kwtate@ucdavis.edu; Billy Gatlin (CA Cattlemen’s
Association) at billy@calcattlemen.org; and/or a UC Cooperative Extension
range/livestock/natural resources advisor.

IMPORTANT BUDGET NOTE:

One UC investigator should be designated as the primary investigator; all funds will be
allocated to this individual’s department. The budget submitted should reflect this by
indicating expenditure by category i.e., supplies, travel, personnel, not by investigator.
Any distribution of funds to other investigators will be the responsibility of the recipient
department.

Review Process

All proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and
Cattle Research Endowment Advisory Committee according to the following
principal criteria of quality:

Competence — Technical soundness of the proposed research questions and approach;
innovativeness of research; feasibility of successfully completing the research within
the designated timeframe, capability and recent research performance of the principal
investigator(s), and adequacy of the resources available.
Intrinsic Merit — Likelihood that the research will lead to new discoveries, or
important advances, does not duplicate existing research funding of the PIs, and
will improve our understanding of issues critical to the sustainability of
California’s rangeland cattle industry.
Relevance — Likelihood that the research will contribute to the achievement of
the priority issues of the Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research
Endowment and to the advancement of science contributing to the sustainability
of the California rangeland cattle industry. Letter(s) of support for the value
and benefit of the project from key non-UC stakeholders, particularly
support from cattle ranchers, will be an essential aspect of this review
criteria.
Final funding approval will be determined by the dean of the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences based on recommendations from the Russell L. Rustici
Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment Advisory Committee consisting of the
designees of the dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at
UC Davis, the president or first vice president of the California Cattlemen’s
Association, and a designee selected by the Board of Directors of the California
Cattlemen’s Association.

Reporting Requirements

Researchers receiving funding will submit a report each year.

For one-year projects, the final report will contain research results and a financial
accounting of how the funds were expended. The report will be due no later than three
months following the end date of the research project.

For multi-year projects, a progress report will be due at the end of the project’s first year
and should cover an update on research activities and a financial accounting of how the
funds were expended. Continued funding for multi-year projects will be contingent upon
receipt of an annual report demonstrating satisfactory progress toward the goals of the
project. When the multi-year project is completed, a final research report and financial
accounting will be submitted within three months following the end date of the research.

All research reports will be compiled and published by the dean, College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Grantees must participate in meetings of the Russell L.
Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment if requested.

Proposals and questions should be submitted to rusticiresearch@ucdavis.edu