The Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will award $3 million in cooperative agreements to states and tribes to develop solutions and automated data collection for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
The funds will support research or field trials:
To enhance the effectiveness of collecting animal identification (ID) data in production, marketing and slaughter environments;
To validate identity when official ID devices are lost or malfunctioning;
To conduct economic assessments of animal ID systems in production, marketing and slaughter environments; and
To evaluate advanced data collection systems for adaptability and use with NAIS.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 30. Apply at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/fmd/agreements_announcements.html.