The USDA is seeking reviewers to evaluate grant applications submitted under the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program.
The competitive grant pilot program provides up to $65 million in funding support to agricultural employers for implementing robust labor standards to promote a safe, healthy work environment for both U.S. workers and workers hired under the seasonal H-2A visa program, according to a news release.
The purpose of FLSP is to improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by addressing challenges agricultural employers face with labor shortages and instability the release said.
Prospective reviewers should have knowledge and expertise in, according to the release:
- On-farm operations and familiarity with agricultural business.
- Agricultural employment practices.
- Knowledge or direct experience of the H-2A program.
- Small to mid-size business development.
- Economic development in rural, hard-to-reach or underserved populations or geographies.
- Employment and labor law.
- Immigration and experience of migrant workers.
- Workplace issues facing farmworkers, such as health and safety protections, heat stress, pesticide safety, gender violence, migration patterns and challenges, discrimination, access to medical care, education and housing, etc.
- Cultural- and language-appropriate communication.
- Farmworker-led or worker-driven organizations.
- Retaliation protections for vulnerable populations.
- Experience using USDA programs; understanding of the systems and capacity necessary to manage a federal grant, including financial controls and data management practices.
Application reviews bring together diverse individuals to provide fair, expert and unbiased evaluations of FLSP grant proposals, the release said. Reviewers independently evaluate applications assigned to them and then meet virtually with other panel members to discuss findings and finalize reviews and scoring. Reviewing applications will take approximately six weeks, according to the release.
Those interested in serving on a review panel should visit How to Become an FLSP Application Reviewer and apply to be an FLSP application reviewer. Reviewer applications are due by Dec 4, 2023.
