Pesticide Cooperative Agreements
The Office of Pesticide Programs administers cooperative agreement programs that align with OPP’s strategic goals and provide the platform for our day-to-day work. The worker safety program cooperative agreements fund projects to educate pesticide applicators, handlers and farmworkers on working safely with, and around, pesticides.
Below are descriptions of currently active cooperative agreements.
- National Farmworker Training Program (Awarded November 2020)
- Technical Support for the Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) (Awarded October 2020)
- Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP) (Awarded December 2019)
- The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) (Awarded February 2019)
- Engaging All Stakeholders (Awarded August 2018)
- Pesticide Education for Medical Professionals (Awarded March 2018)
- Funds Distribution Programs for Pesticide Safety Education Programs (Awarded August 2017)
- Pesticide Educational Resource Collaborative (Awarded January 2016)
- National Farmworker Training (Awarded September 2015)
Awaiting Final Award
Projects to Advance the Safe Use of Pesticides
EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs solicited applications for a grant opportunity funding outreach projects that support and promote safe pesticide use. EPA expects to provide an estimated $1.2 million annually through a cooperative agreement with the award recipient from 2021 through 2026.
Awarded Cooperative Agreements
National Farmworker Training Program (Awarded November 2020)
EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs awarded a five-year cooperative agreement in the amount of $2,500,000 to the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP)Exit to support the National Farmworker Training Program. This program will develop national pesticide safety training, education and outreach for farmworkers and their families in rural agricultural areas.
Technical Support for the Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) (Awarded October 2020)
EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs awarded a five-year cooperative agreement in the amount of $975,000 to the Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University. ITEP will administer and provide technical support for the Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC) from October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2025. This program will complete a number of objectives, including identifying high-priority, pesticide-related areas of tribal interest, assisting the TPPC with comments on new rulemaking or issue papers addressing EPA policy decisions that may impact Indian country, and developing pesticide-related training for the TPPC.
Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP) (Awarded December 2019)
The University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program is the recipient of a cooperative agreement to implement the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP). EPA expects the total funding for the five-year period of the cooperative agreement, which begins in fiscal year 2020, to be $2.675 million. This award provides funding for PREP through the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, which will manage the logistics of developing and hosting the courses in different locations around the nation.
Read the April 2019 PREP Funding Opportunity Announcement - EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-001 for more information on the cooperative agreement and PREP.
The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) (Awarded February 2019)
Oregon State University (OSU) is the recipient of a cooperative agreement to support the National Pesticide Information Center. NPIC is a program that provides the public with objective, science-based information on pesticide-related subjects. OSU provides this information through a website, toll-free telephone service and outreach. The cooperative agreement is funded at $1,000,000 for the first year, with a total amount of up to $5,000,000 over the five years of the cooperative agreement (2019-2024), subject to the availability of funds.
Engaging All Stakeholders (Awarded August 2018)
Michigan State University (MSU) is the recipient of a cooperative agreement to coordinate meetings, workshops and conferences. MSU will coordinate the meetings with partners and stakeholders involved in the implementation of the 2015 revisions to the Worker Protection Standard and the 2017 Certified Applicator regulations. The cooperative agreement is funded at $500,000 for the first year, with a total amount of up to $2,499,999 over the five years, subject to the availability of funds.
Pesticide Education for Medical Professionals (Awarded March 2018)
The University of California Davis Extension (UCDE), in partnership with Oregon State University, is the recipient of the cooperative agreement, Pesticide Education for Medical Professionals. Through outreach, technical assistance and training, UCDE will seek to achieve improved health for farmworker and agricultural communities by increasing knowledge and awareness of environmental and occupational health risks. The program will expand on previous programs by including additional healthcare practice sites, improving existing educational materials, and targeting larger audiences of providers, including doctors, nurses, emergency response personnel and other clinical staff.
The cooperative agreement is funded at $125,000 for the first year, with up to $500,000 per year for each of the four remaining four years, subject to the availability of funds.
Funds Distribution Programs for Pesticide Safety Education Programs (Awarded August 2017)
The eXtension Foundation Exit is the recipient of a cooperative agreement to establish a system to distribute EPA funds to Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEPs) in State Cooperative Extension Services at Land Grant Universities. The funds will be used by PSEPs to provide pesticide applicator training on the safe use of restricted use pesticides by applicators in agricultural, commercial and residential settings. Read more about pesticide applicator training.
The cooperative agreement is funded at $1,500,000 for the first year, with up to $1,000,000 for each of the four remaining years. We expect to award up to $5,500,000 over the five years.
Pesticide Educational Resource Collaborative (Awarded January 2016)
The University of California Davis Extension (UC Davis) in partnership with Oregon State University (OSU) is the recipient of the cooperative agreement, Pesticide Educational Resource Collaborative (PERC). PERC will support the development of resources and materials to promote the safe use of pesticides and help prevent pesticide exposure to applicators and handlers, workers, and their families. More information on PERC. Exit
With the 2015 revisions to the Worker Protection Standard and the 2017 revisions to the Certified Applicator regulations, it is necessary to update pesticide safety materials with the latest standards. Materials could include:
- brochures;
- factsheets;
- posters;
- videos;
- manuals; and
- mobile tools.
National Farmworker Training (Awarded September 2015)
The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) Exit is the recipient of the National Farmworker Training cooperative agreement. AFOP administers a pesticide safety training program to migrant and seasonal farmworkers with a national network of over 150 pesticide safety trainers in approximately 30 states. Exit Farmworkers receive basic safety training on how to protect themselves against poisoning and injury related to pesticide poisoning, as required under the EPA's Agricultural Worker Protection Standard, 40 CFR 170.