About the Program
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), on behalf of the Invasive
Species Council of California, is pleased to announce funding for Rapid Response to
Emerging Invasive Species Threats in California. The purpose of this funding is to
support immediate actions to contain and/or eradicate invasive species before they
become established and cause economic, ecological, or human health impacts. Priority
shall be given to projects that minimize the economic, ecological, and human health
impacts caused by invasive species and restore and protect biodiversity and ecosystem
health.
Funding, Timeline, and Reporting Requirements
The maximum funding award is $100,000 per project. The minimum award is $10,000
per project. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis, and funding is subject to
project need and the availability of funding. CDFA reserves the right to offer an award
different than the amount requested. Funding may supplement, but not supplant,
existing activities/programs and funding. The timeline of the project is contingent on the
nature of the funded actions, not to exceed 12 months from the date funds are awarded.
Progress reports shall be submitted quarterly, and a final report is due within 60 days of
completion of the project.
Project and Applicant Eligibility
● Projects must directly benefit California.
● Applicants from public or private colleges and universities, federal, state, and local
government entities including Tribal entities, and special districts. Non-profits are
encouraged to partner with eligible applicants.
● Project lead and lead entities must be based in California. Additional investigators
and/or contractors may be out of state.
● It is the grantees responsibility to secure any and all permits necessary to
implement their project.
How to Apply
Information and resources for applying can be found on the Invasive Species Council of
California website (http://www.iscc.ca.gov/). Department of Food and Agriculture staff
cannot assist in the preparation of application content. General questions or assistance
with formatting may be submitted to [email protected]. To ensure that all potential
applicants benefit from all submitted questions and responses, all questions and
responses will be posted on the ISCC webpage.
Applications should be submitted via email to [email protected], with “Rapid Response
Application” in the subject line. If an application cannot be submitted via email please
call 916-654-0317 to make arrangements to submit via an alternative method. All files
emailed should be in PDF format.

Application Review and Evaluation
A review committee consisting of California Invasive Species Advisory Committee
members will review the applications and evaluate their merits. The guidance for
evaluating funding requests can be found in Appendix A.
Any member of the committee with a financial conflict of interest with the project, or who
prepared the application, or who will serve as the project lead will be excluded from any
discussions or decisions regarding that application. Incomplete applications will be
rejected within 10 business days of receipt. Incomplete applications can be resubmitted
if deficiencies are rectified.
All applicants will be notified regarding the status of their proposal within 20 business
days. Applicants whose projects are not funded may request comments from
[email protected] within 30 business days of transmittal of the funding denial.