Extension Acronyms

  • 1862s
    Land Grant Institutions established by the first Morrill Act (1862) which provided each state with 30,000 acres of federal land to be sold for an endowment to create a college.
  • 1890s
    A network of historically black colleges and universities that became Land Grant Institutions through the passage of the second Morrill Act (1890).
  • 1890 ELA
    1890 Extension Leadership Academy
  • 1994s
    An act that provides support for American Indian tribal educational institutions recognizing them as Land Grant Institutions (1994).
  • 4-H or 4-H PYD
    Positive youth development programs engage youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances youth’s strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.
  • ACE
    Association of Communication Excellence: professional association for agriculture communicators.
  • ACOP
    Academic Committee on Organization and Policy: a unit of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Council on Food, Environment, Renewable Resources, Board on Agriculture Assembly that is the representative governing body of the Academic Programs Section.
  • AEA
    Association of Extension Administrators: the 1890 agricultural Extension administrators at the 1890 land-grant universities that make up one of five regions of the Cooperative Extension Section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly.
  • AES
    Agricultural Experiment Stations: a structure for Land Grant agriculture research created by the Hatch Act in 1887, to address location-specific problems of farmers and to build a core of basic scientific knowledge related to agriculture.
  • AFRI
    Agriculture and Food Research Initiative: competitive grants program to support research, education and extension activities in priority areas.
  • AHS
    Administrative Heads Section: a unit of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources, Board on Agriculture Assembly made up of administrative leaders of agriculture and Cooperative Extension holding titles of Dean, Associate or Assistant Provost or President.
  • AIHEC
    American Indian Higher Education Consortium: a member of APLU representing the Native American Colleges that were given Land-grant status in 1994.
  • AMS
    Agricultural Marketing Service: a USDA agency providing standardization, grading and market news for commodities and overseeing marketing agreements and orders.
  • ANREP
    Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals
  • APHIS
    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: a USDA agency providing leadership to ensure the health and care of animals and plants.
  • APLU
    Association of Public and Land-grant Universities: a membership based research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
  • APS
    Academic Programs Section: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources, Board on Agriculture Assembly; administrators of academic programs at colleges of agriculture.
  • ARD
    Association of Research Directors: the agricultural research directors at the 1890 Land-grant institutions that make up one of five regions of the Experiment Station Section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly.
  • AREERA
    Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.
  • ARS
    Agricultural Research Service: The principal in-house research agency of USDA.
  • ASRED
    Association of Southern Region Extension Directors: one of five regions that make up the Cooperative Extension Section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly.
  • BAA
    Board on Agriculture Assembly: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources that promotes agriculture (food, environment, agriculture, natural resources, and international) in state universities and Land-grant colleges.
  • BAC
    Budget and Advocacy Committee: a standing committee of the BAA’s Policy Board of Directors, it prepares annual budget recommendations and supporting advocacy materials for each year’s federal budget cycle.
  • BHHS
    Board on Health and Human Sciences: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources, comprised of lead administrators of Human Sciences academic units of state colleges and land-grant universities.
  • BLC
    Budget and Legislative Committee: a representative standing committee of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy that identifies and supports federal budget priorities for the Cooperative Extension Section.
  • BNR
    Board on Natural Resources: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources that promotes university-based programs dealing with natural resources, ecology, energy, and the environment.
  • BOA
    Board on Oceans and Atmosphere: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources that ensures the nation maintains and benefits from marine (including Great Lakes), oceanic, and atmospheric sciences.
  • BVM
    Board on Veterinary Medicine: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources, that includes the administrators of veterinary medicine and veterinary science departments at APLU member institutions.
  • CARET
    Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching: a national grassroots organization of lay persons from the constituencies served by Land-grant colleges of agriculture. Each state and territory may appoint up to three delegates who lobby and offer guidance for programs in agriculture research, extension, and teaching.
  • Catalyst
    A position used by the Extension Foundation for former Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators serving as mentors to Cooperative Extension programs and initiatives through the Extension Foundation.
  • CBO
    Congressional Budget Office: a nonpartisan entity that conducts objective, impartial budget analysis and economic information to Congress.
  • CC
    Coordinating Committee: Multistate activity or project committee.
  • CEO
    Council on Engagement and Outreach: is an APLU unit composed of university administrators responsible for outreach, engagement, community development, extension, and other functions at their universities.
  • CES
    Cooperative Extension System: a network of Cooperative Extension organizations located at Land Grant Institutions.
  • CES
    Cooperative Extension Section: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources, BAA, made up of all Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators
  • CFERR
    Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources: the APLU unit that coordinates programs and develops policy positions on agriculture, human sciences, natural resources, oceans and atmosphere, ecological sciences, and veterinary medicine.
  • CGA
    Council on Governmental Affairs: a unit of APLU that serves as the principal point of contact for their respective institutions on legislative and regulatory matters.
  • CICEP
    Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity: the APLU unit that includes professionals in university engagement, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and others interested in economic development.
  • CIP
    Commission on International Programs: the APLU unit that incorporates a global dimension into learning, discovery, and engagement activities of member institutions.
  • CLP
    Committee on Legislation and Policy: a standing committee of the BAA’s Policy Board of Directors that prepares legislative recommendations and supporting materials for the Research, Extension, and Education Title of the Farm Bill and other legislation.
  • COB
    Close of business (if this request comes from Washington DC, it means 5pm Eastern Time)
  • Cornerstone
    Cornerstone Governmental Affairs: Washington DC lobbying firm employed by the BAA that works closely with the BAC, CLP and the Policy Board of Directors.
  • CRIS
    Current Research Information System: a USDA NIFA reporting system used primarily by the Agricultural Experiment Station Section.
  • CYFAR
    Civil Service Retirement System: A federal government retirement system which provides annuities to qualified employees who retire. Replaced temporarily by CSRS Offset until the new Federal Employee Children Youth and Families at Risk: a grant program for land-grant university extension services for community-based programs for at-risk children and their families.Retirement System (FERS) was developed.
  • DPP
    Diabetes Prevention Program
  • EA
    Executive Administrator: an executive staff person employed by the 1890 associations.
  • ECOP
    Extension Committee on Organization and Policy: a unit of the APLU CFERR BAA that is the representative governing body of the Cooperative Extension Section.
  • ED
    Executive Director: an executive staff person employed by ECOP or one of the regional associations.
  • EDA Team
    Executive Director and Administrator Team: the national and regional executive staff persons supporting the regional and national associations.
  • EDEN
    Extension Disaster Education Network: a network of Extension programs that provide education and resources to reduce the impact of, and recovery from, disasters.
  • EF or ExF
    Extension Foundation: a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization with a Board of Directors representing the five Extension regions, ECOP, and USDA-NIFA to help Cooperative Extension professionals make a visible and measurable impact on local issues
  • EFNEP
    Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program: an Extension education program designed to assist limited resource audiences in acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes and changed behavior necessary for nutritionally-sound diets.
  • EIRP
    Extension Indian Reservation Program: a grant program providing assistance and education in agriculture, community development, family living, and societal issues facing Native Americans.
  • EMM
    Extension Monday Minute: a weekly electronic publication for Extension Directors and Administrators produced by the National Extension Executive Director’s Office.
  • EQUIP
    Environmental Quality Incentives Program: provides agricultural producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or conservation practices.
  • ERA
    Education/Extension, Research Activity: Multistate activity comprised of participants from two or more sections. More often seen with a regional designation, e.g., SERA for Southern Extension/Research Activity, WERA for Western ERA, NCERA or NEERA.
  • ERS
    Economic Research Service: The USDA Research Education and Economics mission area that provides information and analysis on agriculture, food, natural resources and rural America.
  • ESCOP
    Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy: a unit of the APLU CFERR, BAA that is the representative governing body of the Experiment Station Section.
  • ESP
    Epsilon Sigma Phi: an Extension membership association that provides and facilitates professional development focusing on organizational and professional needs.
  • ESS
    Experiment Station Section: a unit of the APLU, CFEER, BAA made up of the Directors of Land Grant institution’s experiment stations.
  • EXCITE
    Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement
  • FAS
    Foreign Agricultural Service: the USDA agency that represents the diverse interests of U.S. farmers and the food and agricultural sector abroad.
  • FERS
    Federal Employee Retirement System: system that replaced CSRS and CSRS Offset in 1987 to provide retirement annuities for qualified employees.
  • FFAR
    Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
  • FMLA
    Family Medical Leave Act: a 1993 United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons.
  • FNS
    Food and Nutrition Service: a USDA agency responsible for administering the nation’s domestic nutrition assistance programs.
  • FS
    Forest Service: the USDA agency that administers the lands and resources of the National Forest System.
  • FSA
    Farm Service Agency: the USDA agency that helps farmers conserve land and water resources, provide credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and helps farm operations recover from the effects of disaster.
  • FSIS
    Food Safety and Inspection Service: the USDA agency that protects consumers by ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.
  • FTE
    Full time equivalent: a unit that indicates the full time workload of an employed person.
  • FY
    Fiscal Year: An accounting year of 12 months (usually July I through June 30).
  • GAO
    General Accounting Office: investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars, examines and audits the receipt and disbursement of public funds.
  • HSI
    Hispanic-Serving Institution: A two- or four-year institution with at least a 25% Hispanic student enrollment.
  • IAS
    International Agriculture Section: a unit of the APLU, CFERR, BAA who are designated administrators of international agriculture programs at the colleges of agriculture.
  • IC
    Impact Collaborative
  • ICOP
    International Committee on Organization and Policy: the APLU, CFEER, BAA representative governing body of the International Agriculture Section.
  • IPM
    Integrated Pest Management: the control of pests or diseases by using an array of crop production strategies, combined with monitoring of insect pests or weed populations and other methods.
  • ISBE
    Innovation Skill-Building Experience
  • JCEP
    Joint Council of Extension Professionals: a partnership of professional Extension organizations that focuses on strengthening the efforts of the member organizations.
  • JOE
    Journal of Extension: the official refereed journal of the Cooperative Extension System.
  • Key Informant
    Subject, content, or process expert
  • kglobal
    kglobal: a public relations and communications organization employed by the BAA that works closely with the BAC, CLP, the Policy Board of Directors, and Cornerstone.
  • LGU
    Land Grant University
  • MRF
    Multistate Research Funds: That portion of the federal Hatch funds that is allocated to the state and territory Experiment Stations for support of multistate research projects.
  • NACAA
    National Association of County Agricultural Agents
  • NACDEP
    National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals
  • NACo
    National Association of Counties
  • NAE4-HA
    National Association of 4-H Agents
  • NAEPSDP
    National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals
  • NAFTA
    North American Free Trade Agreement: an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.
  • NAL
    National Agricultural Library: Part of USDA ARS, NAL is a major international source for agriculture and related information and is one of four national libraries in the U.S.
  • NAREEE Board
    National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board: is charged with reviewing long-term and short-term national policies and priorities relating to agricultural research, extension, education, and economics and advising the Secretary of Agriculture on such matters.
  • NASS
    National Agricultural Statistics Service: the USDA Research Education and Economics mission area that collects and publishes national and state agricultural statistics.
  • NC-FAR
    National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research: a broad-based stakeholder coalition to increase and enhance federal investments in U. S. food and agriculture research and education and expand participation by stakeholders in priority setting and funding.
  • NCCEA
    North Central Cooperative Extension Association: one of five regions that make up the Cooperative Extension Section of the BAA.
  • NCRA
    North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors: one of five regions that make up the Experiment Station Section of the BAA.
  • NEAFCS
    National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
  • NEDA
    National Extension Directors and Administrators: the annual meeting of the Cooperative Extension Section of the APLU, CEEFR, BAA.
  • NEED
    Northeast Extension Directors Association: one of five regions that make up the Cooperative Extension Section of the BAA.
  • NERA
    Northeastern Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors: one of five regions that make up the Experiment Station Section of the BAA.
  • NIFA
    National Institute of Food and Agriculture: created in 2008, this unit within USDA REE oversees research, higher education, and extension education and outreach resources.
  • NIMSS
    National Information Management and Support System: electronic management system for multistate projects.
  • NPL
    National Program Leader: USDA NIFA employee who provides leadership for a program portfolio.
  • NRCEPA
    National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets
  • NRCS
    Natural Resources Conservation Agency: the USDA lead agency for conservation technical assistance to help people conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources and the environment.
  • NRSP
    National Research Support Project: National research projects supported by Multistate Research Funds (taken off-the-top of Hatch funds) and other sources of funds.
  • NSF
    National Science Foundation: an independent agency of the federal government that promotes the progress of science, advances the nation’s health, prosperity, and welfare, to secure the national defense.
  • NTAE
    New Technologies for Ag Extension
  • NUEL
    National Urban Extension Leaders: a collaboration to advance the strategic importance and long-term value of urban extension and related activities.
  • OBPA
    Office of Budget and Program Analysis: USDA office that coordinates the preparation of the Department’s budget estimates, legislative reports, and regulations.
  • OGC
    Office of General Counsel: Serves as the legal advisor and counsel for the USDA Secretary and program agencies.
  • OMB
    Office of Management and Budget: Assists the President in overseeing the preparation of the Federal budget and supervises its administration in Executive Branch agencies.
  • OPPE
    Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement: created by the USDA Secretary of Agriculture to improve customer service and maximize efficiency.
  • OSTP
    Office of Science and Technology Policy: provides the President with timely policy advice and coordinates the U. S. science and technology investment.
  • PAT
    Program Action Team
  • PBD
    Policy Board of Directors: the nine-member governing body of the BAA which takes action on key matters affecting the interests of the member institutions.
  • PDT
    The Land-grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team: a team representing all Extension regions and is comprised of family and consumer science program leaders and other university administrators, SNAP-Ed program coordinators, an office manager from the Land-grant University System, and a federal partner from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • PI
    Principal Investigator
  • PILD
    Public Issues Leadership Development: an annual conference sponsored by JCEP designed to enhance advocacy and public policy education skills for Extension administrators, professionals, and volunteers.
  • PIT
    Program Implementation Team
  • POW
    Plan of Work: a state plan of projected activities that must be filed and approved by NIFA for expenditure of capacity formula funds.
  • PSEFMP
    Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program
  • REE
    Research, Education and Economics: A USDA mission area comprised of four agencies: the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
  • RFA/RFP
    Request for Applications or Request for Proposal:
  • RMA
    Risk Management Agency: USDA agency to improve the economic stability of agriculture by offering producers a sound system of crop insurance.
  • RRDC
    Regional Rural Development Centers: four regional centers that conduct research and develop Extension programs addressing economic and community development data, decision tools, education, and guidance for our nation’s rural communities. These are often seen with a regional designation, i.e., WRDC for Western Rural Development Center, SRDC for Southern Rural Development Center, NCRCRD for North Central Region Center for Rural Development, and NERCRD for the Northeast Center for Rural Development.
  • SAAESD
    Southern Association of Agriculture Experiment Station Directors: one of five regions that make up the Experiment Station Section of the BAA.
  • SARE
    Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension: grants and education program to advance agricultural innovation that promotes profitability, stewardship of the land, air and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers and their communities.
  • SCS
    Soil Conservation Service
  • Section
    Cooperative Extension Section: a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources, BAA, made up of all Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators
  • SNAP
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: administered by USDA FNS to offer nutrition assistance to eligible, low-income individuals and families through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
  • SNAP-Ed
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education: is an evidence-based program that teaches people using or eligible for SNAP about good nutrition, making their food dollars stretch further, and physical activity for health.
  • SoAR
    Supporters of Agriculture Research: SoAR Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of partners representing more than 6 million farming families, 100,000 scientists, hundreds of colleges and universities, consumers, veterinarians, and others.
  • SOW
    Statement of Work
  • System
    Cooperative Extension System
  • USDA
    United States Department of Agriculture: U.S. government department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, and food.
  • USFRA
    United States Farmers and Ranchers in Action: USFRA is committed to creating connections through meaningful stories about local farmers and ranchers throughout the country
  • WAAESD
    Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors: one of five regions that make up the Experiment Station Section of the BAA.
  • WCMER
    Western Center for Metropolitian Extension and Research
  • WEDA
    Western Extension Directors Association: one of five regions that make up the Cooperative Extension Section of the BAA.

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