Announcements – Page 2 – Extension Foundation

We’re hiring! Grant Writing Support Team and Proposal Budget Specialist

ELIGIBILITY: U.S. Based Grant Writer or firm that provides grant writing and grant coaching support to project teams.

APPLICATION: Open until filled, multiple positions being hired. A cover letter and a resume should be submitted through this web form: https://registry.extension.org/221955250538862

Extension Foundation, founded in 2006, is a 100% virtual, member-based network supporting approximately 32,000 Extension professionals at 112 Land-Grant Universities. The Extension Foundation is part of the Cooperative Extension System (CES), which encompasses all U.S. states and territories. Extension Foundation is a national organization and operates as a multi-state entity: we are incorporated in Missouri. Given the broad geographic distribution of our staff and Board of Directors, we are a virtual organization highly reliant on video conferencing and other tools for collaboration in addition to email. All staff and contractors work remotely from home.

This position will work with the Extension Partnership and Development team and program development teams on various grant opportunities. The Foundation works with multiple Universities/Colleges on various RFAs, grant concept notes, and proposals, including a breadth of topical areas.

We are seeking applications to fill an immediate need for grant support team members who specialize in formulating budgets aligned with the proposal, copy-editing of draft proposals, and those who can provide coaching/facilitation of proposal writing teams.
Services needed September 12 – October 26, 2022.

Services Desired: Seeking support for writing and editing grant proposals and working with grant development teams. Skills are expected in the following areas:

Ability to support teams in developing a proposal narrative based on already completed design documents through the reading and editing of proposals. (Design requirements, strategy scenario, Content Outlines, Action checklists, Initial Budget Elements, and Costs are developed by the grant strategy team.)
Synthesize grant team members’ input for incorporation into the grant narrative to provide clarity, consistency, and context to make the grant easily read and understood.
Ensure the grant proposal adheres to application instructions as outlined in grant RFAs and the internally-provided design documents.
Thoroughly review and edit for narrative quality, content completion, alignment with provided design documents and RFA requirements, formatting, grammar, and punctuation.
Skills to work with a Program team and develop one or more strategy scenarios to address the requirements of the grant while incorporating the pre-determined design principles of the RFAs
Develop and create action checklists/timelines for proposal completion with the grant proposal team
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

For additional information, questions, or clarifications, please contact brennakotar@extension.org.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

To apply for this position, click here: https://registry.extension.org/221955250538862

This contract will report to the Grants Development Specialist. This is a contract role.

August 26, 2022/by Brenna Kotar

New Extension Foundation Report Available: Technologies Impacting the Cooperative Extension System

Announcements, Extension, Innovation, News, Newsroom, Technology

The Extension Foundation, in partnership with a research team from Ohio State University, has released a new report on emerging technologies. The “Extension Foundation Report on Emerging Technologies Impacting the Cooperative Extension System” was supported by funding from the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) project.

The report was developed by the research team in part through interviews with a panel of thirteen experts representing all five Extension regions, as well as non-Extension personnel. Panel participants were selected based on their background and experiences in adult learning and development, applied technology use, and innovation.

The research team was led by Dr. Jerold Thomas, an associate professor with Ohio State University Extension/Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL). Dr. Thomas is also affiliated with OSU’s Leadership Center, where he serves as a leader for innovation and change. Other members of the team include Dr. Julie Aldridge, Assistant Research Professor, Ohio State University, College of Engineering; and Emma Newell, Communication Specialist and Researcher, Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership, Ohio State University.

The research goals were to identify emerging technologies, and to propose impacts on Extension programming, professional development, and policy through 2025. The research process was impacted by the pandemic and first-hand experiences of the research team and panel, who, like other professionals across the nation, were thrust into work-at-home environments. Research for the report included primary and secondary sources, and focused on the following questions:

What emerging technologies will be most important to Cooperative Extension programs over the next three to five years?
What key trends do you expect to accelerate the adoption of emerging technology across Cooperative Extension programs?
What significant challenges may impede the adoption of emerging technologies across Cooperative Extension programs?

The panel and research team identified seven emerging technologies of critical importance:

5G mobile wireless technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Adaptive learning
Assistive learning technologies
Block-chain
Internet of things (IoT)
Adaptive/Virtual technologies

The report provides a helpful summary of each technology and includes a discussion of the potential impacts and possibilities represented by each for Extension work. The digital divide and larger equity issues (including algorithm bias) emerged as a major challenge and critical issue to consider with all emerging technologies. Other recommendations from the report center on professional development, and policy.

Dr. Thomas noted that “This report is a good starting point for Extension professionals to learn about the impacts of emerging technologies on the Cooperative Extension System. This includes understanding changes in our systems of professional development, how we work, policies, and others. Online discussions about the report are being planned to share the findings, seek input, and develop conversations about the report’s implications for Extension.”

Dr. Thomas will hold a webinar discussing the report and its findings on Tuesday, October 20th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Look for more details in early fall.

Extension Foundation has a long tradition of investigating new and existing trends around innovation and technology. The 2016 Horizon Report (Freeman, et al., 2016) focused on emerging technologies in the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) through 2021. That report is available here. In 2020, Extension Foundation published an eFieldbook on using digital technology in Extension education. The Extension Foundation’s Connect Extension platform provides an opportunity for Extension professionals interested in technology to participate in the technology in Extension education virtual subgroup. Join Connect Extension here.

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

July 9, 2021/by Aaron Weibe

eXtension Job Opportunity: Innovation Facilitator Manager

Announcements, Community, Content, Events, Fellowships, Newsroom, UPDATE

We’re searching for an Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager. Join our virtual team from any location.

First round of application reviews: August 9, 2018.

Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager, eXtension Foundation

We are seeking an expert facilitator and experienced innovator to join our team and help lead innovation capacity-building for our members of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. Innovation is critical to eXtension and the Cooperative Extension System and other eXtension partners across the nation. eXtension is known for technological leadership over the past several years and now for our Impact Collaborative. The six-phase Impact Collaborative process is creating measurable and visible impact at the local level through various strategies including our current products: Innovation Kit Workshops, Designathons One and Two, a Virtual Bridge, an Impact Collaborative Summit and Facilitator Trainings. In partnership with our members, we are fostering strategic innovation and organizational change utilizing a growing cadre of trained innovation facilitators. This new role on our team will continue to build this capacity and collaborate in the design of our products and services in support of our member institutions.

The Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager will lead in the following areas:

Work as a member of the Impact Collaborative Leadership Team to strategically integrate innovation and organizational change models and methods into the work of the Impact Collaborative and to continuously improve our design and delivery.
Catalyze and support innovative practices in partnership with our member institutions through the practice and products of the Impact Collaborative.
Serve as the lead eXtension facilitator for the Impact Collaborative product events nationally and across the country at member institutions (currently Innovation Kit Workshops, Designathon Ones, Impact Collaborative Facilitator Training and Summits).
Train, schedule and evaluate institutional Innovation Facilitators to serve our growing schedule of national and institutional events. Current schedule includes facilitator training January 2019 (planned for twice a year), up to 37 Innovation Kit Workshops or Designathon One events per year, and two national summits per year.
Grow and strengthen the IC Innovation Facilitator role in institutional capacity building, and continually expand and deepen their knowledge and skills.
Evaluate facilitator skills and abilities and results of their events using the Impact Collaborative Evaluation Protocols to make recommendations based on results, feedback, and needs.
Provide mentoring and coaching to IC Innovation Facilitators, maintain an updated database and be in constant communication to assist them in their professional development and certification process.
Lead a variety of planning teams to contextualize Impact Collaborative products for local institutional needs (up to 37 planned per year).
Share expertise and experience with the Impact Collaborative through a variety of presentations, webinars, social media and publications.

Qualifications:

An experienced innovator within an organization who has taken ideas to implementation and demonstrated experience in co-creation/co-innovation of projects & programs. Community-based projects/programs with measurable impact preferred.
Strong public speaking and facilitation skills required.
Master’s degree preferred in community development, organizational development, or related field.
Ability to work in a fast changing environment with multiple priorities. Willingness to evolve with the needs of the organization.
Knowledge of, or experience in, the Cooperative Extension System and the audiences they serve preferred.
Knowledge and experience using innovative methodologies, design thinking strategies, concept mapping and Adobe Kickbox preferred.
Experience managing programs, managing people and managing organizational change required.
Experience in effectively working with, and managing, several projects at once and working with a virtual team.
Personal computer and social media skills required.

This is a 1.0 FTE employee position with eXtension. The position reports to the Impact Collaborative Program Director. Travel nationally, possibly up to 70% time. We are a virtual organization and require the use of G-Suite, Zoom, Slack and your own computer, internet and work space during business hours.

First round application review will be August 9, 2018. Position will be advertised until the position is filled.

Please send your letter of interest and your resume to ceoassistant@extension.org by August 8 for first round reviews. For more information on the position contact:

Dr. Beverly Coberly
Chief Operation Officer
eXtension Foundation
beverlycoberly@extension.org
573-239-9409

July 24, 2018/by Aaron Weibe

eXtension Fellowship Opportunity – Customer Relationship Management Sandbox

Announcements, Extension, Fellowships, Innovation, News, Newsroom, Technology, UPDATE

This opportunity is open to all Land-Grant Universities regardless of membership with eXtension as part of our cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA.

eXtension is funding an opportunity for a Fellow position to lead a process with a national committee and eXtension to explore and document needs and potential solutions for Customer Relationship Management functions in Cooperative Extension across the country. The Fellow will conduct and create needs assessments, user journeys, personas, and use cases as well as review and provide a landscape summary of potential solutions. Proactively managing multiple customer relationships, with multiple products, services, events and programs is a challenge for Cooperative Extension. eXtension is requesting names of those interested in serving on the CRM Sandbox Committee working with the Fellow. eXtension is seeking a Fellow to work with eXtension and a national committee to explore what is needed by participating institutions, to review potential solutions and to create a “sandbox” with eXtension to test up to two solutions with participating institutions. A final report summarizing the process and the findings is due by July 31, 2019.

The NTAE-CRM Fellowship will begin by October 1, 2018 and will conclude July 31, 2019. eXtension is a virtual organization and work will be conducted virtually.

The specific requirements of the fellowship include:

Expertise with workflow and technologies supporting customer relationship functions.
Knowledge and experience designing and implementing relational databases.
Understanding Cooperative Extension and the unique audiences and relationships among those audiences, programs, evaluation, funding, and communication.
Ability to work with all levels of expertise and positions.
Experience conducting user needs assessment and analyzing workflows.
Experience creating user journeys, personas and use cases.
Experience writing recommendations for solutions.

The Fellow will report the results via eXtension’s web site. The Fellow is encouraged to develop a peer-reviewed paper for publication in an appropriate journal. The Fellow will use eXtension’s Zoom, Slack, and G-Suite to conduct the work of their fellowship.

Funding for the Fellowship comes through a cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA to eXtension and includes: paid travel to one eXtension Impact Collaborative Summit planned for April 2019; and buyout of time from their current positions of up to $25,000. Additional funding may be available for testing up to two solutions.

Application Process

To apply please submit the following information in a PDF document to Beverly Coberly (beverlycoberly@extension.org):

A maximum 1-page letter highlighting your areas of expertise in CRM, technology and knowledge of Cooperative Extension.
A copy of vitae/resume focusing on your expertise in technology and databases, educational or experience background working with CRMs. Limit of 2 pages.
Letter of support from your institution Director/Administrator for Cooperative Extension

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee.

Questions regarding the application process should be directed to:

About the eXtension Foundation

The eXtension Foundation is a membership-based non-profit designed to be the engine fueling U.S. Cooperative Extension advancement in making a more visible and measurable impact in support of education outreach from land-grant universities/colleges located in every state and territory. eXtension provides an array of opportunities for Extension professionals that foster innovation creation, the adoption of innovations at member institutions, and increased impact of Extension programs.

July 20, 2018/by Aaron Weibe