FFAR’s Communications Process
Once all parties sign the FFAR Grant Agreement, a member of the FFAR Communications Team will reach out to the grantee, communications point of contact and any other contacts listed in the Grant Agreement to coordinate communications efforts. If you have a government affairs team, please connect them to us in our initial email introduction, so we can coordinate to educate and inform legislators about FFAR-funded research.
We do not want you to miss an opportunity to promote your FFAR-funded research. Please let us know if you are participating in a speaking engagement, conference or other event where you want to promote your FFAR grant, especially if these opportunities occur before we announce your grant publicly. We are open to additional promotional activities and welcome your ideas.
Referencing FFAR
In any communications materials about the grant, the first mention of our organization should spell out our full name and include the abbreviation in parenthesis: Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR). Our abbreviated name, FFAR (pronounced “far”), should be used in subsequent mentions. Please mention FFAR in this way in all materials pertaining to your grant, including releases, presentations, your organization’s website, publications, upcoming events, etc.
Drafting Press Releases & Other Written Communications
The FFAR Communications Team generally takes the lead in drafting press releases, which we send to the grantee and matching funders for review. While we prefer to distribute joint press releases, it is not mandatory.
If you or your organization choose to send your own press release or any other news related to the grant, please coordinate directly with the FFAR Communications Team. Per the terms of your Grant Agreement, FFAR must be mentioned as a funder in any written materials about your grant and a member of the FFAR Communications Team must approve these materials in advance of publication.
We post finalized press releases on the News section of the FFAR website. We also send releases to our stakeholder distribution list, a targeted media list and select Members of Congress. We welcome you or your organization to share the press release with your network as well.
Credit FFAR in publications and any news pertaining to this award including impacts/results
Any public communications should reflect FFAR’s role as a funder of this project; however, there should be no explicit or implicit reference that FFAR is promoting or endorsing any specific product or technology for profit or otherwise.
As outlined in most FFAR Grant Agreements, the grantee agrees to email the FFAR Communications Team in advance of publication of any news pertaining this award, including but not limited to: publications, press releases, web pages, videos, etc. Likewise, FFAR will reach out to the Grantee’s press contact to obtain written permission before sending out any public announcements.