Deadline: 8-Oct-20
The North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) has launched a call for applications for its Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program 2021.
The North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program is a competitive grant program for researchers and educators involved in projects that explore and promote environmentally sound, profitable, and socially responsible food and/or fiber systems.
Desired Outcomes for 2021 Research and Education Projects
- Preproposals must address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the North Central Region. NCR-SARE is interested in projects that lead to resilient agricultural systems. Successful projects should contribute to the following NCRSARE broad-based outcomes:
- Improving the profitability of farmers/ranchers and associated agricultural businesses
- Sustaining and improving the environmental quality and natural resource base on which agriculture depends, a
- Enhancing the quality of life for farmers/ranchers, communities, and society as a whole.
- Preproposals should clearly explain:
- Relevancy of the project to sustainable agriculture in the North Central Region, including identifying expected outcomes for the project and how they will assist NCR-SARE in working toward the broad-based outcomes listed above.
Funding Information
- They anticipate that roughly $3.0 million will be available to fund approximately twelve grant projects, with individual grants not to exceed $250,000 total for projects lasting up to three years (36 months).
- The average size of funded grants was $227,000 and grant lengths ranged from 18 to 36 months.
Evaluation Criteria
The Administrative Council will consider the following factors in evaluating preproposals:
- Relevance: Will the outcome of the project contribute to meeting NCR-SARE sustainability goals (listed below)? Does it attempt to solve a problem or address an issue significant in the region?
- Improving the profitability of farmers and associated agricultural businesses,
- Sustaining and improving the environmental quality and natural resource base on which agriculture depends,
- Enhancing the quality of life for farmers/ranchers, communities, and society as a whole. If applicable, was use of genetically engineered organisms addressed in terms of relevance to sustainable agriculture?
- Method/Approach: Is the proposed approach/method likely to achieve the objectives or lead to the outcomes proposed? Did they address previous work, and how the proposed work differs from, or will build upon previous work?
- Farmer/Rancher or other end-user involvement: Are farmers engaged in the project as advisors, collaborators? Did farmers/ranchers identify the need for the research/extension-education?
- Project Team: Does the project team include the disciplines and expertise necessary to carry out the project?
- Project Coordinator’s reporting history for previous NCR-SARE grants: The Administrative Council may choose to reject preproposals from Project Coordinators who have delinquent reports for previous NCR-SARE projects.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program provides funds to collaborative teams of scientists, farmers/ranchers, institutions, organizations, and educators who are exploring sustainable agriculture through research projects or education/demonstration projects.
- Preproposals from any location are accepted, but the preproposal must convince reviewers that project results will benefit NCR agriculture. Typically, proposals come from university and extension staff, the agricultural nonprofit sector, and from people who work on research farms and experiment stations. There is no requirement that applicants have a specific affiliation, but awarded entities must complete required federal grant protocols when applicable, for example animal care and use protocol verification.
For more information, visit https://www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Research-and-Education-Grant