Deadline: 9 March 2017
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently seeking applications for its “Organic Transitions Program (ORG)” to support the development and implementation of research, extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices.
NIFA administers the ORG program by determining priorities in U.S. agriculture through Agency stakeholder input processes in consultation with the NAREEEAB.
Priority Areas
- Documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices such as crop rotation, livestock-crop integration, organic manure, mulch and/or compost additions, cover crops, and reduced or conservation tillage on ecosystem services, greenhouse gas mitigation, and biodiversity.
- Improved technologies, methods, model development, and other metrics to document, describe, and optimize the environmental services and climate change mitigation ability of crop, livestock and integrated crop-livestock organic farming systems.
- Develop cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from NOP’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.
- Barriers to organic transition: Projects under this priority should address major barriers that limit the transition to organic agriculture in a specific region, crop or animal production systems.
Funding Information
The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2017 is approximately $3,800,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications may only be submitted by colleges and universities as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA, 7 U.S.C. 3103), the terms “college” and “university” mean an educational institution in any state which:
- admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate
- is legally authorized within such state to provide a program of education beyond secondary education
- provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded
- is a public or other nonprofit institution
- is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association
- Applications also may be submitted by 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (defined in 7 CFR 3430), HSACUs, and research foundations maintained by eligible colleges or universities.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Country: United States
For more information, please visit NIFA-USDA Organic Transitions.