The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for its 2024 Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Crop Research Grant program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/30/2023
Size of the Grant: $250,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Grant funds are intended to generate applied crop research with near-term benefits (3 to 7 years) for Minnesota’s farmers and the state’s economy. Applied research is research that utilizes existing scientific knowledge to develop practical applications, like technology, techniques, or inventions. It’s expected that the research funded under this program will be made available to the public, and proposals must include an outreach plan describing how results will be shared.
Priorities
This grant program will prioritize:
- Research on crops with limited access to other research funds
- Projects with an outreach plan describing how activities or outcomes meaningfully involve, inform, or benefit underserved agricultural producers, such as:
- Emerging farmers, including women, veterans, persons with disabilities, American Indian or Alaskan Natives, members of a community of color, young farmers, and farmers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+).
- Rural communities with limited economic opportunities
Funding Information
- Its expect to award approximately $1.2 million using a competitive review process. No more than $250,000 will be awarded per proposal.
- Projects can last up to three years.
Eligible Projects
Projects must:
- Produce applied research that will benefit Minnesota agriculture, its producers, or associated industries within three to seven years
- Applied research involves using existing scientific knowledge to address practical challenges or This program does not fund basic research, which focuses on the advancement of scientific knowledge.
- Be conducted in Minnesota
- Not start until the grant contract is signed by all parties and has reached its start date.
- Be completed in three years or less. Contracts cannot be extended beyond three years.
Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses include but are not limited to:
- Personnel costs for individuals involved in the research project
- Travel costs directly related to the project’s outcomes or objectives
- Supplies or equipment required to conduct research
- Laboratory or analysis costs
- Contracted services
- Communications costs related to outreach
- Payments or stipends to farmers or other external project participants
- Plot fees and services
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Represent an organization or research entity with an agricultural research capabilities
- Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota:
- No back taxes owed
- No defaults on Minnesota state-backed financing for the last seven years
- Acceptable performance on past MDA grants
- Compliant with current state regulations
- Not be an employee or spouse of an employee of the MDA.
Examples of applicants:
- Institutions of higher education
- Farmer networks
- Nonprofit organizations
- Research institutions
- Agricultural cooperatives
- Agricultural businesses with research capabilities
For more information, visit MDA.
