Research and Education Grants encourage a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary systems approach to agricultural research.
Donor Name: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 11/21/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Research and Education Grants are competitive research grants for teams of interdisciplinary researchers that encourage a systems approach in sustainable agriculture.
To retain the historical strengths, to advance sustainable agriculture, and to encourage a systems approach to research, SSARE offers three categories for Research and Education Grants: production research, postharvest-food systems research, or a continuum that spans both.
- Production research—Focused on actual production methods, this kind of research has made up the bulk of SARE’s project portfolio in the past and has developed techniques that have become common tools for farmers. SSARE continues to fund these types of research proposals as they provide key parts of a larger holistic system, particularly as they relate to farmer participation in the program and complement the Producer, On-farm, Professional Development, and Graduate Student grant programs.
- Postharvest/food systems research—These projects examine what happens past the farm gate such as in the markets, distribution systems and policy making. This category can serve as a funding path for social science researchers to also make a difference in the farm and food systems.
- A combination of production and postharvest/food systems research—While some research can be separated into production and postharvest levels, they also seek to encourage attempts to provide integration of the different levels of the agricultural system, as well as the different sciences that lend more value to the results. The ultimate in systems research would connect what goes on in the ground with everything that happens after a crop is harvested, including adding value, marketing, infrastructure for processing and transportation, as well as policy making.
Funding Information
- Research and Education Grant project maximums are $400,000, limited to three (3) years.
- Research and Educations Grants are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses.
Grant Requirements
Research and Education Grant proposals must meet the following basic requirements in order to be considered for funding:
- Project outcomes must focus on developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing systems toward sustainable agriculture. Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill. Applicants specifically should be aware of this definition, as proposals will be reviewed with this legal definition in mind.
- Projects must involve a systems research approach to sustainable agriculture.
- Per USDA-NIFA, proposals must not promote, support, or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or any other initiatives that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or other protected characteristic.
- Emphasis in Research and Education Grants is placed on farmer participation, particularly for the production projects, on the relevance to sustainable agriculture, and on the strength of a holistic approach. At least three (3) cooperating farmers must be involved in the project, each with a unique and detailed role. For farmers involved in your project, the primary occupation is farming/ranching or part-time farming. Producers run their farm alone or with family or partners and have a least $1,000 of documented annual income from the operation, as defined by USDA.
- The project’s central purpose must be research-based with an educational/outreach component to extend the project findings to the public, with specific applicability for and potential adoption by farmers.
- Projects must involve a holistic approach to sustainable agriculture, covering the three pillars of sustainability: farmer profit, environmental stewardship, and community quality of life.
Eligibility Criteria
Researchers from public and private institutions, such as 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities or other colleges and universities; government agencies, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service or USDA-ARS; non-governmental organizations; community-based organizations; agribusiness; and individuals such as ag consultants are eligible to apply for Research and Education Grants.
For more information, visit Southern SARE.
