BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program is seeking preproposals for three of its sustainable agriculture grant programs. The deadline to submit is July 23 at 5 p.m. ET.
Calls for preproposals are open for the Research and Education, Professional Development and Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture grant programs. Information on how to apply, including instructions for developing a preproposal, may be found at www.northeastsare.org.
Applicants selected to submit full proposals will be contacted in late August with full proposals due on Oct. 20. Project awards will be made in late February 2021. Projects must be conducted in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia or Washington, D.C.
The Research and Education Program funds applied research and farmer education projects on sustainable farming and food system topics. Projects must engage farmers as cooperators; aim for specific, measurable change in farm practices; and have a plan to verify results. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $250,000.
The Professional Development Program funds train-the-trainer projects that develop the knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes of agricultural and non-agricultural service providers about sustainable agriculture topics so that they can better teach, advise and assist farmers. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $150,000.
Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture grants fund “proof of concept” applied research projects intended to confirm the benefit and/or feasibility of new practices and approaches that have high potential for adoption by farmers. Recipients will be awarded $30,000 to $200,000.
To decide which grant program is the best fit for their project, applicants are encouraged to use Northeast SARE’s grant decision tree at www.northeastsare.org/grantforme. Questions about all grant programs should be directed to northeastsare@uvm.edu.
Northeast SARE, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, offers competitive grants and sustainable agriculture education. University of Vermont Extension hosts the program.
— Northeast SARE