GRIFFIN, Georgia — The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Proposals for the 2020 Research & Education Grant program.

Applicants have a choice of whether they want to submit a systems research-based pre-proposal or an education-based pre-proposal.

Education-based grants are different than the Professional Development Program Grant — Southern SARE’s other education-based grant program. PDP grants are train-the-trainer grants designed for ag professionals to conduct sustainable ag education and outreach activities for the benefit of fellow colleagues.

Southern SARE’s Education Grant, falling under the Research & Education Grant Program, is a broader education and outreach effort. The grant is open to anyone in agriculture interested in conducting education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community. Non-governmental organizations are especially encouraged to apply for this grant for their education and outreach activities.

Examples of Education Grant projects funded for 2019 include a project on water quality, harnessing microbes for sustainable food production, an educational campaign for high tunnel producers, and addressing the challenge of food deserts.

Research pre-proposals focus on sustainable agriculture based on a systems approach to research, which aims to understand how the components of a system interact with each other and function as a whole. The central purpose of research proposals is research-based projects with an educational/outreach component involved. SSARE is looking for systems research pre-proposals of around $300,000, though smaller proposals are also welcomed.

Education pre-proposals allow applicants to focus on educational activities, in which their cooperating partners and intended audiences would be involved. Education proposals provide a synopsis of the proposed educational approach to mitigate or solve a problem and encourage farmer adoption of recommended practices or strategies. SSARE is looking for Education pre-proposals of around $50,000.

Download the Call for Pre-proposal to follow the guidelines for writing and submitting the grant application. The deadline for submitting pre-proposals is 5 p.m. EST, June 7, 2019. If selected, applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal in August. Grants will be announced in February of 2020.

The objective of the SARE program is to enable farmers and ranchers to move profitably toward production systems compatible with the goal of sustainable agriculture, including promoting good land stewardship, protecting the health and safety of people and animals, enhancing the quality of life, and strengthening rural communities.

For more information on research and education projects, completed or ongoing, search the national SARE database.

 

Learn about other grant opportunities on our blog.