News flash! If you are not ready to apply for a Research and Education Grant, SSARE offers two entry-level options: Planning Grants and Preliminary Research Grants.

Research and Education Grants

What do Research and Education Grants Fund?

Whether applying for a Research and Education Grant or an entry level Planning or Preliminary grant, all Research and Education Grant applicants must propose systems-oriented research that fits one of three grant categories:

• 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.
  
• 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 our farm and food systems.
  
• A combination of production and postharvest/food systems research—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.

Who can apply for Research and Education Grants?
Including, but not limited to, teams of researchers from public and private institutions such as 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities, environmental agencies, historically black universities, USDA-ARS labs, non-governmental organizations, and community based organizations.

What activities are eligible?
Research-based activities with an educational/outreach component that focuses on developing sustainable agricultural systems or moving existing systems toward sustainable agriculture.

How much will Research and Education grants fund?
Research and Education grants award up to $300,000 for up to 3 years of project activities.

Successful proposals include:

• Systems orientation. Instead of looking at just increasing yields or reducing inputs, systems research looks at all the parts of an agricultural production system to determine how each individual component interacts with the other components.
  
• Farmer or end-user involvement. Producers and consumers should be part of the process from problem identification through project development, implementation, dissemination of results, and evaluation.

For more information about Research & Education Grants, contact Jeff Jordan at (770) 412-4787 or jjordan@uga.edu