USDA 2024 Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Pre-Application
OPPORTUNITY:
The intent of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) is to promote collaboration, open communication, the exchange of information, and the development of resources that accelerate application of scientific discovery and technology to solving needs of the various specialty crop industries. SCRI will give priority to projects that are multistate, multi-institutional, or trans-disciplinary, and include explicit mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public.
DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics focus areas:
- Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics.
- Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases.
- Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing) and to achieve a better understanding of the soil rhizosphere microbiome; pesticide application systems; and certified drift-reduction technologies; and systems to improve and extend the storage life of specialty crops.
- New innovations, and data-driven predictive tools using Artificial Intelligence, and technology.
- Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops, including fresh produce.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Pre-applications may only be submitted by:
- Federal agencies
- National laboratories
- Colleges and universities
- Research institutions and organizations
- Private organizations or corporations
- State Agricultural Experiment Stations
- Individuals
- Groups consisting of two or more of these entities
COST SHARING/MATCHING FUNDS:
The recipient of an award from the SCRI program must provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded.
FUNDING AVAILABLE AND PRE-APPLICATION WINDOW:
- FUNDING AVAILABLE: Approximate $75,440,000 with RANGE OF AWARDS: $50,000 – $2,000,000
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 8, 2023.
