Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants (10.200)
Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants (Assistance Listing 10.200) is run by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the Department of Agriculture. It awarded $141 million in 115 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.2 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $521,416. Half of the 115 awards fell between $298,889 and $948,821, and they ranged from $24,885 to $41.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$141 million
- Grant awards115
- Typical award$521,416
- Awarded in FY 2025$27.7 million
- Size rank705 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $24.4 million in fiscal 2021 to $27.7 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 705th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 92% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 37 states and territories.
What the program funds
To carry out research, to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the nation and to facilitate or expand on-going State-Federal food and agricultural research programs. Programs Listed under 10.200 are: 1. Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B) 2. Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Special Research Grants: State agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations and individuals having a demonstrable capacity to conduct research activities to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Grant funds must be used for allowable costs necessary to conduct approved fundamental and applied research, extension and education objectives to address food and agricultural sciences. Awards are generally limited to high priority problems of a regional or national scope. NIFA has determined that grant funds awarded under this authority may not be used for the renovation or refurbishment of research, education, or extension space; the purchase or installation of fixed equipment in such space; or the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of buildings or facilities. Funds may not be used for any purposes other than those approved in the grant award documents. Funds shall not be used for tuition remission. Indirect Costs are generally not allowable for this program. Generally, there are no matching requirements associated with Special Research Grant programs and matching resources will not be factored into the review process as evaluation criteria. Please refer to RFA, Part IV.D. – Applications – Funding Restrictions for specific details. Exceptions to the general rules, as related to Indirect Cost and matching requirements, are indicated below, as deemed appropriate and necessary. The following programs are EXCEPTIONS to the general rules: (1) Critical Agricultural Materials (Pub. L. 95-592) (2) Federal Administration - Research (3) Pest Management Alternatives (aka PMAP) (4) Supplemental and Alternative Crops [ 7 U.S.C. 3319d (c)].
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive and/or capacity project grant, or cooperative agreement are established, these amounts will be announced in the annual Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current RFAs are available as follows: Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/global-change-ultraviolet-radiation-monitoring-and-research-program Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/potato-breeding-research Special Research Grants Program Aquaculture Research (aka Aquaculture Centers): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/special-research-grants-program-aquaculture-research Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive Grants Program (SACC): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/supplemental-and-alternative-crops-sacc RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Fiscal Year 2025: Phase I Award examples: 1. A Portable Situational Awareness Toolset for Wildfires Suppression and Team Management 2. Squalene Produced from US Soybeans 3. A Nickel-Binding Feed Additive for Improved Feed Efficiency & Productivity in Cattle 4. Cost-effective Monitoring Platform for Optimal Nutrient Application 5. Innovative Food Processing Utilizing Whole Apples to Produce a Novel Drink, Reducing Food Waste and Enhancing Nutritional Value 6. AMA: An AI-Driven Special Education Support Platform for Education in Rural Communities. 7. Induced polyploidization in larviparous oysters: Developing a commercially viable Hawaiian oyster 8. Consolidated Bioprocessing of Corn Stover to Ethanol Augmented by Spontaneous Particle Expansion Cotreatment 9. Improving Small Farm Profitability Using Directed Energy Weed Management 10. Cotton Picker Spindle Design and Manufacturing Processes There were no FY25 Phase II awards issued.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants (10.200) awarded $141 million across 115 grant awards, an average of $1.2 million per award.
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 95% of the money, nonprofits 2.7% and small businesses 0.7%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 97 | $134 million | 95% |
| Nonprofits | 11 | $3.8 million | 2.7% |
| Other | 3 | $1.6 million | 1.1% |
| Small businesses | 4 | $1.0 million | 0.7% |
By state
17 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 7 | $66.9 million |
| Washington | 10 | $10.6 million |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $6.7 million |
| Mississippi | 10 | $6.0 million |
| Maryland | 9 | $5.8 million |
| Michigan | 4 | $5.6 million |
| Texas | 8 | $4.9 million |
| Hawaii | 5 | $4.7 million |
| Iowa | 5 | $4.7 million |
| Colorado | 2 | $4.1 million |
| Maine | 3 | $3.2 million |
| California | 4 | $2.0 million |
| Delaware | 1 | $1.9 million |
| Virginia | 5 | $1.8 million |
| Florida | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Kansas | 2 | $1.2 million |
| North Dakota | 2 | $1.1 million |
| Idaho | 2 | $964,798 |
| Alabama | 3 | $902,482 |
| Louisiana | 2 | $895,475 |
| New Jersey | 1 | $869,770 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $817,746 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $686,602 |
| Oregon | 2 | $607,468 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | $472,930 |
| Utah | 1 | $400,000 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $370,000 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $322,082 |
| New York | 1 | $307,468 |
| Ohio | 1 | $290,531 |
| Arizona | 1 | $269,398 |
| Indiana | 1 | $156,984 |
| Missouri | 2 | $122,894 |
| Georgia | 1 | $80,000 |
| New Mexico | 1 | $65,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $29,772 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $24,885 |