NCR-SARE Announces New Timeline for the Research & Education Grant Program
NCR-SARE will implement a new, shorter timeline for its Research & Education (R&E) Grant Program this year (2013 grant cycle). The next R&E Call for Preproposals will be issued in August 2012, with preproposals due November 8, 2012. Awards will be announced in August 2013.
The decision to reduce the interval between preproposal submissions to project awards from 15 to 9 months was made in response to survey comments from potential grant applicants. NCR-SARE R&E grant coordinator, Beth Nelson, noted that respondents were strongly in favor of the new timeline.
“Many of the respondents commented that the period between the preproposals being due and funds being available was just too long—a lot can change in 15 months, especially when it covers two growing seasons,” said Nelson.
The new timeline for the R&E grants will be:
- Call for Preproposals: August
- Preproposals due: early November
- Call for Proposals: late February
- Proposals due: late April
- Funding notification: early August
- Funds available: fall
NCR-SARE administers each of its grant programs with specific priorities, audiences, and timelines. The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are made based on how well the applicant articulates the nature of the research and education components of their sustainable agriculture grant proposals.
NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the AC includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, and nonprofit organizations. In addition, regional representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and NCR agribusinesses, state agencies, and foundations sit at the table to distribute grant money.
For questions or additional information regarding the timeline of the R&E Grant Program, contact Beth Nelson.
Beth Nelson, Ph.D.
Regional Coordinator (Chapter 1) and Director of Research and Education Programs
120 BAE, University of Minnesota
1390 Eckles Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 612-626-4436
Fax: 612-626-3132
Schre002@umn.edu
