Grants

The Professional Development Grant program funds projects that develop the knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes of agricultural and other service providers about sustainable agriculture practices to teach, advise, or assist farmers. A service provider is a professional who assists farmers as part of their work. Projects that develop the ability of other service providers (for example, real estate agents, bankers, and attorneys) to work with farmers are also eligible. These service providers then use what they’ve learned through participation in project activities in their work with farmers.

The Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program funds “proof of concept” applied research projects intended to confirm the benefits and/or feasibility of new practices and approaches that have high potential for adoption by farmers in the near future. These practices and approaches may be related to production, marketing, business management, human resource management and other social issues, or other topics related to sustainable agriculture. By “proof of concept,” we mean that evidence from prior experiments or pilot projects strongly suggests a practice or approach is beneficial and feasible, but additional testing, data and refinement is needed before recommending farmer adoption.

Research may be conducted through field trials, laboratory experiments and social science investigations. Exploratory research with little likelihood of determining feasibility for farmer adoption in the near-term will not be funded. There must be documented interest among farmers and service providers in utilizing or promoting the novel approach, should it be proven beneficial and feasible.

A wide variety of topics can be funded by Northeast SARE, including marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, urban and Indigenous agriculture and much more. Other aspects of projects funded through the Northeast SARE program include those that address climate-smart agriculture practices intended to improve ecological, social, and economic resilience to climate change; increase carbon sequestration; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-smart practices include reduced and no-till, cover crops, prescribed grazing, ruminant feed management, manure management, fertilizer management, and on-farm energy efficiency. In addition, projects may address traditional ecological knowledge.

EPA is seeking applications from organizations with a demonstrable history of providing effective, results-oriented technical assistance to public water systems. The Agency’s priorities include maximizing funds to provide significant benefit to drinking water systems in communities of need; tackling the climate crisis; and advancing environmental justice and equity. EPA believes this funding plays a significant role to ensure continued access to resources to support infrastructure improvements that protect public health, safeguard the environment, and mitigate environmental justice concerns at the public water system.

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Brianna Knoppow, Phone: (202) 564-4433 E-mail: smallsystemsRFA@epa.gov

The goal of the HWC Grant Program is to “accelerate strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds”, with primary focus on prevention of land deterioration by protecting healthy watersheds that already have many of their services and systems intact.