• Important Information
• Active Calls
• Recently Closed Calls
• List of Grant Opportunities for Weed Science Researchers

WSSA-NIFA Fellow: Dr. James Kells, Michigan State University (kells@msu.edu)

Important Information:

USDA-NIFA has developed a Weed Science Funding page to archive all relevant funding opportunities within USDA for Weed Science researchers. Scroll down to RELATED CONTENT section at the bottom of the page for relevant opportunities. The EXTERNAL RESOURCES section at the bottom lists previously funded projects. A list of FY 2017 USDA grant and partnership programs that can address invasive species research, technical assistance, prevention and control is available here.

For any questions on USDA grants, contact Dr. Vijay Nandula (vijay.nandula@usda.gov).

AFRI Webinars: Funding Opportunities for New Investigators (New)

Here is a LINK to the NIFA website containing recordings and reference materials from a series of new investigator webinars organized by NIFA during March 1-4, 2021. The site contains links to eight recorded webinars, including an overview of NIFA grant programs and presentations on each of the seven AFRI program areas within NIFA. Of particular interest to weed scientists is the Plant Health and Production and Plant Products Program Area.

One pager on funding opportunities with USDA-NIFA

• NIFA funding programs for weed scientists
• NIFA Funding Opportunity Page 

Information on NIFA funding and how to succeed in grantsmanship:

This PDF file contains slides and notes from the special session, “Navigating the New Landscape of Federal Funding”, which was held at the 2017 WSSA meeting in Tucson, AZ. It contains information and insights that should be useful to anyone planning a proposal submission. Highlights include:

• New NIFA panel organization – Many options are available for funding weed science research, some with relatively high funding rates.
• Tips for preparing your proposal – Take home message: Study the RFA, write clearly, and call the Program Leaders with your questions!
• Lessons from the 2016 panel – It seemed to work well for Weed Science. Read the Panel Manager’s thoughts on the process.

Active Calls:

• NRCS-Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) (due: May 28, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA-AFRI Sustainable Agriculture Systems (LOI due: Jan 7, 2021; application deadline: Jul 1, 2021)

Recently Closed:

• USDA-NIFA Supplemental and Alternative Crops Program (due: Mar 30, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Equipment Grant (deadline: Mar 16, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Transitions Program (ORG) (due: Mar 15, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management program (due: Mar 15, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA-Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) (deadline: January 14, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA-AFRI Specialty Crops Research Initiative (SCRI) (due: January 26, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Methyl Bromide Transition Program (due: Feb 12, 2021)
• Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4) (due: Feb 12, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRAG) (due: Feb 24, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Foundational and Applied Science Program (deadline varies by program area; please see the RFA for specific program area deadline)
  • Foundational program specific priority area ‘Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems’ (deadline: May 27, 2021)
• USDA-NIFA Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program (deadline June 22, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management Program (deadline June 8, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Methyl Bromide Alternatives Program (deadline May 22, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Foundational and Applied Science Program (deadline varies by program area; of particular interest for weed scientists is the “Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems program”. See page 13 on the RFA; Deadline is March 12, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants (BRAG) Program (deadline: Mar 18, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Transitions (ORG) program (FY 2020-21 is due Feb 27, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (FY 2020-21 is due: Jan 30, 2020)
• USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative (SCRI) grants program (pre-applications due: Oct 15, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems program (LOI due: June 4, 2019; application due: Sep 26, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Foundational and Applied Science Program (deadline varies by program area; please see the RFA for specific program area deadline)
  • Foundational program specific priority area ‘Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems’ (deadline: July 9, 2019)
  • Foundational program specific area ‘Tactical Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity’ (LOI due: Jul 9, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Comparative Genomics Research Program (due: July 5, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Minor Crop Pest Management Program – Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4) (due: April 3, 2019) 
• USDA-NIFA Methyl Bromide Transitions Program (due: April 15, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) grant (due: April 16, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (due: May 2, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program (due: Feb 12, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants Program (BRAG) (due: Feb 20, 2019)
• National Robotics Initiative 2.0: Ubiquitous Collaborative Robots (NRI-2.0) (due: Feb 19, 2019)
• USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative (due: Dec 10, 2018)
• USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-Sustainable Agricultural Systems (LOI due: June 27, 2018; full proposal due: Oct 10, 2018)
• USDA-NIFA Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water (due: Sep 26, 2018)
• USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Foundational and Applied Science Program. See the RFA for deadlines of specific programs.
• USDA-NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management (due: May 8, 2018)
• EPA-Environmental Education (EE) Grant (due: April 11, 2018)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Transitions Program (ORG) (due: March 29, 2018)
• USDA-NIFA Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) (due: March 1, 2018)
• USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) (due: Feb 26, 2018)

Previous calls

Grant Opportunities for Weed Science Researchers:

National:

• USDA Grant and Partnership Programs (view the workbook)
• USDA-NIFA (funding search)
• Grants.gov (grants database; view grant opportunities; RSS feeds; subscribe to e-mail list)
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • Biotechnology Risk Assessment Program (BRAG)
  • NIFA-AFRI Foundational Program
  • Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
  • Specialty Crops Research Initiative (SCRI)
  • Food Security Challenge Area
  • NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants
  • Crop Protection and Pest Management Grants
  • Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)
    • Northeast SARE Grants
    • North Central SARE Grants
    • Western SARE Grants
    • Southern SARE Grants
  • Regional IPM Grants
    • Northeast Regional IPM Grants
    • North Central Regional IPM Grants
    • Western Regional IPM Grants
    • Southern Regional IPM grants
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)
  • Environmental Biology (DEB)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Grants
  • Pesticide Registration Improvement Act Partnership Grants
• US Department of Energy (DOE)
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

International:

• United States-Agency for International Development (USAID)
• United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD)
• United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund

Additional Resources:

• Tips for preparing better funding proposals (by Adam S. Davis)

• Weed Science Research and Funding: A Call to Action
  Adam S. Davis, J. Christopher Hall, Marie Jasieniuk, Martin A. Locke, Edward C. Luschei, David A. Mortensen, Dean E. Riechers, Richard G. Smith, Tracy M. Sterling, and James H. Westwood. Weed Science. 2009. 57:442–448
• Future Research Directions for Weed Science
  J. Christopher Hall, Laura L. Van Eerd, Stephen D. Miller, Micheal D. K. Owen, Timothy S. Prather, Dale L. Shaner, Megh Singh, Kevin C. Vaughn, And Stephen C. Weller. Weed Technology. 2000. 14:647–658