Specialty Crop Research Initiative - Pre-Applications

Background
The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program aims 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. The program promotes collaboration, open communication, the exchange of information, and the development of resources that accelerate application of scientific discovery and technology.

Grant Details
The SCRI program offers three project types in FY 2024: Standard Research and Extension Projects (SREPs), Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs), and Research and Extension Planning Projects. The pre-application process does not result in award recommendations, but an estimate of project costs is required. Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov. The pre-application deadline is December 8, 2023. The program has five legislatively mandated focus areas to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops and their regions.

Eligibility Requirements
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, or groups consisting of two or more of these entities. For those new to Federal financial assistance, a grants overview page is available on the NIFA website.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for projects varies based on the project type: SREPs can be up to five years, CAPs can be up to five years, and Research and Extension Planning Projects have a project period of one year.

Grant Value
$75,440,000 is anticipated to be available for support of this program in FY 2024. The total multi-year funding for most funded SREP awards for FY 2024 will be close to the historical median: Mean award: $2,461,152; Median award: $2,032,727; Minimum award: $226,905; Maximum award: $6,242,957.