Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative | USDA NIFA ICGP 006429

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 006429

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) is a competitive grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to strengthen and expand organic agriculture in the United States. The program is designed to tackle high-priority challenges in organic farming and organic food systems by funding projects that deliberately combine research with extension, meaning the work is not only about generating new knowledge but also about getting practical, usable results into the hands of farmers, ranchers, and other organic stakeholders. A central emphasis is on understanding organic production as a system, including both the environmental impacts of organic practices and the environmental benefits or services organic systems can provide, such as improved soil health, reduced contamination risks, biodiversity support, and other ecological outcomes.

The opportunity is rooted in the federal framework that created modern organic standards. The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) established the National Organic Program (NOP) in 1990, with the final implementing rules issued in 2000. Those rules led to the first nationwide organic standards for certification under a national organic label in 2002, which helped create consistency and consumer trust across states and markets. Even with that growth and structure in place, the funding notice highlights a continuing problem reported by market participants: supplies of organic products have not kept up with demand. Those shortages are described as a constraint on expansion for individual businesses and for the organic sector overall. In practical terms, this grant program exists to help remove those bottlenecks by supporting innovations, validated practices, and outreach that can improve organic productivity, resilience, and scalability while staying aligned with organic standards.

OREI sits within NIFA's broader approach to meeting organic agriculture needs, which includes both formula funding to universities and colleges and competitive grants like this one. The notice also places OREI in the context of the Integrated Organic Program (IOP), a competitive umbrella that has included the Organic Transitions Program since 2001 and supported OREI during earlier funding periods (noted as 2009 to 2012). The larger theme is long-term federal investment in building the science base and the on-the-ground support network needed for organic systems to grow responsibly and effectively.

Eligibility for applying is broad but clearly defined, and applicants must fit into one of the listed categories. Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations; colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations, foundations, or corporations; and individuals who are U.S. citizens or nationals. Teams or partnerships are also allowed, as long as the group is made up of two or more of the eligible entity types listed. This structure encourages collaboration across research, education, government, and industry, which fits the program's integrated research-and-extension purpose.

From the source data provided, the opportunity is a discretionary grant program with an agriculture funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 10.307. The funding opportunity is titled "Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative" and is listed under the opportunity number USDA NIFA ICGP 006429. The agency administering it is NIFA. The record shows a creation date of December 27, 2017, and an original closing date of March 1, 2018. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided excerpt, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full request for applications or related program materials for detailed budget limits, project periods, and award expectations.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.307.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-12-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-03-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 006429

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