Coordinate the USDA sare (sustainable agriculture research and education) program for the 13 states and 2 territories of the southern region

The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. received a $10.81 million Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program (CFDA 10.215), awarded September 30, 2025, with a completion date of September 29, 2030. As the Regional Host Institution for the Southern Region, UGA Research Foundation coordinates the SARE program across 13 states and 2 territories, managing a portfolio of approximately 115 projects and initiatives annually. These include roughly 13 research and education projects, 13 education projects, 20 graduate student projects, 10 on-farm research projects, 13 farmer-led projects, 8 professional development competitive projects, 29 Professional Development Program (PDP) model state training grants, and 29 model state program assistance grants.

The cooperative agreement supports SARE's core mission to fund competitive grants and education programs that increase agricultural productivity while maintaining soil and water quality, conserving natural resources, and improving farm profitability and rural community quality of life. As a decentralized regional host, UGA Research Foundation manages the solicitation, peer review, and administration of research and educational projects that help agriculture become more profitable, protect natural resources and the environment, and improve community quality of life across the Southern Region. This regional coordinating function is one of four similar cooperative agreements administered nationally under the SARE program.

Each agreement supports approximately 13 research and education projects, 13 education projects, approximately 20 graduate student projects, approximately 10 on-farm research projects, approximately 13 farmer projects, approximately 8 professional development program competitiveprojects, approximately 29 PDP model state program training grants and 29 model state program-program assistant grants. Regional competitive grants program to help agriculture become more profitable, protect natural resources and the environment and improve community quality of life.