Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants

Active

Assistance listing
10.200
Agency
Grant awards
4,057 $1,861,632,086 in federal obligations

Program facts

Also known as
Special Research Grants (SRGP)
Assistance types
  • Project Grant
  • Cooperative Agreement
Treasury account
  • 12-1500-0-1-352
More information

Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.

About this program

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants (CFDA 10.200), which funds applied research addressing constraints to U.S. food and agricultural production, with the most recent grant award dated September 15, 2026.

The program funds a broad portfolio of agricultural and aquaculture research. Active grant awards span potato breeding and variety development across regional programs (Eastern, North Central, Northwest, and Southwest U.S.), aquaculture species genetics and disease management, specialty crops including hemp and canola, crop protection registrations, shellfish and finfish husbandry, and food systems infrastructure projects. Recent awards include $2.48 million for Northwest potato breeding incorporating federal, university, and industry research elements; $1.93 million for North Central potato breeding addressing heat stress, water efficiency, and disease resistance; and $304 thousand for food science research on canned shellfish products to reduce Northeast seafood waste and support farm income stability. The program also funds regional aquaculture centers and the IR-4 minor crop pest management program, which received $27.7 million in a recent award to facilitate pesticide registrations for specialty and minor-use crops.

Awards are predominantly Project Grants (98% of the portfolio, 3,967 awards) with a small share of Cooperative Agreements (2%, 90 awards). NIFA dominates funding across all subcategories of the program, obligating $1.63 billion in federal dollars across 3,844 awards. The portfolio spans 4,057 total awards from 1996 onward, with a stable cadence of 16–19 awards per year in the past five years and one award recorded as of October 2026. Combined federal and total obligated dollars are $1.86 billion and $1.87 billion respectively, indicating minimal non-federal cost-share.

Recent grant opportunities include Special Research Grants for Aquaculture Research (posted May 14, 2026; due June 15, 2026) targeting genetics, disease management, production systems, and economic profitability; and Potato Breeding Research (posted January 17, 2025; due March 20, 2025) supporting varietal development and testing using conventional and biotechnological methods. The program publishes notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) annually via Grants.gov and NIFA's website. Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, research institutions, federal agencies, and private organizations with demonstrable capacity to conduct research. Project periods do not exceed three years, and peer and merit review is conducted by qualified scientist panels and appropriate specialists.

Objective and description

Objective

To carry out research, to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the nation and to facilitate or expand on-going State-Federal food and agricultural research programs. Programs Li

Description

Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B) Potato Breeding Research: Breeding High-Performance Potato Cultivars to Meet the Challenges and Opportunities of the Eastern US Potato Industry: The purpose is potato breeding and variety development in the Eastern U.S. Northwest potato variety development, improving U.S. food security and quality, consumer health and production efficiency: The purpose is to release and commercialize new potato varieties that will directly benefit all segments of the U.S. potato industry Potato Breeding and Variety Development in the North Central US: Enhancing Yield, Quality and Resilience with New Technologies: The purpose is potato breeding in the North Central U.S., which is vital to the regional economy and plays an important role in the national potato supply. Potato Breeding and Cultivar Development in The Southwest: The purpose is to deliver potato cultivars tailored to the Southwest U.S. production system.

Eligibility

Applicant eligibility

Special Research Grants: State agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations and individuals having a demonstrable capacity to conduct research activities to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.

Beneficiary eligibility

For Special Research Grants: State agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations and individuals having a demonstrable capacity to conduct research activities to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.

Uses of assistance

Grant funds must be used for allowable costs necessary to conduct approved fundamental and applied research, extension and education objectives to address food and agricultural sciences. Awards are generally limited to high priority problems of a regional or national scope.

Length and time phasing of assistance

In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed three (3) years.

How to apply

Preapplication coordination

All NOFOs are published on Grants.gov. Applicants must complete the Grants.gov registration process. Please see the following Grants.gov link for more information: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

Criteria for selecting proposals

Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The most current NOFOs are available as follows: Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/global-change-ultraviolet-radiation-monitoring-and-research-program Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/potato-breeding-research

Award procedure

Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the NOFO. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). 2 CFR 200 - Subpart C and Appendix I and 2 CFR part 400 apply to this Program.

Time to approval or disapproval

Dates for specific deadlines are announced in the NOFO each fiscal year. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 30 to 180 days. Contact the National Program Leader (NPL)Headquarters Office regarding dates for specific deadlines, start and end dates, and range of approval/disapproval time. Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the Grants.gov website. NIFA's respective links regarding general information are provided below: http://nifa.usda.gov/ http://www.grants.gov. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the NOFO for further specific and pertinent details. The most current NOFOs are available as follows: Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/global-change-ultraviolet-radiation-monitoring-and-research-program Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/potato-breeding-research NOFOs are generally released annually. Hence, the NOFOs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive NOFOs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database.

Renewals

Specific details are provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which are generally published annually. The most current NOFOs are available as follows: Global Change Ultraviolet Radiation Monitoring and Research Program (GC/UV-B): https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/global-change-ultraviolet-radiation-monitoring-and-research-program Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/potato-breeding-research

Grant opportunities

Opportunity Status Posted Applications due
Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-011856 Closed
Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-011275 Closed
Potato Breeding Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-011275 Closed
Special Research Grants for Aquaculture Research Program USDA-NIFA-SRGP-010575 Closed
Special Research Grants Program Potato Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-009702 Closed
Food and Agricultural Education Information System USDA-NIFA-OP-009753 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops USDA-NIFA-OP-009767 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops USDA-NIFA-OP-009141 Closed
Special Research Grants for Aquaculture Research Program USDA-NIFA-SRGP-009105 Closed
Special Research Grants Program Potato Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-008078 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops (SAC) Competitive Grants Program USDA-NIFA-OP-008079 Closed
Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project # 4 (IR-4) USDA-NIFA-SRGP-008033 Closed
Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-007192 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops USDA-NIFA-OP-006749 Closed
Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006738 Closed
Potato Breeding Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006734 Closed
IR-4 Minor Crop Pest Management USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006701 Closed
Food and Agricultural Education Information System USDA-NIFA-OP-006554 Closed
Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006544 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive Grants Program USDA-NIFA-OP-006533 Closed
Family Advocacy Program (FAP) USDA-NIFA-EXCA-006388 Closed
Air Force Mental Health Reseach Project USDA-NIFA-COOP-006389 Closed
Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006345 Closed
Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4 USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006284 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive Grants Program USDA-NIFA-OP-006246 Closed
Special Research Grants Program, Potato Breeding Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-006204 Closed
Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) USDA-NIFA-OP-005055 Closed
Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-005095 Closed
Special Research Grants Program Potato Breeding Research USDA-NIFA-SRGP-004996 Closed
Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive Grants Program USDA-NIFA-OP-004976 Closed
Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project (IR-4) USDA-NIFA-SRGP-004796 Closed
Interregional Research Project #4 Minor Crop Pest Management Program (IR-4) USDA-NIFA-SRGP-003674 Closed
Policy Research Centers Grant Program USDA-NIFA-FAPR-003632 Closed
Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program - Northeastern Region USDA-NIFA-RIPM-003628 Closed
Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program - North Central Region USDA-NIFA-RIPM-003630 Closed
Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program - Southern Region USDA-NIFA-RIPM-003629 Closed
Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program - Western Region USDA-NIFA-RIPM-003627 Closed
Critical Issues: Emerging and New Animal Pests and Diseases Program USDA-NIFA-OP-003416 Closed
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Grant awards

Award Recipient Federal obligations Awarded
Maine and the wider northeast have a fast-growing shellfish farming industry, but nearly all oysters and much of the… 20267000746904 University Of Maine System $304,357
Potato breeding and variety development in the eastern U.S. Is carried out through an integrated effort across seven… 20253414145371 University Of Maine System $1,563,000
Potato production in the north central US is vital to the regional economy and plays an important role in the… 20253414145369 Michigan State University $1,929,000
Texas a & m university, colorado state university, and the university of california have been collaborating(SW potato… 20253414145368 Texas A&M Agrilife Research $1,438,317
The increasing contribution of aquaculture to human food production is a worldwide phenomenon. As aquaculture systems… 20257000745031 Oregon State University $307,468
This project aims to establish an effective microbial fermentation process to convert canola meal (CM), a low-value… 20253862445367 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota $317,751
Plant phenotype is the cumulative output of combined genetic and environmental factors operating to influence plant… 20253862445366 The Pennsylvania State University $669,441
Powdery mildew (PM), a fungal disease, mainly caused by golovinomyces ambrosiae has devastating impacts on industrial… 20253862445365 Rutgers, The State University $875,854
FY 2025 regional aquaculture center program section 1475 (directed grant program) 20253850045292 University Of Maryland, College Park $934,421
The USDA national institute of food and agriculture (nifa) southern regional aquaculture center (srac) is one of five… 20253850045291 Mississippi State University $934,421

Latest 10 of 4,057 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.

Top recipients by federal obligations

Rank Recipient Federal obligations Share
1 North Carolina State University $89,437,773 5%
2 Michigan State University $54,062,743 3%
3 University Of California, Davis $49,668,325 3%
4 Rutgers, The State University $46,581,976 3%
5 University Of Florida $29,621,060 2%
6 University Of Illinois $27,214,692 1%
7 Colorado State University $27,103,674 1%
8 Mississippi State University $25,670,656 1%
9 Iowa State University Of Science And Technology $25,558,512 1%
10 Washington State University $25,123,448 1%

10 of 188 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.

Federal obligations by fiscal year

Fiscal year Federal obligations
FY2026 $17,398,912
FY2025 $27,731,418
FY2024 $30,821,179
FY2023 $28,037,614
FY2022 $29,728,045
FY2021 $24,431,195
FY2020 $24,026,071
FY2019 $23,557,149
FY2018 $27,059,937
FY2017 $26,835,870
FY2016 $29,083,423
FY2015 $29,334,733
FY2014 $30,861,714
FY2013 $27,263,397
FY2012 $36,669,958
FY2011 $27,386,029
FY2010 $143,972,401
FY2009 $139,235,374
FY2008 $140,878,371
FY2007 $27,136,786
FY2006 $191,407,644
FY2005 $177,178,307
FY2004 $163,342,313
FY2003 $160,486,616
FY2002 $140,368,564
FY2001 $138,997,037
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Quick answers

What is Assistance Listing 10.200?

Assistance Listing 10.200 is Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants, a federal grant program run by National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Department of Agriculture).

What is the CFDA number for Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants?

Its CFDA number is 10.200: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.

How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.200 awarded?

4,057 grant awards under 10.200 have obligated $1,861,632,086 in federal funds to 188 recipients.

Who receives the most funding from 10.200?

The recipients obligated the most under Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants are North Carolina State University ($89,437,773), Michigan State University ($54,062,743) and University Of California, Davis ($49,668,325).

How much did 10.200 obligate in fiscal year 2025?

Grants under 10.200 obligated $27,731,418 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.

Are there open grant opportunities under 10.200?

No opportunity listed under 10.200 is open now. The latest, Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture Research, was posted on May 14, 2026.

On GovTribe

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