Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.215
- Agency
-
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 133 $511,157,461 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- (SARE)
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- 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 funds regional research and education projects on sustainable agriculture production systems through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (CFDA 10.215), with the most recent grant awards issued on September 30, 2025.
The program is a decentralized competitive grants operation administering funding through four Regional Host Institutions and a National Reporting, Coordinating, and Communications Office. It supports research, education, and professional development projects designed to make agriculture more profitable while protecting natural resources and improving farm community quality of life. Recent awards show the program funds regional host institution operations and a portfolio of underlying competitive grants including research and education projects, on-farm demonstrations, farmer-directed investigations, graduate student research, and professional development training for agricultural extension educators and service providers. Award descriptions reference support for projects in aquaculture, dairy, fruit, livestock, maple, ornamental crops, and vegetables, addressing audiences from conventional and organic producers to beginning farmers and urban agricultural operations.
Awards are predominantly Cooperative Agreements (88 percent of 133 awards, 117 total) with a smaller share of Project Grants (12 percent, 16 total). The portfolio spans five years of recent activity, averaging approximately five awards annually from 2021 through 2025. Combined federal dollars obligated total $511.2 million. The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture is the sole identified funding source.
Representative recent awards include the Southern Region Host Institution Cooperative Agreement ($10.8 million, September 2025) coordinating approximately 100 research, education, on-farm, farmer, professional development, and state program grants across 13 states and 2 territories; the Northeast SARE Host Institution ($10.8 million, September 2025) administered by the University of Vermont coordinating research and education, professional development, farmer, partnership, graduate student, and community farming grants across 12 northeastern states and the District of Columbia; and the National Reporting, Coordinating, and Communications Office Cooperative Agreement ($1.7 million, September 2025) producing educational resources, maintaining databases, and supporting cross-regional communications.
No currently open grant opportunities appear in the source. The most recent posted opportunity (USDA-NIFA-OP-009382, dated September 1, 2022, with due date November 14, 2022) solicited research and outreach proposals aligned with soil quality, water conservation, food system safety, animal welfare, and employment in agriculture. NOFOs are published annually on Grants.gov; applicants must maintain SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and complete any program-specific pre-application requirements listed in the NOFO. Eligible applicants include land-grant and other universities, State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, nonprofit organizations with demonstrable expertise, and Federal or State governmental entities. Project periods may not exceed five years.
Objective and description
- Objective
The purpose of the SARE program, under assistance listing 10.215, is to encourage research and extension projects designed to increase knowledge concerning agricultural production systems that: (1) maintain and enhance the quality and productivity of
- Description
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is a decentralized competitive grants and education program focused on farmers and ranchers that is administered via four Regional Host Institutions. This Assistance listing funds the four Regional Host Institutions (RHI) and the National Reporting, Coordinating, and Communications Office (NRCCO).
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Land-grant colleges or universities, other universities, State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, nonprofit organizations, and individuals with demonstrable expertise, or Federal or State governmental entities.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Land-grant colleges or universities, other universities, State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, nonprofit organizations, and individuals with demonstrable expertise, or Federal or State governmental entities.
- Uses of assistance
USES: 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.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The term of a competitive grant under this authority may not exceed five (5) years. In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed five (5) years. Further details are provided in the Award document Form NIFA-2009 and the NIFA General Terms and Conditions Grants and Cooperative Agreements. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/sare-regional-host-institution
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
All NOFOs are published on Grants.gov. Applicants must complete the SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration process prior to applying. See the program NOFO for any program specific pre-application requirements.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
NIFA evaluates each application in a two-part process. First, each application is reviewed to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in the NOFO. Second, a peer-review process will be used to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of applications that have meet the administrative requirements. After each peer review panel has completed deliberations, the responsible NIFA program staff will either recommend an application for support from available funds or decline an application due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.
- Award procedure
Within the limit of funds authorized, the NIFA awarding official will make grants to responsible and eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this NOFO. The date specified by the NIFA awarding official as the effective date of the cooperative agreement must be no later than September 30 of the federal fiscal year in which the project is approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless otherwise permitted by law. The project need not be initiated on the effective date of the cooperative agreement, but as soon thereafter as practical so that project goals may be attained within the funded project period.
- Time to approval or disapproval
From 30 to 60 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.
- Renewals
Specific details are provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which are generally published annually. The most current NOFO is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/sare-regional-host-institution
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program | Closed | ||
| SARE Regional Host Institution | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 133 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. | $126,874,808 | 25% |
| 2 | University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College | $119,738,039 | 23% |
| 3 | Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | $119,599,069 | 23% |
| 4 | Montana State University | $77,071,211 | 15% |
| 5 | Utah State University | $41,316,385 | 8% |
| 6 | University Of Maryland, College Park | $24,461,168 | 5% |
| 7 | University Of Georgia | $2,042,259 | <1% |
| 8 | Kansas State University | $18,910 | <1% |
| 9 | Auburn University | $18,612 | <1% |
| 10 | South Dakota State University | $17,895 | <1% |
10 of 11 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$5,886 |
| FY2025 | $44,696,563 |
| FY2024 | $43,740,062 |
| FY2023 | $55,331,740 |
| FY2022 | $44,136,373 |
| FY2021 | $38,125,807 |
| FY2020 | $34,667,292 |
| FY2019 | $34,415,989 |
| FY2018 | $32,769,916 |
| FY2017 | $25,297,706 |
| FY2016 | $23,147,505 |
| FY2015 | $21,274,974 |
| FY2014 | $21,174,262 |
| FY2013 | $12,372,558 |
| FY2012 | $13,289,736 |
| FY2011 | $14,434,849 |
| FY2010 | $13,413,044 |
| FY2009 | $14,290,658 |
| FY2008 | $13,297,632 |
| FY2007 | $11,286,682 |
Show all 20
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.215?
Assistance Listing 10.215 is Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, a federal grant program run by National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education?
Its CFDA number is 10.215: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.215 awarded?
133 grant awards under 10.215 have obligated $511,157,461 in federal funds to 11 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.215?
The recipients obligated the most under Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education are University Of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. ($126,874,808), University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College ($119,738,039) and Regents Of The University Of Minnesota ($119,599,069).
How much did 10.215 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 10.215 obligated $44,696,563 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 10.215?
No opportunity listed under 10.215 is open now. The latest, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, was posted on September 1, 2022.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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