Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economic (RIDGE)
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.255
- Agency
-
Economic Research Service
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 13 $5,213,156 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 12-1701-0-1-352
- 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 Economic Research Service funds PhD-level economic research on agriculture, food, and nutrition assistance through the Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) program (CFDA 10.255), with the most recent grant award disbursed on September 30, 2022.
Program activity has slowed significantly. The portfolio contains 13 total awards spanning from 2010 to 2022, but recent cadence is sparse: one award in 2022, one in 2016, two in 2015, two in 2013, and seven in 2010. No grant opportunities have been posted recently. The most recent award—a $600,000 cooperative agreement for food and nutrition assistance research—carries an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2026, suggesting active performance, yet the four-year gap since that award and the absence of posted solicitations signal minimal current activity.
RIDGE funds subawards to PhD candidates in economics conducting research on agriculture, food systems, or nutrition topics. Representative research scope includes economic analysis of wildfire and rangeland management impacts ($1.2 million Project Grant to Tufts/University of Connecticut RIDGE Center, 2016), food insecurity prevalence and state-level factors ($170,000 Project Grant, 2013), and food assistance challenges in rural communities ($250,000 to $1 million per award, multiple recipients, 2010–2015). The program is administered by a single institution of higher education selected competitively, which then awards grants to individual researchers on a two-year research cycle within a three-year cooperative agreement structure.
Funding is entirely concentrated within USDA Economic Research Service: all 13 awards totaling $5.2 million federal dollars obligated come from this single agency. The assistance-type mix is predominantly Project Grants (92 percent, 12 awards) with one Cooperative Agreement (8 percent). Typical award magnitudes range from $25,000 to $1.2 million, with most falling in the $200,000–$500,000 band. No current solicitations or announced opportunities appear active.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide economic and other social science information and analysis for public and private decisions on agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural America. ERS produces such information for use by the general public and to help the executive a
- Description
The RIDGE partnership institutions oversee the application, peer review, award, and performance processes of the research grants provided through the RIDGE Program. The institutions serve as a hub for mentoring and training researchers interested in food and nutrition assistance issues and provide a source of timely and accessible information on new research findings.
Eligibility
- Credentials and documentation
RIDGE is awarded competitively to an institution of higher education which is responsible for administering the program and awarding the research grants to PhD candidates in the field of economics. Areas of research funded must be agriculture, food, or nutrition specific.
- Uses of assistance
Costs related to subawards issued for selected PhD candidates in the field of economics and related administrative expenses.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
RIDGE is awarded to a cooperator on a three-year cycle, with the grant recipients producing the research on a two-year cycle.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Requests for technical information may be made to the Chief, Publishing and Communications Branch, Economic Research Service (ERS), 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop 1800, Washington, DC 20520-1800.
- Award procedure
The RIDGE program is awarded competitively to the institution of higher education that is most capable of administering the grants and overseeing the research. The awardee is selected by a panel of experts at ERS.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 13 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trustees Of Tufts College | $1,800,000 | 35% |
| 2 | Mississippi State University | $1,500,000 | 29% |
| 3 | University Of Wisconsin System | $1,445,000 | 28% |
| 4 | University Of Wisconsin System | $250,000 | 5% |
| 5 | Purdue University | $218,156 | 4% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | $600,000 |
| FY2018 | $600,000 |
| FY2015 | $218,156 |
| FY2014 | $500,000 |
| FY2013 | $945,000 |
| FY2012 | $750,000 |
| FY2011 | $500,000 |
| FY2010 | $500,000 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.255?
Assistance Listing 10.255 is Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economic (RIDGE), a federal grant program run by Economic Research Service (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economic (RIDGE)?
Its CFDA number is 10.255: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.255 awarded?
13 grant awards under 10.255 have obligated $5,213,156 in federal funds to 5 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.255?
The recipients obligated the most under Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economic (RIDGE) are Trustees Of Tufts College ($1,800,000), Mississippi State University ($1,500,000) and University Of Wisconsin System ($1,445,000).
On GovTribe
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