Sun Grant Program

This program responds to the need to enhance national energy security through the development, distribution, and implementation of biobased energy technologies; promote diversification in, and the environmental sustainability of, agricultural product

The Sun Grant Program (SGP) will provide a consortium of universities made up of a university from each of the sun grant regions and subcenter region with a grant to support a consortium of North Central, Southeastern, South Central, Western, and Northeastern Sun Grant centers and a Western Insular Pacific subcenter. Each of the five Sun Grant centers or the sub-center will use 75 percent of grant funds to provide competitive grants within each region that are multi-institutional and integrated, multistate research, Extension/outreach, and education programs on technology development and implementation and address bioenergy, biomass, or bioproducts research priorities.

Only the Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter as specifically designated in 7 U.S.C. 8114 are eligible to apply for funding under this program.

Only the Sun Grant Centers and Subcenter as specifically designated in 7 U.S.C. 8114 are eligible to apply for funding under this program.

The Sun Grant Program was established to: (1) Enhance national energy security with biobased energy tech; (2) Promote diversification and environmental sustainability through biobased tech; (3) Promote economic diversification in the rural US through biobased technology; and (4) Enhance the efficiency of biobased technology R & D through collaborations among the United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, and Land Grant Institutions. A Sun Grant Center or Subcenter shall use 75 percent of the funds to provide competitive grants to entities that are- (i) eligible to receive grants under subsection (b)(7) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)(7)); and (ii) located in the region covered by the Sun Grant Center or Subcenter.

Grant funds must be used for allowable costs necessary to conduct approved research and extension objectives. Funds shall not be used for the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility (including site grading and improvement, and architect fees). Funds may not be used for any purposes other than those approved in the grant award documents. See Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for specific details regarding indirect costs and matching requirements.

In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed five (5) years.

Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The most current NOFOs are available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/sun-grant-program

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 Competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Contact the National Program Leader (NPL) 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.

Specific details are provided in the Notice of Funding of Opportunity (NOFO), which are generally published annually. The most current NOFO is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/sun-grant-program