Horticulture Fund Grants

The Michigan Legislature created the Horticulture Fund within the state treasury on October 31, 2003, through a revision to The Insect Pests and Plant Diseases Act, Act 189 of 1931, as revised. Up to $70,000 of funds will be generated each year through increases in nursery license fees; for FY 2026 there will be approximately $50,000 to be awarded. The fund was created with the following mission: "to provide for research projects, to develop and improve training programs, and to develop outreach materials for the purposes of safeguarding plants and plant products from unwanted plant pests."

This is a competitive grant program. Horticulture Fund grants will be awarded up to a maximum annual amount of $20,000 per approved proposal. Proposals that benefit Michigan's nursery and ornamental horticulture sectors by addressing industry priorities are requested. All proposals must fall under one of three categories: 1. Applied Research, 2. Basic Research, and 3. Outreach/Training/Demonstration. Greater priority will be given to proposals in Applied Research than in Basic Research.

All faculty and staff members of universities and colleges in Michigan are eligible to receive funding, as well as teams of university/college investigators and private individuals. University or college personnel must be the Principal Investigator of the proposal. MDARD's grantfund index lists the applicants as "Professors, researchers, extension agents."

Horticulture Fund dollars should complement, not replace, ongoing programs, or assist in exploring new ventures. To allow evaluation and assessment of productivity, projects must deliver clearly defined results within a realistic time frame, and all proposals must clearly state how the proposed activities will enhance Michigan's ornamental horticulture industry.

• Grants awarded up to a maximum annual amount of $20,000 per approved proposal; approximately $50,000 total available for FY 2026.

• Project period: June 1, 2026 (project initiation) to June 30, 2027 (termination). Multiyear projects may run no longer than three years and must include plans and budgets for all years.

• All grant funds must be expended within the grant period; no extensions will be granted.

• Two reports are required for each funded year: a progress report at approximately 6 months and a final report at 12 months. Payment of funds is contingent on receiving these reports and timely receipt of appropriate invoices. Reports are placed on the Horticulture Fund website and may be used in reports to the legislature, industry, and the public. Failure to submit timely, quality progress reports or to make acceptable progress may result in premature termination and confiscation of unspent funds.

• Budget: tuition and administrative/operating limits per the RFP forms; wages should not be included for faculty but can be for students/postdocs; leveraged funding and pending-proposal support must be listed.

• Proposals are reviewed and ranked by a Horticulture Fund Advisory Committee appointed by the MDARD Director, who makes the final funding decisions. Scoring (100 points, weighted differently for Applied/Basic/Outreach): relationship to the fund's mission and industry priorities; scientific soundness and methodology; leverage of funds; extent of partnering with the nursery and horticultural industries; mechanism to deliver information to Michigan industry; multidisciplinary and integrated nature; potential impact and impact-assessment plan.

Complete the FY 2026 Horticulture Fund Grant Guidelines and Application (RFP), which includes the proposal cover sheet and project budget form. Sections II through VI must total no more than four pages (excluding cover and budget pages), single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins — the review committee will not consider proposals that do not comply with this format. Required sections: cover page (signed by the Principal Investigator and lead unit administrator), problem statement, specific objectives and hypotheses, methods and procedures, impacts, timeline, budget with justification, funding history, literature cited, letters of support, and team qualifications.

Proposals for Fiscal Year 2026 funding were due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2025 through MDARD's Grants and Funding Opportunities website. MSU proposals must be sent and fully routed through the MSU KC system by the sponsor deadline (MSU sponsor code 017440). Awards will be announced in early May 2026, with funds becoming available in early June 2026.

Questions on the RFP: Bryan Webster, WebsterB3@michigan.gov, 517-719-1693. Questions on submitting proposals: Sara Haller, bolessar@msu.edu, 517-353-1328.

• FY 2026 Horticulture Fund Grant Guidelines and Application (DOCX)

• MDARD grant recipients dashboard

• MSU AgBioResearch — commodity research/extension priorities

• Sign up for email updates about Michigan agriculture grants