Northeast SARE Research and Education Grant Program

The purpose of the Research and Education grant program is to invest in education for farmers that leads to changes in farmer behavior, decision-making, and/or practices. These changes must increase the sustainability of farming in the Northeast United States. A Research and Education project can also include an applied research component, related to the educational activities.

• The primary audience are farmers, ranchers, and farm employees (henceforth “farmers”) that meet Northeast SARE’s Definition of a Farm.

• Farmers must be engaged in demonstrating the need for and the design of the project.

• Anyone who works in farming, including farmers, can lead a Research and Education project.

• The education program must be useful to farmers regardless of the results of any optional research component.

This grant program seeks innovative projects that improve existing practices or introduce existing practices to new farmer audiences.

Research and Education grants are open to personnel at colleges and universities, Cooperative Extension, agricultural and community nonprofit organizations, municipalities, state departments of agriculture and federal agencies, research farms and experiment stations, for-profit entities (such as private consultants and agricultural businesses), and others who work with farmers and in food systems.

Northeast SARE encourages projects submitted from or in collaboration with Minority Serving Institutions (including 1890s and other historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and tribal colleges and universities) and other organizations in the Northeast region that work with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

Your organization must have the legal structure and financial capacity in place to receive and execute a Northeast SARE contract, including expending funds needed for the project prior to receiving reimbursements from Northeast SARE; advance payments are not possible.

Projects must take place within the Northeast region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

Northeast SARE will not fund proposals that appear to duplicate work that has been approved for funding by another grant program (within or external to SARE).

Outcome Funding

This grant program uses an outcome funding approach that directly connects project activities to measurable goals. If you are not familiar with how outcome funding works, we urge you to read Northeast SARE’s Guide to Outcome Funding.

Central to this approach is the performance target, a statement that describes the changes in behavior or conditions among project beneficiaries (in this case, farmers) that are expected as a result from the proposed project.

Pre-proposals Required

Pre-proposals are required for the Research and Education Grant Program. The preproposal is a preliminary concept document that allows SARE reviewers to select the most promising projects to be invited to submit full proposals. Proposals are only invited if they have strong, data-based justification, a clear and measurable performance target, and effective approaches to achieving the target. Projects must seek wider adoption of sustainable practices through education. Practices may be related to production, marketing, finances, or social/quality of life issues.

Only invited preproposal applicants are eligible to submit a full proposal.

Proposals are submitted online at: projects.sare.org

You must make an account to apply.

• Call for proposals

• Tips and Tools for Project Verification

• Northeast SARE's Definition of a Farm

• Outcome Funding Guidance

• Educator's Guide to Best Practices for Adult Learning