Oregon Nursery Research Grants

The Oregon Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Oregon Association of Nurseries, awards annual research grants funded through the Nursery Research Assessment Fee (paid via Oregon nursery license fees) to support research that prevents or controls plant diseases and pests, or improves cultural methods, technologies, or cultivars for Oregon's nursery industry. In 2025, ten projects were funded. Grants go to research institutions and investigators (e.g., Oregon State University, USDA-ARS) rather than to individual farms.

• Open to researchers and organizations (e.g., universities, USDA-ARS, industry research institutes) whose proposed research directly benefits the Oregon nursery industry

• Proposals limited to 2 pages; workplans must cover activities spanning one calendar year

• Indirect costs (Facilities and Administrative Costs) are not allowable

• Projects from outside Oregon may not be funded unless an interstate contract can be established to meet ODA's interests

• Funding source: Nursery Research Assessment Fee, paid through Oregon nursery license fees

• Payment schedule: 50% upon project approval and full execution of the award agreement, 25% upon approval of a mid-year progress report, 25% upon approval of a final report

• Project period: one calendar year; a brief mid-year progress report and a final report are required

• No fixed per-project dollar cap or total annual funding pool is published; awards are selected competitively (10 projects funded in 2025)

Proposals for the 2026-2027 cycle are due September 11, 2026 at 5:00 pm, emailed as a PDF to nursery@oda.oregon.gov. The Request for Proposals opened in August 2026; a committee representing the nursery industry reviews and prioritizes submissions and selects finalists in September, contracts are executed November-December, and ODA issues award letters in December 2026 (a second round of proposal review may occur October-November if needed). To be added to the program's announcement list, contact the Nursery Main Office at nursery@oda.oregon.gov or 503-986-4644.