Pennsylvania Agricultural Research Grant Program

Pennsylvania Agricultural Research Grants, funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, support research developing novel solutions to controlling animal and plant diseases and pests; increasing regenerative and organic farming methods that enrich and sustain soil and water resources; advancing human and animal medicine; applying emerging technology in food safety; and protecting pollinators crucial to the food supply. The Department also invites proposals on animal health and welfare and its interactions with human and environmental health; the quality and availability of housing for farm workers; the effectiveness of agricultural worker training; consumer-focused research on biodegradable packaging and new uses for milk proteins and milk-based products; barriers to land access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in rural areas; and more.

The program funds agricultural research projects; applicants are typically research institutions, universities, and other qualified researchers proposing work in the Department's priority topic areas. Individual producers are not the typical applicants; the research is intended to benefit Pennsylvania agriculture broadly.

Competitive research grants funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture across published priority topics. Award amounts and the total pool vary by cycle and are set in each solicitation (not published on the general program page).

Proposals are submitted through the Commonwealth's Single Application for Assistance for the current round's priority topics. See the program page for the current solicitation and deadlines; recent awardee lists (2022-23 and 2023-24) are posted there.