(FOA)-USDA/NIFA - Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Pre-Applications (USDA-NIFA-SCRI-006671); December 10, 2018

Agency

US Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Description

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced Pre-Applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), opportunity USDA-NIFA-SCRI-006671. NIFA requests pre-applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to solve critical United States specialty crop issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research and extension activities that use systems-based, trans-disciplinary approaches. The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas:

Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics
Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators
Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing)
New innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening
Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops.

Announcement Number

USDA-NIFA-SCRI-006671

Closing Date

December 10, 2018

Link to Full Announcement

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/specialty-crop-research-initiative-scri

Contact Information

Tom Bewick

(202) 401-3356

tbewick@nifa.usda.gov