SARE Graduate Student Grants for Sustainable Agriculture Projects

Published on by Diane Mayerfeld

The 2023 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals is now available online at https://northcentral.sare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Graduate-Student-Grant/

Graduate students enrolled at colleges or universities in the North Central region can submit proposals for up to $15,000 to fund sustainable agriculture projects that will be part of their educational programs. In 2023, $300,000 will be available to fund about 20 grant projects. Individual grants are for $15,000 and can fund projects lasting up to 36 months. NCR SARE received 47 applications in 2022 and funded 22 projects averaging $14,800, with durations ranging from 12 to 36 months.  NCR-SARE strongly encourages students to involve farmers and ranchers in their Graduate Student Grant projects.

Deadline
NCR-SARE will accept Graduate Student Grant Program proposals using an online submission system. More information about the online submission system can be found in the call for proposals. Proposals must be submitted using the online system by 4pm central time, April 20, 2023. 

Application Video
A video about applying for a Graduate Student grant is available online at: https://northcentral.sare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Graduate-Student-Grant/

Funding Decisions
NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the AC includes a diverse mix of regional agricultural stakeholders. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are economically viable. environmentally sound, and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.

Questions?
Potential applicants can contact Beth Nelson with questions at bethnelson@umn.edu or 612-626-4436. Wisconsin applicants can also contact Diane Mayerfeld at dbmayerfeld@wisc.edu.