Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) | USDA NIFA ICGP 007872

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 007872

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) is a competitive grant program run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that funds projects aimed at tackling real, on-the-ground problems in organic agriculture. The central idea is integration: proposals are expected to combine research with education and extension so that the work does not stop at generating results, but actively turns those results into practical guidance and tools that organic producers and processors can use. The program is designed specifically to strengthen the capacity of operations that have already adopted organic standards by helping them produce and market high-quality organic products more effectively.

OREI focuses on high-priority issues affecting organic systems and is intentionally broad in the kinds of disciplines it supports. Projects may involve biological and physical sciences (for example, soil health, fertility, pests, diseases, weeds, and cropping systems) as well as social sciences, including economics (for example, market development, adoption barriers, labor considerations, supply chain constraints, and farm profitability). A key emphasis is work that supports whole-farm planning, meaning projects should look at organic production as a system and provide practical, research-based information that farmers and ranchers can use in decision-making across the farm or ranch rather than addressing challenges in isolation.

A defining requirement is that the project should be applied and producer-facing. Applicants are expected to deliver usable production information and outreach products to producers, not just publish findings for academic audiences. Fieldwork also has a clear compliance condition: it must be conducted on land that is certified organic or on land transitioning to organic certification, depending on what fits the project goals and methods. The opportunity explicitly points applicants to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards as the benchmark for organic production requirements, which signals that proposed activities should align with organic rules and realities.

Eligibility is fairly expansive but still limited to specific applicant types. Applications may be submitted by state agricultural experiment stations; colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations, foundations, or corporations; and individuals who are U.S. citizens or nationals. Teams and partnerships are allowed, including groups composed of two or more eligible entity types. While only eligible entities can be the direct applicant/award recipient, awardees are allowed to subcontract with organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply when those partners are necessary to carry out the project. The solicitation also makes it clear that eligibility is enforced strictly: failing to meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline can lead to the proposal being excluded from consideration or otherwise prevent NIFA from making an award even if the application is reviewed.

In terms of grant basics from the provided source data, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (not a formula program), listed under CFDA 10.307, with an award ceiling of up to $3,000,000 per project. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA ICGP 007872. The original closing date listed for this specific posting was January 14, 2021, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of October 29, 2020. NIFA also points new applicants to its grants overview resources, including free Grants 101 training, which is meant to help organizations and individuals understand federal financial assistance expectations and compliance requirements before applying.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.307.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 007872

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