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.Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 007872
- 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.
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Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) FAQs
What is the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)?
OREI is a competitive grant program run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It funds projects designed to solve real, practical problems in organic agriculture by combining research with education and extension so results are turned into usable guidance for organic producers and processors.
What is the core purpose of OREI-funded projects?
The core purpose is to strengthen the capacity of operations that have already adopted organic standards by helping them produce and market high-quality organic products more effectively, using projects that generate applied results and deliver producer-facing tools and information.
Is OREI a competitive or formula funding program?
OREI is a competitive (discretionary) grant opportunity, not a formula program.
What types of activities are expected in an OREI proposal?
Proposals are expected to integrate three components: research, education, and extension. The program emphasizes that project work should not stop at producing research results; it should actively translate those results into practical guidance and outreach products that organic producers and processors can use.
What does "integration" mean in the context of this program?
Integration means combining research with education and extension. The intent is that findings are paired with training, outreach, and other extension activities so the project produces real-world, on-the-ground benefits and usable outputs for organic operations.
What subject areas and disciplines can OREI support?
OREI is intentionally broad. It can support projects in biological and physical sciences (such as soil health, fertility, pests, diseases, weeds, and cropping systems) as well as social sciences, including economics (such as market development, adoption barriers, labor considerations, supply chain constraints, and farm profitability).
Does OREI support whole-farm or systems-based work?
Yes. A key emphasis is whole-farm planning. Projects are expected to treat organic production as a system and provide practical, research-based information that farmers and ranchers can use across farm or ranch decision-making, rather than addressing challenges in isolation.
Are projects required to be applied and producer-facing?
Yes. 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 only academic publications.
What kinds of deliverables does NIFA expect from OREI projects?
Based on the program description, deliverables should include usable production information and outreach products that organic producers and processors can apply in practice. The emphasis is on practical guidance and tools rather than outputs aimed solely at academic audiences.
Where must fieldwork be conducted for OREI projects?
Fieldwork 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.
What standards should proposed organic activities align with?
The opportunity points applicants to USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards as the benchmark for organic production requirements, indicating the proposed activities should align with organic rules and realities.
Who is eligible to apply for OREI funding?
Eligible applicants include: 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.
Can partnerships or teams apply?
Yes. Teams and partnerships are allowed, including groups composed of two or more eligible entity types.
Can an award recipient subcontract with organizations that are not eligible to apply directly?
Yes. 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.
How strictly is eligibility enforced?
Eligibility is enforced strictly. If an applicant fails to meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline, the proposal can be excluded from consideration or NIFA may be prevented from making an award even if the application is reviewed.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 10.307.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA ICGP 007872.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) per project?
The award ceiling is up to $3,000,000 per project.
When was this opportunity record created?
The opportunity record shows a creation date of October 29, 2020.
What was the closing date listed for this posting?
The original closing date listed for this specific posting was January 14, 2021.
Does NIFA provide training or resources for new applicants?
Yes. NIFA points new applicants to its grants overview resources, including free Grants 101 training, which is intended to help organizations and individuals understand federal financial assistance expectations and compliance requirements before applying.
Is this program aimed at organic operations that are already certified, or also those transitioning?
The program is designed to strengthen operations that have already adopted organic standards, and it also allows fieldwork to occur on land transitioning to organic certification when appropriate for the project.
Does the program focus only on production issues?
No. In addition to production topics (such as soil health and pest management), OREI may support social science and economics topics such as market development, barriers to adoption, labor considerations, supply chain constraints, and farm profitability.
What is the intended audience for project results?
The intended audience is organic producers and processors. The program emphasizes that results should be translated into practical guidance, tools, and outreach products that these audiences can use.
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