Interregional Research Project #4 Minor Crop Pest Management Program (IR 4) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the IR-4 Minor Crop Pest Management Program?

The Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4) Minor Crop Pest Management Program is a USDA competitive grant opportunity designed to help growers of minor and specialty crops gain access to safe, effective, and affordable pest management options. It focuses on building the research and regulatory support needed so pest control products can be registered and legally used on these crops.

Why does IR-4 focus on minor and specialty crops?

Many minor and specialty crops are grown on relatively small acreage and do not represent a large enough market to justify private companies paying for the research and regulatory work required to register pest control products. IR-4 exists to close that gap by providing publicly supported expertise and infrastructure to generate the data and support needed for registrations.

What problem is this grant intended to solve?

This grant is intended to address the shortage of registered pest management tools for minor and specialty crops by accelerating the development of data packages and supporting product development and registrations. The end goal is a practical pipeline of workable, legally usable pest control solutions for specialty crop producers.

What is the main purpose of the funding?

The core purpose is to support work that accelerates the registration and availability of newer, reduced-risk pest management tools for minor and specialty crops. The emphasis is on producing decision-ready outputs that growers and the broader specialty crop community can use while meeting safety and regulatory standards.

Is this opportunity focused on basic research or applied work?

Based on the description, the intent is not basic research. It prioritizes practical, registration- and adoption-oriented work such as coordinating multi-site research, generating residue and performance data, and aligning project activities with regulatory requirements, along with efficacy research to identify improved or emerging solutions.

What types of activities are applicants expected to be able to carry out?

Applicants are expected to show the capacity and commitment to move candidate tools through steps needed for regulatory approval and adoption. The announcement references coordinating multi-site research, generating residue and performance data, and ensuring projects align with regulatory requirements.

Does the program support efficacy research?

Yes. In addition to registration-focused work, the program emphasizes efficacy research that can identify improved or emerging pest management solutions for minor and specialty crops.

How is the IR-4 program structured for this funding?

For FY 2010, USDA planned to fund five main components: four geographically based IR-4 Regional Centers plus one IR-4 National Headquarters. The regional centers reflect field and laboratory coordination capacity, and the national headquarters provides leadership, coordination, and program-wide integration.

How many awards or components were expected to be funded?

The announcement indicates USDA planned to fund five main components of the IR-4 system: four Regional Centers and one National Headquarters.

What federal agency administered this grant opportunity?

The program was administered by USDA CSREES (the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service), which is now part of NIFA.

What is the funding instrument type?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 10.200 (Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants).

What is the funding activity category?

The opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under the Agriculture funding activity category.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed in the information provided, meaning matching funds were not required as a condition of the award.

What was the estimated total funding available?

The total estimated funding amount for this opportunity was about $11,000,000.

What was the expected award size?

Individual awards were expected to range from $1,250,000 (award floor) to $4,000,000 (award ceiling), reflecting the scale of regional or national responsibilities.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is focused on institutions involved in state-federal food and agricultural research programs. Eligible applicants include State agricultural experiment stations, land-grant colleges and universities, research foundations established by land-grant institutions, colleges and universities receiving funds under the Act of October 10, 1962, and accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine. The listing also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with a note to consult the full announcement for clarification in additional eligibility information.

Are private institutions of higher education included as eligible applicants?

Yes. The information provided lists private institutions of higher education among eligible applicants, along with a note indicating applicants should consult the full announcement for clarification in additional eligibility details.

What kinds of stakeholders does IR-4 support?

The program supports specialty crop growers and producers as well as extension and research professionals and grower groups who rely on a steady pipeline of workable pest control solutions to protect yields, quality, and consumer supply.

What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The announcement was posted on October 19, 2009. The application deadline was November 30, 2009. The archive date was December 31, 2009.

Who should applicants contact for technical issues accessing the announcement?

For technical issues accessing the announcement, applicants were directed to the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during weekday business hours (Eastern Time).

Are there contacts for application content questions?

Yes. The notice indicates there are contacts available for questions related to preparing application content.