Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 005095
Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 005095
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Special Research Grants Program Aquaculture Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.200 Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 22, 2015 and posted on Apr 22, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 3, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,350,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- State agricultural experiment stations, land grant colleges and universities, research foundations established by land grant colleges and universities, colleges and universities receiving funds under the Act of October 10, 1962 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.), and accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine for the purpose of facilitating or expanding ongoing State Federal food and agricultural research, extension, or education programs that (i) Promote excellence in research, extension, or education on a regional and national level (ii) Promote the development of regional research centers (iii) Promote the research partnership between the Department of Agriculture, colleges and universities, research foundations, and State agricultural experiment stations for regional research efforts and (iv) Facilitate coordination and cooperation of research, extension, or education among States through regional grants.
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Opportunity Summary:
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) offered this Special Research Grants Program (SRGP) opportunity focused on Aquaculture Research to help move the U.S. aquaculture sector toward long-term environmental and economic sustainability. The program is designed to generate practical, science-based knowledge and innovations that solve real constraints holding the industry back. In the longer view, NIFA frames the expected public benefit broadly: stronger profitability for U.S. aquaculture producers, reduced reliance on imports (and therefore a smaller trade deficit), improved domestic food security, expanded markets for U.S.-grown grain products used in feeds, more attractive conditions for private investment in aquaculture businesses, and additional job creation, especially in rural and coastal communities where aquaculture often clusters.
The grant competition targets projects that directly address major bottlenecks in U.S. aquaculture and align with one or more specific priorities. First, it supports research on the genetics of commercial aquaculture species, which can include breeding approaches, genomic tools, or other strategies intended to improve performance traits such as growth, feed efficiency, survival, and resilience. Second, it emphasizes critical disease issues affecting aquaculture species, reflecting the outsized economic and ecological impact that pathogens, parasites, and biosecurity failures can have on farms and surrounding waters. Third, it invites work on the design of environmentally and economically sustainable production systems, which can cover engineering and management innovations that reduce waste, improve water quality outcomes, conserve energy, or otherwise make production systems more efficient and responsible. Fourth, it includes economic research aimed at increasing profitability, which can involve cost and returns analysis, market development, risk management, adoption barriers, supply chain constraints, or other applied economics topics that influence whether new technologies and practices can scale in real-world conditions.
Administratively, this was a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA SRGP 005095) under CFDA 10.200, Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants. NIFA listed an estimated total funding amount of $1,350,000, with an award ceiling of $300,000 per grant. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to budget for non-federal contributions consistent with the program requirements. The announcement was posted and created on April 22, 2015, with an original and final closing date of June 3, 2015, and it was archived on July 3, 2015.
Eligibility was geared toward established public and academic research institutions and affiliated entities that support regional and national agricultural research capacity. Eligible applicants included 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 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.); and accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine. The eligibility language also highlights the program purpose of facilitating or expanding ongoing state-federal food and agricultural research, extension, or education efforts, especially those that promote excellence at regional and national scales, encourage the development of regional research centers, strengthen USDA-university and experiment station partnerships, and improve multi-state coordination and cooperation through regional grants.
For access and support, NIFA directed applicants who had trouble obtaining the full announcement to the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays). The program listing also referenced a link titled "Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research" for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - USDA NIFA SRGP Aquaculture Research (USDA NIFA SRGP 005095)
1) What is this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Special Research Grants Program (SRGP) focused on Aquaculture Research. It is intended to move the U.S. aquaculture sector toward long-term environmental and economic sustainability by generating practical, science-based knowledge and innovations that address real constraints affecting the industry.
2) What is the purpose of the Aquaculture Research SRGP?
The program is designed to produce applied research outcomes that solve major bottlenecks holding U.S. aquaculture back. NIFA also describes broader expected public benefits such as increased profitability for U.S. aquaculture producers, reduced reliance on imports (and a smaller trade deficit), improved domestic food security, expanded markets for U.S.-grown grain products used in feeds, better conditions for private investment in aquaculture businesses, and job creation, particularly in rural and coastal communities.
3) What are the main research priorities supported by this competition?
Projects were expected to directly address major bottlenecks in U.S. aquaculture and align with one or more of these priorities:
- Genetics of commercial aquaculture species (including breeding approaches, genomic tools, or other methods to improve traits such as growth, feed efficiency, survival, and resilience)
- Critical disease issues affecting aquaculture species (including pathogens, parasites, and biosecurity-related problems with significant economic and ecological impacts)
- Environmentally and economically sustainable production systems (including engineering and management innovations to reduce waste, improve water quality outcomes, conserve energy, or improve efficiency and responsibility of production systems)
- Economic research to increase profitability (including cost and returns analysis, market development, risk management, adoption barriers, supply chain constraints, and other applied economics topics affecting scalability)
4) What kinds of outcomes is NIFA looking for?
Based on the description, the program emphasizes practical and science-based results that can remove constraints to industry growth and sustainability. The longer-view public benefits described include profitability improvements, reduced import dependence, improved food security, expanded feed grain markets, increased private investment attractiveness, and added jobs in communities where aquaculture is concentrated.
5) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NIFA SRGP 005095.
6) What CFDA program is this opportunity under?
This opportunity is under CFDA 10.200, Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants.
7) Is this a discretionary grant?
Yes. The listing states this was a discretionary grant opportunity.
8) How much total funding was estimated to be available?
NIFA listed an estimated total funding amount of $1,350,000.
9) What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling) per grant?
The award ceiling was listed as $300,000 per grant.
10) Does this opportunity require cost sharing or matching?
Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to include non-federal contributions in their budgets consistent with the program requirements.
11) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was geared toward established public and academic research institutions and affiliated entities. The eligible applicant types listed were:
- 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 (16 U.S.C. 582a et seq.)
- Accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine
12) What broader institutional or partnership goals are highlighted in the eligibility description?
The eligibility language emphasizes facilitating or expanding ongoing state-federal food and agricultural research, extension, or education efforts. It also highlights goals such as promoting excellence at regional and national levels, encouraging development of regional research centers, strengthening USDA-university and experiment station partnerships, and improving multi-state coordination and cooperation through regional grants.
13) When was the announcement posted and created?
The announcement was posted and created on April 22, 2015.
14) What were the application deadlines?
The original closing date and the final closing date were both listed as June 3, 2015.
15) Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The listing indicates it was archived on July 3, 2015, and the final closing date was June 3, 2015.
16) Where could applicants look for additional information?
The program listing referenced a link titled "Special Research Grants Program - Aquaculture Research" for additional information.
17) What should someone do if they had trouble obtaining the full announcement?
NIFA directed applicants with difficulty obtaining the full announcement to contact the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during standard business hours.
18) What were the NIFA Help Desk hours?
The listed hours were Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
19) What industry constraints does the opportunity explicitly mention as areas to solve?
The description frames the competition around removing major aquaculture bottlenecks, explicitly calling out constraints related to genetics and performance traits, disease and biosecurity problems, sustainable production system design (including waste, water quality, and energy use), and profitability-related economics (including markets, adoption barriers, and supply chain constraints).
20) What kinds of economic research topics does the program description include?
The economic research priority includes applied topics such as cost and returns analysis, market development, risk management, adoption barriers, and supply chain constraints, as well as other economics questions affecting whether technologies and practices can scale under real-world conditions.
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