Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program – Organic Transitions (ORG)

Grants to USA universities and colleges for integrated research in identified priority areas in the organic agriculture industry. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take several weeks to complete. Collaborative projects are encouraged. Projects may include both crop and livestock research.

One of the primary goals and objectives of the ORG program is to address practices and systems particularly associated with organic crops, organic animal production, and organic systems that integrate crop and animal production.

Priority Areas for FY 2021 and 2022: NIFA is soliciting applications for ORG in the following areas (not listed in order of importance):

• Priority 1: Document and understand the effects of organic practices on soil health and fertility; greenhouse gas mitigation; enhanced biodiversity; and understanding of weeds, pests and diseases dynamics for better management. These practices include, but are not limited to: crop rotation; livestock feeding and management; livestock-crop system integration; organic manure, mulch, and/or compost additions; cover crops; and reduced or conservation tillage.
• Priority 2: Develop improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics to document, describe, and optimize the ecosystem services and the climate variability adaptation and mitigation ability of organic crop, livestock, and integrated crop-livestock production systems.
• Priority 3: Develop cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from NOP’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. This may include effective substitutes or new technologies, cultural practices, cultivars, or breeds that render the NOP-cited substance in question less limiting to production under organic standards. Studies of alternatives should include evaluation of efficacy based on resulting productivity, profitability, and natural resources stewardship effects. NIFA encourages a sustainable whole-systems approach but will also consider proposals that are narrower in scope.
• Priority 4: Overcome barriers to organic transition. Projects under this priority should address major barriers that limit the transition to organic agriculture in a specific region, crop, or animal production systems and develop practical information and tools for producer use. These can include, but are not limited to, production challenges during the transition period, local and regional infrastructure constraints, marketplace challenges, and administrative or policy barriers. Any constraint must be acknowledged by growers and other stakeholders. Proposals to improve organic animal or crop production management strategies and production systems should be submitted to the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).

Purpose: https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rfa/FY21-Organic-Trans-RFA-508.pdf#page=5