The 2025 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program’s (NCR-SARE) Professional Development Program call for proposals is now available.
Deadline
NCR-SARE will be accepting online proposal submissions using our online submission system. More information about the online submission system can be found in the call for proposals. Proposals will be due on November 5, 2025, by 4pm Central.
Grant Writing Webinar
Anyone interested in the NCR-SARE Professional Development Program can join NCR-SARE for a Zoom webinar about applying for a Professional Development grant on October 8, 2025, at 2pm Central. Register online: https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1Z03Q89VSnCp8jkaOTiYSg
NCR-SARE intends to record and and post the webinar online after the event online: https://northcentral.sare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Professional-Development-Program-Grant/.
About the Professional Development Program
NCR-SARE’s Professional Development Program (PDP) provides funds for professional development projects that provide sustainable agriculture training to agricultural professionals and educators in the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), other governmental agencies, and educators in the profit and non-profit sector serving the food and fiber system.
Projects can be up to three years, and the funding level is capped at $120,000 for each project, but projects requesting less than the full amount are encouraged. We expect to fund approximately 10-11 projects in this cycle of PDP competitive grants.
NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the AC includes a diverse mix of regional agricultural stakeholders. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
Questions?
Any questions regarding the NCR-SARE Professional Development Grant Program should be addressed to PDP Regional Coordinator, Dr. Rob Myers at 573-882-1547 or myersrob@missouri.edu.
NCR-SARE plans to release the Calls for Proposals for the Farmer Rancher and Research and Education grant programs by mid-October. The Youth Educator Grant Program will open in January.
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