The 2026 NCR-SARE Research and Education Grant Program Call for Preproposals is now available online.
Deadline
The Research and Education Program preproposal deadline is December 4, 2025, by 4 pm Central.
Research and Education Webinar
Join us for a Research and Education Grant webinar on October 21, 2025, at 10 am Central. NCR-SARE intends to record the webinar and post it online. Register for the webinar.
About Research and Education Grants
NCR-SARE's Research and Education (R&E) program supports sustainable agriculture innovators with competitive research and education grants. Individual grants range from $50,000 to $250,000.
We anticipate that roughly $3.75 million will be available to fund approximately 15 grant projects, with individual grants not to exceed $250,000 total for projects lasting up to three years (36 months). In 2025, NCR-SARE received 170 preproposals, invited 40 to be developed into full proposals, and selected 16 R&E proposals for funding. The average grant size was $245,000, and grant lengths ranged from 24 to 36 months.
For the 2026 funding cycle of the R&E Grant Program, NCR-SARE will again be accepting preproposals for long-term projects. Recognizing that some research/extension systems work is complex and requires collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts that take many years to complete, applicants will indicate that they are applying under the long-term option. The long-term option allows for additional funding in subsequent 3-year cycles with satisfactory progress. See the Call for Preproposals for details.
NCR-SARE will accept online submissions for the Research and Education Grant Program using our online submission system. More information about the online submission system is available in the call for preproposals.
Funding Decisions
NCR-SARE administers each grant program with specific goals, audiences, and timelines. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, its relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, farmer-rancher engagement in the project, and its alignment with NCR-SARE's goals.
Funding decisions are made by a regional Administrative Council (AC), with review from a Technical Committee. The Administrative Council is a group of producers, university representatives, nonprofit group representatives, Extension and NRCS personnel, other government employees, and agribusiness representatives. This group sets research priorities and recommends projects for funding.
Questions?
For questions or additional information regarding the Research and Education Grant Program, contact the NCR-SARE Regional Director.
Regional Director
north-central-re@sare.org
(612) 626-4436
Each state in SARE's North Central region has one or more Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at https://northcentral.sare.org/state-programs/state-coordinators/.