NCR-SARE Seeking Review Committee Members

Donna Pearson McClish is the founder and CEO of Common Ground Mobile Market and Mobile Food hub, a unique mobile food hub that serves both urban and rural families in Wichita, Kansas. She is a multi-generation urban farmer, a member of NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council, and the chairperson of NCR-SARE’s Farmer Rancher Grant Review Committee.

“I have been reviewing grants for many years and each opportunity gives me a greater insight into the needs of communities and solutions to those needs. As a grant reviewer, you learn how to look at the written work of others from a different lens and perspective. The review process is also an opportunity to broaden the reviewer’s horizon into other cultures and community systems. It is a lot of work, but well worth the learning experience! “
- Donna Pearson McClish

The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) is seeking members* for the following grant review committees:

Research and Education Grant Program Review Committee (Technical Committee)
Farmer Rancher Grant Program Review Committee
Partnership Grant Program Review Committee
Professional Development Grant Program (PDP) Review Committee
Graduate Student Grant Program Review Committee
Youth Educator Grant Program Review Committee

*Review committee members must live and work in one of the 12 states that comprise the North Central SARE region. Those states are IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, and WI.

NCR-SARE’s review committees review proposals and make recommendations to the Administrative Council, which can be a rewarding and educating experience for those interested in sustainable production and the grant-making process.

Each NCR-SARE review committee has varying requirements, but generally, review committee members are required to review proposals, discuss the proposals on a conference call or in-person, and provide recommendations to the Administrative Council. Members of an NCR-SARE review committee may not apply to that particular grant program during their time serving on that committee.

To apply for one of NCR-SARE’s grant review committees, complete this online form. In addition to completing the online form, we request that you provide a 1-2 page resume or curriculum vitae (CV) if you have one and email it to ncrsare@umn.edu. Recommendations can also be sent to that email address. We will acknowledge receipt of the materials and send a reply regarding the outcome of the selection process.

NCR-SARE is one of four regional offices that run the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, a nationwide grants and education program to advance sustainable innovation to American agriculture. Since 1988, NCR-SARE has awarded more than $50 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states. The SARE program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).