Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4 | USDA NIFA SRGP 006284

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 006284

The Minor Crop Pest Management Program, known as Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4), is a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant opportunity designed to expand the availability of crop protection tools for minor and specialty crops. The central issue this program addresses is economic: for many specialty crops, the market is too small for crop protection companies to justify the high costs of researching, developing, registering, producing, and marketing pesticides or other pest management products. As a result, growers of fruits, vegetables, herbs, nursery crops, and other specialty commodities can be left with fewer effective and legally registered options to manage insects, weeds, plant diseases, and other pests. IR-4 exists to bridge that gap by supporting the research and coordination needed to generate data and move new or improved pest management products toward registration and practical use in these smaller-acreage crops.

The program emphasizes that its outcomes should help ensure crop protection products are safe, effective, and economical for both growers and consumers. In practice, that means supporting work that strengthens the evidence base regulators and industry need to approve uses on specialty crops, while also keeping an eye on real-world grower needs and feasibility. The opportunity highlights collaboration as a core feature of IR-4, calling for coordinated efforts among federal agencies, the crop protection industry, and land-grant colleges and universities. This cooperative structure reflects how specialty-crop pest management often depends on shared infrastructure, shared field and lab capacity, and aligned priorities across research institutions and partners who can help move products from experimental evaluation to approved use.

Eligibility for applying is limited to specific research and higher education institutions tied to public agricultural research systems. Applications may be submitted only by 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 when the purpose is to facilitate or expand ongoing state-federal food and agricultural research programs under the Competitive, Special and Facilities Research Grant Act of August 4, 1965 (7 U.S.C. 450i(c)(1)(B)). Even though the applicant pool is restricted, the program allows award recipients to subcontract work to organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project. This detail matters because IR-4 style work can require specialized capabilities, such as analytical chemistry, residue testing, field trial execution in specific geographies, or other technical services that may be housed outside the eligible applicant institutions.

The notice also makes the eligibility requirement strict at the time of submission. If an applicant does not meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline, the application may be excluded from consideration outright. Even if it were reviewed, NIFA would be unable to make an award. That language is a reminder that institutional eligibility and compliance need to be confirmed early, not treated as something that can be corrected after review.

From the source information provided, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by USDA NIFA, listed under Assistance Listing/CFDA number 10.200, with the funding opportunity title "Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4" and funding opportunity number "USDA NIFA SRGP 006284." The original closing date shown is May 1, 2017, and the posting (creation) date is March 20, 2017. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which typically means prospective applicants would need to consult the full funding announcement for budget limits, total funds available, and anticipated award count.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.200.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 006284

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