Description
The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) is a program that aims to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture. The program has five legislatively mandated focus areas: research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics; efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases; efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term; new innovations and technology; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops.
Some key points about the program include:
* The program is open to a wide range of applicants, including Federal agencies, national laboratories, colleges and universities, research institutions and organizations, private organizations or corporations, State Agricultural Experiment Stations, individuals, or groups consisting of two or more of these entities.
* The program has a two-phase review process, with the first phase being an industry relevance review and the second phase being a full application review.
* The program requires applicants to submit a pre-application containing a Stakeholder Relevance Statement (SRS), which must include information such as the problem being addressed, the project team, and the expected outcomes.
* The program has a maximum indirect cost rate of 30% of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA).
* The program is aligned with the USDA Strategic Goals, including ensuring that USDA programs are delivered efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service; maximizing the ability of American agricultural producers to prosper; facilitating rural prosperity and economic development; and strengthening the stewardship of private lands through technology and research.