Description
The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program 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 seeks to promote collaboration, open communication, and the development of resources that accelerate the application of scientific discovery and technology to address the needs of various specialty crop industries. The SCRI program has five legislatively mandated focus areas, including research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics, efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, 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 to consider:
* The program offers three project types: Standard Research and Extension Projects (SREPs), Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs), and Research and Extension Planning Projects.
* Applicants must submit a pre-application containing a Stakeholder Relevance Statement (SRS) that outlines the project's objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.
* The SRS will be evaluated by a panel of industry reviewers, and selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application.
* The program encourages international partnerships and engagement, but proposed activities must support the domestic objectives of SCRI.
* The program has a strong focus on systems-based, transdisciplinary approaches and encourages applicants to engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities.