The North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program currently has four open grant programs to fund research and education projects that advance sustainable agricultural practices in the region.
Since 1988, NCR-SARE's competitive grants have advanced agricultural innovation that promotes economic viability, stewardship of the land, air, and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and their communities.
These grant opportunities are available to farmers, ranchers, researchers, educators, institutions, and organizations across 12 states in the North Central region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Learn more and apply at https://northcentral.sare.org/grants/.
NCR-SARE’s Current Open Grant Programs
o Research and Education Grant Program - a competitive grant program for researchers and educators.
- Preproposals for this program must be received by December 3, 2026, at 12pm (noon) Central.
- Join a webinar on October 13, 2026, at 1pm Central.
o Partnership Grant Program - a competitive grant program for cooperative projects between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers.
- Proposals for this program must be received by December 3, 2026, at 12pm (noon) Central.
- Join a webinar on October 14, 2026 at 12pm Central.
o Youth Educator Grant Program - a competitive grant program for youth educators to encourage youth to try sustainable practices.
- Proposals for this program must be received by December 3, 2026, at 12pm (noon) Central.
- Join a webinar on October 13, 2026, at 4pm Central.
o Farmer Rancher Grant Program - a competitive grant program for farmers and ranchers.
- Proposals for this program must be received by December 3, 2026, at 12pm (noon) Central.
- Join a webinar on October 15, 2026, at 12pm Central.
About NCR-SARE
Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), NCR-SARE is one of four regional offices that run the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, a nationwide grants and education program that advances sustainable innovation in American agriculture.
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, and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals. NCR-SARE's grant program Review Committees review proposals and make recommendations to the Administrative Council.
NCR-SARE has awarded more than $100 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. You can find project abstracts and reports by searching the SARE project database.
