OpportunityTitle: Specialty Crop Research Initiative
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: For the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, applications may be submitted by Federal agencies, national laboratories, colleges and universities, research institutions and organizations, private organizations or corporations, State agricultural experiment stations, Cooperative Extension Services, individuals, or groups consisting of two or more of these entities.
Description: The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) was established to solve critical industry issues through research and extension activities. SCRI will give priority to projects that are multistate, multi-institutional, or trans-disciplinary; and include explicit mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: research in plant breeding, genetics, and genomics to improve crop characteristics; efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; efforts to improve production efficiency, productivity, and profitability over the long term; new innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: If you have any questions related to preparing application content
GrantorContactText: NIFA Help Desk  &lt;br/&gt;Phone: 202-401-5048  &lt;br/&gt;Business hours are M-F, 7:00 am -5:00 pm ET, excluding Federal holidays  &lt;br/&gt;
CloseDateExplanation: Prospective applicants are asked to email a notification of intent to submit an application by close of business on November 25, 2011 (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time).