The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics. The OREI is particularly interested in projects that emphasize research, education and outreach that assist farmers and ranchers with whole farm planning by delivering practical research-based information. Projects should plan to deliver applied production information to producers. Fieldwork must be done on certified organic land or on land in transition to organic certification, as appropriate to project goals and objectives. Refer to the USDA National Organic Program for organic production standards.
Deadline: April 13, 2023
Applicants for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
Applications may only be submitted by the following entities: 1. State agricultural experiment stations; 2. Colleges and universities; 3. University research foundations; 4. Other research institutions and organizations; 5. Federal agencies; 6. National laboratories; 7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations; 8. Individuals who are United States citizens or nationals; or 9. A group consisting of two or more of the entities described in subparagraphs (1) through (8).
Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – Duplicate, essentially duplicate, or predominantly overlapping applications submitted simultaneously to both OREI and another NIFA program, such as ORG, in the same fiscal year will not be reviewed. NIFA will disqualify both applications in the event of this particular occurrence. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
The amount available for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) in FY 2023 is approximately $44,000,000. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.
