All Applicants Must Have an eRA Commons Account to Apply
This program is being managed in the eRA Grants Management System as part of NIFA’s on going Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI). To apply for this program’s NOFO(s), all applicants must have an eRA Commons account registered with their organization. To learn more about acquiring an account or registering a new organization, please refer to the trainings in our eRA Reference Center.
Overview
The purpose of this program is to fund high‑priority integrated projects that enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high‑quality organic agricultural products, and to increase resilience in American farming systems. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics.
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. For this program, a land/facility is not considered organic unless it has received USDA certification. Refer to USDA National Organic Program for organic production standards.
OREI has eight goals that are legislatively-defined by the Farm Bill:
- Facilitating the development and improvement of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods;
- Evaluating the potential economic benefits of organic agricultural production and methods to producers, processors, and rural communities;
- Exploring international trade opportunities for organically grown and processed agricultural commodities;
- Determining desirable traits for organic commodities;
- Identifying marketing and policy limitations on the expansion of organic agriculture;
- Conducting advanced on-farm research and development that emphasizes observation of, experimentation with, and innovation for working organic farms, including research relating to production, marketing, food safety, socioeconomic conditions, and farm business management;
- Examining optimal conservation, soil health, and environmental outcomes relating to organically produced agricultural products; and
- Developing new and improved seed varieties that are particularly suited for organic agriculture.
Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)
The OREI program has three NOFOs open. Access the links to grants.gov below for the full NOFOs. OREI is one of the first pilot programs in NIFA's Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI). Visit our webpage and resource center to learn more about GMI and get started in the new eRA grants management system.
| NOFO Link | Descriptive Summary | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| USDA-NIFA-D113A-32481 | OREI Research Projects with Extension and/or Education Components | Closed |
| USDA-NIFA-D113A-32357 | OREI Planning Projects for Assistance in Development of Future OREI Proposals Requiring Multi-regional or Regional Coordination | Closed |
| USDA-NIFA-D113A-32483 | OREI Workshop Projects | Closed |
Eligibility
- State agricultural experiment stations
- colleges and universities
- university research foundations
- other research institutions and organizations
- Federal agencies
- national laboratories
- private organizations or corporations
- individuals who are United States citizens or nationals
- any group consisting of 2 or more of the entities described in items (1) through (8).