Sources of Funding
UC SAREP OFFERS COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS GRANTS
UC SAREP announces a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Sustainable Community Food Systems projects. The RFP is targeted to county-based UC Cooperative Extension personnel (CE advisors and directors). Applicants must partner with community-based organizations (e.g., grower groups, consumer groups, local governmental agencies or others) to show community engagement. Letters of support from community partners are required. Awards are for one-year projects only. Typical awards will be $5,000-$10,000 per project. Total funding available is approximately $60,000. Please see the SAREP Web site for details: www.sarep.ucdavis.edu. Proposals are due March 15, 2006.
VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS
The USDA's Rural Development section's Value Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG) is soliciting grant applications. Approximately $19.5 million in competitive grant funds has been made available to help independent agricultural producers incorporate value-added activities. “Value-added” includes changing an ag product to increase its value (lamb cuts, canned tomatoes, wine, animal feed) or differentiating the product with specific practices (organic lettuce, free-range chickens), or realizing economic benefit from farm-based renewable energy (wind energy, energy from anaerobic digesters).
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2006 with awards made August 31. Awards may be for
planning activities or working capital expenses. The maximum grant for a planning grant is $100,000; the maximum
grant for a working capital grant is $300,000. At least $1.5 million is set aside for applicants requesting $25,000
or less. Matching funds are required. For more information, see
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/
coops/vadg.htm or
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/VAPG 2006 Application Guide Final.pdf.
Templates for applicant use along
with the Application Guide in filling out their applications can be found at
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/templates.htm.
INTERNATIONAL FUNDING DATABASE
Community of Science (COS) Funding Opportunities is a comprehensive international database of published grants,
scholarships, fellowships and awards with more than 23,000 entries that have been reviewed, compiled, and
formatted in a searchable database. Other services available are COS Expertise, a worldwide database of profiles
of researchers, scholars and other experts, and COS Abstract Management System, a comprehensive Web-based
system for managing the submission, review and approval of abstracts. For more information see
www.cos.com.
