USDA NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
USDA NIFA is soliciting pre-applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.
The philosophy of the SCRI program is: Truly effective, long-term solutions to specialty crop industry challenges can best be achieved by understanding and treating those problems as complex systems of many interacting components. This perspective requires projects that are larger in scope and complexity, and that demand more resources than have traditionally been allocated to individual research and extension projects. In doing so, projects should focus on entire primary systems, including the production system, the processing and distribution system, and the consumer and marketing system, or on areas where two or more primary systems overlap.
Projects must address at least one of five focus areas:
- Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics
- Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators, emerging and invasive species, and understanding and utilization of existing natural enemies.
- Efforts to a) improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing), and b) achieve a better understanding of the soil rhizosphere microbiome; pesticide application systems, and systems to improve storage life.
- New innovations, data-driven predictive tools using Artificial Intelligence, and technology, including improved mechanization technologies that delay or inhibit ripening, decision support systems, management of quarantine pests, and cybersecurity.
- Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops
Visit the program web page at Specialty Crop Research Initiative | NIFA (usda.gov) for more information.
Pre-Applications Due: 2:00 P.M. PT, June 15, 2026 (Full applications by invite only)
Project Types
Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs)
CAPs will be awarded to consortia or groups of qualified applicants to address multiple components of a primary system, an entire primary system or problems that cut across primary systems, with the expectation that the project will make significant contributions during the award period to the sustainability of the system or system component.
Project period: Up to 5 years
Normally, Federal funds will not exceed $2,000,000 per year (Median award amount: $5,756,354)
Standard Research and Extension Projects (SREPs)
SREP awards will support targeted problem-solving efforts that contribute to the overall sustainability of a primary system or one of its components.
Project period: Up to 5 years
Normally, Federal funds will not exceed $1,000,000 per year (Median award amount: $2,180,834)
Workforce Readiness and Talent Pipeline Projects (WRTPP)
Proposals under this category will develop and deliver research and extension programming that provides training and skill-building programs that address workforce challenges in the specialty crop industry by disseminating science-based tools.
Project period: Up to 5 years
Budget - $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for the project period. (This is a new project type in FY 2026 – no historical funding data.)
Research and Extension Planning Projects
Project period: One year.
Federal funds up to $100,000 per project
2026 Apple Commission Request for Proposals for Research
The California Apple Commission (CAC) 2026 research priorities:
High Priority
- Methods of increasing varietal size [Gala]
- Any topic related to cost reduction/increasing the effectiveness of California apple production.
- Development of apple varieties well suited for California conditions
- Detecting 1-MCP at the retail level
- Implement and evaluate the effectiveness of in store education and sampling of California apples
- Mechanical pruning
- Thinning methods
Lower Priority
- Fire blight management
- GPS fresh apple acreage mapping
- Frost detection/prevention technology
- Management of codling moth
- Packing house automation techniques
- Mechanical harvesting for fresh apple
Proposals Due: 05/29/2026