ANR Contracts & Grants Updates
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Center for Produce Safety and California Rice Board Requests for Proposals

  • September 14, 2026
  • By Kendra T Rose

2027 California Rice Research Board – Request for Proposals

The California Rice Research Board (RRB) is accepting proposals for 2027 rice research projects. The program supports applied and basic research conducted by qualified academic researchers that advances the needs of California’s rice industry. The RRB identifies broad research priorities related to improving productivity, enhancing product and co-product marketability, and building technical competencies. The call includes research proposals from UC, CSU, and USDA researchers.

Research Priorities & Evaluation Criteria

Proposals should address focused, relevant, and achievable project goals that respond to the needs of California’s rice industry. Proposals will be evaluated based on:

  • Relevance to industry needs
  • Technical merit
  • Likelihood of adoption
  • Avoidance of duplication with other projects

For new proposals, applicants must also explain how the project will benefit rice growers and the industry, its anticipated cost/benefit, and who will ultimately benefit from the project. Final funding decisions are made by the RRB based on written proposals and oral reports from principal investigators.

Submission Information

Completed proposals must be submitted electronically to Bruce Linquist at balinquist@ucdavis.edu by the deadline. PIs submitting new projects should plan to present their proposals orally to the appropriate RRB committee on February 10, 2027.

Key Details

  • Proposal Deadline: December 18, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.
  • New Proposal Oral Presentations: February 10, 2027
  • Final Funding Decisions: March 2027
  • Award Letters: April 2027

Additional Information

For complete application requirements, please review:

 

Pre-Proposals: 2027 Center for Produce Safety Research Grants Program

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) is accepting pre-proposals for its 2027 Research Grants Program. The program supports research addressing critical food-safety challenges associated with the production, harvest, postharvest handling, and distribution of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. Projects should generate practical findings and solutions that can be applied throughout the produce supply chain.

Research Priorities

CPS is seeking proposals across three areas:

  1. Funding Science – Research addressing specific knowledge gaps and generating preliminary findings that can support future, larger-scale funding:
    • Cyclospora sporulation, mitigation treatments, equipment and facility decontamination, and removal from fresh produce
    • Agricultural Water: Temporal variability and microbial quality of agricultural groundwater on California’s Central Coast
    • Wash Water: Use of Enterobacteriaceae as an indicator for pathogen behavior in produce wash-water systems

  2. Finding Solutions – Creative, implementable approaches that directly reduce produce-safety risks associated with:

    • Preharvest agricultural water; adjacent and nearby land use; extreme weather events, including flooding and management of produce wash water

    Projects should primarily address Shiga toxin-producing and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (STEC/EHEC) or Salmonella.

  3. Fueling the Change – Synthesis of existing research and industry knowledge into practical, science-based recommendations addressing:
    • Compost and biological soil amendments
    • Sanitation and environmental pathogens

Projects must provide actionable industry guidance and stakeholder outreach. CPS may also consider transformative proposals outside the stated priorities.

Pre-Proposal Requirements

Pre-proposals are limited to three single-spaced pages and must be submitted as a Word document WITHOUT figures, graphics, or tables. A signed Guidance Receipt Acknowledgement must be submitted as a separate file. Full proposals are by invitation only and will be due February 4, 2027.

Key Details

  1. Award size and duration
  • Standard Research Projects: Up to $200K per year for projects lasting up to 2 years
  • Proof-of-Concept Projects: Up to $50K for projects lasting up to 1 year
  1. Matching Requirements: Generally not required, although certain proof-of-concept projects are expected to include ≥ 25% matching funds and 25% in-kind support from the beneficiary.
  2. Deadline: Pre-proposals must be emailed to proposals@centerforproducesafety.org by 12:00 noon Pacific Time on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Additional Information: