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Graduate Student Grants

Grant Release Schedule

February: Graduate Student Grants Call for Proposals Released

May: Graduate Student Grants Due

August: Graduate Student Grants Announced

Graduate Student Grant Resources

Grant Schedule

  • Graduate Student Grants

    Graduate Student Grants provide sustainable ag research opportunities for Master's and PhD students.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

SARE may be a small program compared to other USDA agricultural funding efforts, but it consistently has an impact out of proportion to its budget. One aspect of the program contributing to this success is the high level of continued engagement researchers have with the SARE program; researchers and extension specialists routinely revisit SARE as a source of grant funding for sustainable agriculture projects.

This relationship is best illustrated through the Graduate Student Grant program. The grant was started in 2000 to give Master’s and PhD students the opportunity to conduct sustainable agriculture research projects. It has been a vehicle to apply for other SARE grants as students further their research careers.

The main objective of the Graduate Student Grants is to prepare the next generation of scientists in researching sustainable solutions to the challenges farmers and ranchers face each day, and to prepare young professionals to work together with other scientists, educators, and farmers to test sustainable ag theories in real-world, on-farm situations.

Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill.

A simple way to think about sustainable agriculture is that it involves producing enough food and fiber to satisfy today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. Sustainability as defined by the SARE program embraces three common goals (or pillars of sustainability):

  • Profit over the long term;
  • Stewardship of our nation’s land, air and water;
  • Quality of life for farmers, ranchers, farm employees and our communities.

Because farms and ranches everywhere are incredibly diverse, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to sustainability. Learn more about how some of the most common practices can enhance sustainability for all farms through this SARE sampler of proven practices: “What is Sustainable Agriculture?”

Eligibility Requirements

Graduate Student Grant proposals must meet the following basic requirements in order to be considered for funding:

  • Graduate students must be Master's or PhD students enrolled full time, according to the institution’s requirements, at an accredited institution in the Southern region at the time of proposal submission.
  • A graduate student may receive only one Graduate Student Grant during a Master's program, and only one Graduate Student Grant during a PhD program. Graduate students who receive a SARE grant under their Master's program may apply for a Graduate Student Grant under a PhD program.
  • International students are welcome to apply as long as they are enrolled at an institution in the Southern region. Institutions can be from within the land-grant system (1862 or 1890 universities), or other colleges and universities outside of the land-grant system.
  • Graduate Student Grant projects must address sustainable agriculture issues of current and potential importance to the Southern region.
  • The proposed project satisfies the requirements of allowable expenses.
  • The graduate student is only allowed to apply for one proposal to the Graduate Student Grant program during his or her graduate student program.
  • Institutions can be from within the land-grant system or other colleges and universities outside the land-grant system.

Graduate Student Grants can only be used by the graduate student who submitted the proposal. If a graduate student transfers to another institution, the grant cannot follow the student. If the graduate student cannot complete the project or graduates prior to the project end date, the grant cannot be transferred to another graduate student without SSARE approval.

Who Can Apply?

Master’s and PhD students enrolled at accredited institutions in the Southern region are invited to apply for Graduate Student Grants. Graduate students enrolled in an institution outside of the Southern region are not eligible, even if the research is being conducted in the Southern region. Grant funding is awarded to the institution and not to the student.

Graduate Students may submit a grant proposal. However, they cannot be Principal Investigators (PIs) on the project. Advisors or major professors must be PIs on the project.

Research projects must focus on sustainable agriculture and cover issues related to improving the profitability of farmers/ranchers in the Southern region; sustaining and improving the environmental quality and natural resources base on which agriculture depends; or enhancing the quality of life for farmers and ranchers and the communities they support.

Research projects can be quantitative (component field research, for example) or qualitative (research that addresses social science issues).

Why Apply for a Graduate Student Grant?

  • The program introduces students to grant writing and helps prepare them for an academic career.
  • The grant introduces students to sustainable agriculture principles and applicable research for farmers/ranchers.
  • The program helps build a portfolio of published works. Many graduate students publish journal articles on the results of their SARE-funded research.
  • The program builds relationships between students, farmers and the SARE program.

Funding Amount

Graduate Student Grant Calls for Proposals open in February and grants are awarded in August each calendar year. Graduate Student Grant project maximums are $22,000 for two-year projects. SSARE recommends two-year projects; it is difficult to extrapolate usable, replicable, practicable data from one-year research.

USDA-NIFA will allow recovery of indirect costs. SARE does not require matching funds/cost-shares.

Graduate Student Grant funds are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses. Advance payments are not possible.

Allowable Expenses

Graduate Student Grant funds may be used for the following purposes:

  • Materials and supplies needed for the project, including software. The materials and supplies must remain within the scope of the project and be a reasonable request relative to the research being conducted.
  • Costs of sampling and data analysis, either in the lab or in the field.
  • The purchase of equipment. Any equipment obtained becomes the property of the university that funded the graduate student grant.
  • The rental of equipment or operating charges.
  • Temporary irrigation and electric fences.
  • Livestock or bees, only if the university does not already have animals available for use. The animals become the property of the university at project end.
  • Graduate Student Labor. The graduate student may receive up to a maximum of 50 percent of the project total (salary and fringe benefits combined). This is actual identifiable work on the project and NOT a general graduate stipend.
  • General labor (such as an undergraduate student or lab technician). If general labor is required for the project, the budget for general labor is capped at 15 percent of the project total (salary and fringe benefits combined). This is actual identifiable work on the project and NOT a general stipend.
  • Special texts not readily available.
  • Travel and per diem necessary for the project. This can include travel related to outreach efforts. Use your university per diem rules.
  • Food and refreshments. You must demonstrate that providing food or refreshments is necessary to effectively execute your grant project or provide educational continuation of the outreach efforts (encouraging participation, fellowship or gathering as a justification does not meet the guidelines).
  • Student travel to one meeting (not to exceed $1,000 including registration) to present his/her SARE-funded research.

Non-allowable Expenses

Graduate Student Grant funds may NOT be used for the following purposes:

  • Graduate student stipends, or any other funding the graduate student is receiving to fund his/her education.
  • Preparation of thesis copy or dissertation copy.
  • Salary for the major professor or advisor listed as PI on the project. Funds are for the support of the graduate student on the project.
  • Journal publication costs.
  • Purchase of classroom books.
  • Payment of tuition.
  • Permanent capital improvements (such as land, buildings, purchase of permanent irrigation or fencing, greenhouses or high tunnels, or the planting or trees, including an orchard).
  • Participant incentives (payment must be related to work performed on the project).
  • Promotional items (pens with logos, t-shirts, tote bags, etc.)
  • International travel.
  • Breakfast. No breakfast is allowed on any grant in any capacity.
  • Any costs incurred for producing grant-required project annual and final reports.

Grant Writing Tips

Southern SARE Graduate Student Grants are competitive. Each year we receive more grant proposals than we have monies to award funding. Here are some suggestions that might aid in strengthening your proposal:

  • The first tool for reference in applying for a Graduate Student Grant is the Call for Proposals. Follow the instructions in the Call for Proposal. Failure to follow directions or omit any required information will result in your proposal being rejected.
  • Make sure your budget is realistic and appropriate to your project. Do not include items in your budget that are non-allowable costs. Including non-allowable costs may result in your proposal being rejected. Make sure to itemize each budget item to strengthen the justification as to why you need it for your research project.
  • Only one Graduate Student Grant is allowed by the applicant during his or her graduate student program. If you have more than one idea, we recommend you select your best idea for submission.
  • Make sure your project is a good fit for SARE. Thoroughly research your project before applying. You may have a great idea for a project, but the research related to the topic may already be well established. We look for projects that are new, innovative, generate results that are useful beyond one year, and produce information that many farmers can use.
  • Successful projects include clear goals and objectives. Due to the small size of the Graduate Student Grants, we recommend developing no more than three (3) objectives in order to complete your project. Make sure the methods are appropriate to accomplish your goals.
  • We do not require outreach plans for our Graduate Student Grants, but it's always a good idea to include one. Outreach plans allow the students to share the results of their project with farmers, researchers and other ag professionals. Outreach plans can include field days, educational resources, how-to videos, publications, workshops, or presentations and conferences to share research results with farmers or colleagues.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to begin your proposal and to submit it to the SARE Grant Management online system. The deadline for proposal submissions is firm. Anticipate technological glitches, budget issues, user error or other issues that might cause delays.
  • Be clear on the “what”, “why”, and “who cares” of your research project and how it pertains to sustainable agriculture. State exactly what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and when. This is generally outlined in the “Abstract” portion of your proposal. This is your “hook” for reviewers. Remember, they get to know you through your proposal.
  • Keep your writing clear and simple and avoid technical jargon. Always write your proposal with the reviewers in mind. Assume that reviewers have agricultural knowledge, but not necessarily deep expertise in your proposed subject area.
  • Seek assistance from your advisor, or other individuals in writing and reviewing your grant. Reviewers pay attention to editorial or grammatical errors and take note of any major scientific aspect of your proposal that may be missing or was not detailed enough. These errors impact the quality of your proposal.

Looking for sustainable ag ideas? Visit SARE's national projects database to learn more about funded projects. Over 9,000 research and education projects have been funded nationally.

How Your Proposal Will Be Reviewed

Graduate Student Grants are reviewed based on weighted scoring criteria. Upon closure of the grant deadline, proposals receive a technical review by outside technical reviewers across the Southern region with expertise in a wide range of sustainable agriculture research areas. Technical reviewers are assigned to proposals based on their expertise area.

Technical reviewers score and comment on proposals for technical merit and relevancy of the project to sustainable agriculture based on the following review criteria:

  • Reviewing the Qualifications of the Graduate Student to determine that the student (with the major professor’s support) has the experience and qualifications to conduct the proposed work and can complete the work within proposed timetable. (5 points)
  • Reviewing the Statement of the Problem to ensure that the applicant clearly describes the problem and why the problem needs to be addressed. (15 points)
  • Reviewing the Objectives to ensure that they can realistically be completed within the proposed time frame, and project goals are feasible to obtain by the methods stated. (10 points)
  • Reviewing the Approaches and Methods to determine if the project experiment is clear, well designed and thought out so that useful and applicable results can be obtained. (25 points)
  • Determining how the Project is Relevant to Sustainable Agriculture. How does the project and its expected results contribute to sustainable agriculture? Is the project and its expected results a new and creative innovation? Does the project contribute to the growth of sustainable agriculture by building on and/or adding to existing knowledge? Is it a band-aid to conventional agriculture or does it move the needle in more sustainable farming practices? (20 points)
  • Reviewing the Timetable to determine if the project can be effectively completed in the time provided based on the research proposed. Does the graduate student demonstrate the ability to complete the proposed project? (10 points)
  • Reviewing the Literature Cited to determine how well the applicant prepared their proposal based on published literature on the research topic. (5 points)
  • Evaluating the project’s Budget to determine if the requested amount is reasonable and realistic, and is clear on what the funds will be spent on. Are the requested funds allowable? Are budget items itemized with clear descriptions on how they will be used in the project? (10 points)

Once the technical reviewers complete their reviews, the Project Review Committee of Southern SARE’s Administrative Council (Southern SARE’s governing body) reads the high scoring proposals and meets virtually to discuss fundable proposals. The Project Review Committee convenes at the summer Administrative Council (AC) meeting (late July/early August) to finalize selections. Those are then recommended to the full Administrative Council and voted on for funding.

By late August you will be contacted regarding the status of your proposal, and a summary of the review comments for your proposal will be provided to you.

Expectations for Funded Proposals

If the Southern SARE Administrative Council selects your project for funding, you will expect the following:

Notification: Southern SARE selects Graduate Student Grant proposals during its summer Administrative Council meeting late July/early August of each year. Applicants will be notified via email soon after regarding the status of their project. All projects officially start September 1.

Budget Reviews and Contracting: Proposals selected for funding will undergo a budget review by Southern SARE. Any revisions or changes will be made prior to the proposal sent to University of Georgia (Southern SARE’s host institution) for contracting. Applicants will receive a subaward agreement by University of Georgia via email for signature. Once signed, the project is officially executed.

Invoicing: All project expenses are paid on a reimbursement basis. Applicants will receive an invoice template and be required to submit receipts and invoices during the course of their grant project to be reimbursed for their expenses.

Required Reporting: Graduate Student Grant recipients are required to submit an annual report each year their project is active, detailing the progress of their research. In the year the project ends, recipients are required to submit a final report, documenting their findings, outreach, and project impacts. Reports are submitted online to the SARE Grant Management System. Southern SARE will hold the final invoice submitted for reimbursement until the final report is submitted and approved. Read more about Southern SARE’s Reporting Requirements.

Grant Management Support: Southern SARE staff is available throughout the life of the project to assist recipients on questions or issues related to their grant project. Management guidelines are available for PI changes, budget modifications, and no-cost extensions. Read more about Southern SARE’s acounting and management guidelines.

Acknowledging Funding: As Southern SARE grantees work on their outreach plans and develop project products related to their grant, they are required by USDA-NIFA to acknowledge SARE funding in the materials that are developed. Read more about Southern SARE’s guidelines for acknowledging funding.