First Large Systems Research Grants Funded
Multi-cropping grazing beef and cotton
GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has handed out the first awards of its newest grants program.
The Large Systems Research Grants, extensions of the organization’s Research & Education Grants, are designed to provide long-term funding towards the application and studying of whole systems research.
Large Systems Research Grants are for teams who already have successful agricultural systems research in place, but need support to accomplish additional long-term research goals. Funding is normally $100,000 per year for three years with the opportunity for additional three-year renewals.
Of the 21 full proposals submitted, 10 were selected for review by the Southern SARE Administrative Council, and two were chosen for the awards.
The two projects chosen were:
• LS11-238: Long-Term AgroEcosystems Research and Adoption in the Texas Southern High Plains; Texas; $296,645. The grant supports research by Vivien Allen of Texas Tech University. Allen has used SARE grants since 1997 for long-term research on the water conservation benefits of multi-cropping grazing beef and cotton. The long-term research indicates that the integrated system uses less water and nitrogen than the monoculture cotton crop, while remaining just as profitable.
• LS11-239: Growing Local, North Carolina; $329,999. The funding continues research by Charlie Jackson of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, on a local foods assessment in 23 counties of western North Carolina.
Both projects have been funded for three years. Allen’s first-year funding totals $110,000, while Jackson’s first-year funding totals $95,441. Both Allen and Jackson have contributed to a series of video tutorials on systems research. To learn more about their perspectives on systems research, visit the Systems Research section of the website.
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Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable AgricultureResearch and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food andAgriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperativeagreements with the University ofGeorgia, Fort Valley StateUniversity, and the KerrCenter for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants toadvance sustainable agriculture in America's Southern region.
