Courtesy of NAA:

The purpose of the Aquaculture Research Program is to support the development of an environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the United States and generate new science-based information and innovation to address industry constraints. Over the long term, results of projects supported by this program may help improve the profitability of the U.S. aquaculture industry, reduce the U.S. trade deficit, increase domestic food security, provide markets for U.S.-produced grain products, increase domestic aquaculture business investment opportunities, and provide more jobs for rural and coastal America.

The Aquaculture Research program will fund projects that directly address major constraints to the U.S. aquaculture industry and focus on one or more of the following applied research program priorities: genetics of commercial aquaculture species; critical disease issues impacting aquaculture species; design of environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture production systems; and economic research for increasing aquaculture profitability.

Eligibility: Applications may be submitted by State agricultural experiment stations, all colleges and universities, other research institutions and organizations, Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations, and individuals for the purpose of conducting research, extension, or education activities to facilitate or expand promising breakthroughs in areas of the food and agricultural sciences of importance to the United States.

Funding: The amounts available for NIFA support of this Aquaculture Research Program in FY 2020 is $2 million. If this program receives appropriated funds in FY2021, fundable projects identified in this competition may be supported using FY2021 funds. In this case, a separate RFA may not be issued for the FY2021 funds.

For FY 2020, this program will accept applications for the following research awards:

• Standard Research Projects – Up to $300,000 (total project, not per year). Project periods for this program are limited to a maximum duration of 2 years;
• The start date of a 2-year project funded with funds appropriated in FY 2020 appropriations, must be before October 1, 2020. (i.e., These projects must be initiated in the federal fiscal year in which the funds were appropriated). Recipients may be eligible for a no-cost extension for a third year, but no carryover or extension is permitted for any project beyond 3 years from the start date (any unexpended funds must be returned to the U.S. Treasury)

Proposal deadline: June 3, 2022. For more information, read the funding announcement.

For more information contact: Timothy Sullivan, Ph.D.