Nursery Research Grant Program

The Oregon Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Oregon Association of Nurseries, annually awards Nursery Research Grant Program funding for research intended to benefit the Oregon nursery industry. The program is funded primarily through the Nursery Research Assessment Fee, which is paid to the Oregon Department of Agriculture through Oregon nursery license fees. The RFP notes that 13 projects received approximately $370,077 in total funding in 2026, but it does not state a total funding allocation, individual award minimum, or individual award maximum for the 2027 competition. Under Oregon statute 571.230, the collected research funds are for the benefit of the industry and the research is not intended to benefit the Oregon Department of Agriculture as a state agency. The program supports projects focused on preventing and eliminating plant diseases and insect pests, including both common and emerging threats, as well as projects involving the development or improvement of cultural methods, technologies, or cultivars that benefit the Oregon nursery industry. Proposals are expected to clearly demonstrate how the proposed research will benefit the entire Oregon nursery industry. Project workplans must cover activities spanning one calendar year. The RFP does not establish a required applicant cost share or matching contribution. Proposals must be succinct and are limited to two pages or less. Each proposal must identify the principal investigator and collaborators, the institution, address, telephone number, and email address, and must identify the person who will serve as the point of contact for grant administration. Required proposal content also includes background information clearly connecting the research to benefits for the entire Oregon nursery industry, project objectives and expected outcomes or deliverables, the methods that will be used to achieve those objectives, a timeline showing how the project will be conducted over the calendar year, and a project budget. The budget must include personnel hours and rates, travel costs, supplies, and any other costs associated with the work. Indirect costs, also referred to as Facilities and Administrative Costs, are not allowable under the Nursery Research Grant Program. Applications must be submitted as PDF files by email to nursery@oda.oregon.gov. The submission deadline is September 11, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. No letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the RFP. Because the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Association of Nurseries annually award these grants, the opportunity is treated as recurring. The RFP does not provide a separate application opening date or a stated date for award notification. Submissions are reviewed and prioritized by representatives from the nursery industry. A submitter may be asked to modify and resubmit a proposal when the reviewing committee determines that it warrants further review. The committee makes the final selection of awardees, while grant awards are issued by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Projects originating outside Oregon may not be funded if an interstate contract cannot be established in a manner that meets the interests of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The solicitation does not provide a formal list of eligible applicant entity types, so eligibility should not be expanded beyond what the RFP expressly supports. Awardees must provide a brief written mid-year progress report and a final report detailing research results. Reports must be submitted to the Oregon Department of Agriculture for invoices and awards to be approved. Funding for approved projects is paid in three installments: 50 percent upon project approval and full execution of the award agreement with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, 25 percent upon receipt and approval of the mid-year report, and the final 25 percent upon receipt and approval of the final report. Final award letters are delivered by email. Questions about the program, application process, or funding process may be sent to nursery@oda.oregon.gov, and the Nursery and Christmas Tree Program lists the telephone number 503.986.4644.

Clearly demonstrate benefit to the entire Oregon nursery industry; align the work with prevention or elimination of plant diseases and insect pests or development and improvement of cultural methods, technologies, or cultivars; keep the proposal to two pages or less; identify the grant administration point of contact; provide a complete one-calendar-year timeline and itemized budget; do not include indirect costs.