Funding Opportunities at a Glance
Enhancing Collaboration for Applied Agricultural Research
Award Amount: Up to $60k per year
Application Deadline: Separate call anticipated May 2026
Type: Federal
Student Research Support
Award Amount: Varies
Application Deadline: Bi-Annual May 15 & October 1
Type: Federal
Research Equipment, Supplies, and Travel
Award Amount: Varies (matching required over $10k)
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Type: Federal
Wyoming Responsive Research Program
Award Amount: $5,000-$15,000
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Type: Non-Federal
Enhancing Research Engagement Funds
Award Amount: $1,000 maximum
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Type: Non-Federal
Global Perspectives Grant Program
Award Amount: Up to $8,000
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Type: Non-Federal
Funding Opportunities:
Secure funding to advance your research priorities. The Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station offers diverse grant programs supporting projects from $1,000 travel awards to $60,000 collaborative research initiatives. Our portfolio includes federal capacity grants for foundational research and targeted non-federal programs addressing emerging challenges. Whether you're launching new partnerships, supporting graduate students, acquiring research equipment, or responding to urgent agricultural needs—explore funding opportunities designed to accelerate scientific progress and community impact.
Learn more about each program below or contact us at aes@uwyo.edu
Capacity Grant Programs
Compare programs, award amounts, and deadlines to find the right program for your research.
Type: Federal Capacity
Award Amount: 2-3 awards up to $60k per year may be available
Application Deadline: This opportunity will have a separate, specific call for proposals anticipated in
May 2026
Program Description:
A competitive proposal for AES capacity funds to support new collaborations across
units or to enhance strong collaborations doing applied research in Wyoming. Recipients
of these funds are expected to pursue additional funding for continuation of the work
supported through this project, and part of the proposal request should clearly include
plans to seek additional funding. Awarded projects must be approved by NIFA before
funds will be released. Funds must be spent according to allowable expenditure rules
of NIFA.
Key Requirements:
- Support new or enhanced collaborations across units
- Applied research in Wyoming
- Must include plans to pursue additional funding
- NIFA approval required before fund release
- Must follow NIFA allowable expenditure rules
Type: Federal Capacity
Award Amount: Academic year funding for graduate student stipends
Application Deadline: Two separate deadlines for applications in each calendar year: May 15 and October
1
Program Description:
Academic year funding for graduate student stipends (not tuition, fees, or insurance)
to support graduate students whose projects directly contribute to meeting goals and
objectives of approved Hatch, Multistate, or McIntire-Stennis projects. Previously,
a portion of GRAs have been requested and awarded by AES to departmental projects
and others were requested at the individual project level. We will prioritize department-level
requests before considering individual requests. These funds are intended to provide
partial research assistantships to students whose projects are intentionally designed
to support objectives within NIFA-approved capacity projects.
Key Requirements:
- Supports stipends only (not tuition, fees, or insurance)
- Student projects must contribute to approved Hatch, Multistate, or McIntire-Stennis projects
- Department-level requests prioritized over individual requests
- Provides partial research assistantships
Type: Federal Capacity
Award Amount: Varies (requests exceeding $10,000 require matching funds from separate, non-federal source)
Application Deadline: Requests will be considered on a rolling basis throughout the year until all funds
are allocated
Program Description:
Research cannot occur without equipment and supplies, and we will use AES funds to
partially support these needs. Equipment that only benefits a single researcher is
less likely to be funded compared to those that support multiple investigators working
on AES-supported research. We will provide travel funding to present research findings
at multi-state meetings and potentially other related events, as appropriate. These
funds will also be available for specific requests to support research equipment and
supplies needed to manage the AES research infrastructure at our R&E Centers around
the state.
Funding Priorities:
- Equipment supporting multiple investigators (higher priority)
- Travel for multi-state meeting presentations
- Research equipment and supplies for R&E Centers statewide
- Equipment and supplies for AES-supported research
***Important Note: Requests exceeding $10,000 will need to provide matching funds from a separate, non-federal source
Type: Non-Federal Capacity
Award Amount: Small awards (~$5-15k)
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Program Description:
Supports applied research projects directly addressing emerging issues or responding to urgent, time-sensitive needs related to agriculture and natural resources in Wyoming. Stakeholder-driven and co-produced applied research is the highest priority for this program.
Key Priorities:
- Emerging or urgent agricultural and natural resource issues
- Time-sensitive needs in Wyoming
- Stakeholder-driven research
- Co-produced applied research
Type: Non-Federal Capacity
Award Amount: $1,000 limit per award
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Program Description:
Small amounts of funding for faculty who are establishing or growing applied research partnerships with stakeholders in Wyoming. This program largely targets travel to meet with partners, to present research results to stakeholder/partner groups, or to plan co-produced research with CALSNR.
Eligible Expenses:
- Travel to meet with partners
- Travel to present research results to stakeholder/partner groups
- Travel to plan co-produced research with CALSNR
- Establishing or growing applied research partnerships with Wyoming stakeholders
Type: Non-Federal Capacity
Award Amount: Up to $8,000 per award
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis
Program Description:
Fosters mutually beneficial, sustainable relationships with global partners in addition to increasing international experience and expertise within the college.
Funds Can Support:
- International travel for CALSNR faculty and extended-term academic professionals to develop research and outreach partnerships with counterpart institutions
- Travel funds to develop research or outreach projects involving national or global agricultural issues
- Stipends to bring international faculty to UW to participate in activities that contribute to a better understanding of global issues
- Research and outreach projects to enhance Wyoming's competitiveness in world markets
Research Resources and Tools
Navigate the complete research lifecycle with USDA's comprehensive project management ecosystem designed for federally-funded agricultural science. Access integrated reporting platforms including CRIS for documenting ongoing research and reducing duplication, NRS for submitting Plans of Work and annual compliance reports, REEport for discovering thousands of competitive and capacity grant projects, and NIMSS for connecting with multistate research partnerships addressing complex regional challenges. Download standardized proposal templates aligned with federal capacity grant requirements, and partner with Wyoming's statewide Research and Extension Centers for specialized facilities, equipment access, and hands-on technical expertise across diverse agricultural ecosystems and research disciplines.
Reporting Systems, Templates, and R&E Centers
The Current Research Information System (CRIS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) documentation and reporting system for ongoing agricultural, food and nutrition, and forestry research. The system contains over 30,000 descriptions of current, publicly supported research projects being conducted by USDA agencies, state and Agricultural Experiment Stations (worldwide), state land-grant colleges and universities, state schools of forestry, cooperating schools of veterinary medicine and USDA grant recipients.
NRS currently contains the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) Plans of Work, Annual Reports of Accomplishments and other capacity grant data for research projects and Extension programs. Primary NRS users include Land-grant Universities, other partner institutions, cooperating state institutions, and agency staff. To access the NRS application, click the LAUNCH button below, which will require users to complete e-Authentication prior to navigating to NRS.
REEport is USDA's repository and reporting system for agricultural and related research, extension, and education projects funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) or conducted by USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Economic Research Service (ERS). Anyone with a computer and Internet connection can browse project descriptions from competitive grants.
Use these template for developing project outlines required for AES capacity grant applications.
AES research takes place across Wyoming through four Research and Extension Centers. Each center addresses regional priorities and production systems unique to its location.
Administrative Resources
Ensure research excellence and regulatory compliance with comprehensive administrative guidance for federal capacity grants and institutional requirements. Access official USDA NIFA program guidelines, allowable cost regulations, and budget development resources essential for sound fiscal management. Download required forms for project administration and personnel management, review University of Wyoming research policies governing intellectual property and data stewardship, and connect with professional development opportunities including grant writing workshops and research compliance training. Partner with national organizations—NIFA, APLU, and ESCOP—for additional program expertise and collaborative networks advancing agricultural research nationwide.
Guidelines, Forms, Templates, and Partner Resources
Information and resources related to federal capacity grant programs including Hatch Act, Multistate Research, and McIntire-Stennis funding.
The Hatch Act of 1887 authorized federal funds to state agricultural experiment stations to support agricultural research. These capacity funds provide foundational support for research addressing state and regional priorities.
The purpose of Hatch Act funding is to conduct agricultural research programs at State Agricultural Experiment Stations in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas. The specific purpose of Hatch MRF funding is to conduct research by institutions within a State and by institutions in multiple States to solve problems that concern more than one State.
This grant is used to support continuing agricultural research at 1862 Land-grant institutions, as well as State agricultural experiment stations. Funds appropriated under this section shall be used to conduct original and other researches, investigations, and experiments bearing directly on and contributing to the establishment and maintenance of a permanent and effective agricultural industry of the United States, including researches basic to the problems of agriculture in its broadest aspects, and such investigations as have for their purpose the development and improvement of the rural home and rural life and the maximum contribution by agriculture to the welfare of the consumer, as may be deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the respective States. Finally, these funds must be used for cooperative research employing multidisciplinary approaches in which a State agricultural experiment station, working with another State agricultural experiment station, the Agricultural Research Service, or a college or university, cooperates to solve problems that concern more than one State.
The McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962 provides formula funding to support forestry research at state agricultural experiment stations and forestry schools.
The Animal Health and Disease (Section 1433) opportunity is a national-scope capacity program that distributes federal funds on a formula basis to all eligible entities, including all State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES) and AVMA accredited US Colleges or Schools of veterinary medicine. Animal Health and Disease activities support research projects addressing the health and disease of agricultural animals. Applications may only be submitted by an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine or a state agricultural experiment station that conducts animal health and disease research in accordance with NARETPA section 1433(c).
Federal capacity grant funds must be spent in accordance with USDA NIFA guidelines and federal regulations. Review allowable and unallowable expenditures before submitting budget requests.
Resources and templates for developing budgets for AES-funded research projects.
Required forms for project initiation, modification, and termination.
ANIMAL HEALTH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
Global Perspectivces Post Award Report
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR MULTISTATE PROJECTS
MANUAL OF CLASSIFICATION FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSIO
Forms related to hiring and managing personnel on AES-funded projects.
Official policies governing agricultural experiment station research activities, intellectual property, authorship, and data management.
University and federal policies regarding conflict of interest and conflict of commitment for researchers.
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
NIFA provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences. NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges.
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (APLU)
APLU is a research, policy, and advocacy organization representing public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and related organizations.
Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP)
ESCOP provides leadership to the state agricultural experiment station system and works with federal partners to enhance agricultural research programs.
Resources and workshops for improving grant writing skills and developing competitive research proposals.
Required training modules for research compliance including human subjects, animal care, biosafety, and responsible conduct of research.
Please contact us for resources related to communicating research findings to stakeholders, media, and the public.
Guidelines for acknowledging AES support in publications, presentations, and other research products.
