Current Funding Opportunities
Good Idea Grants
The Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI) funds collaborative research that puts people and the planet first, integrates disciplines and communities, and answers complex questions about our food systems. A key part of FSRI’s mission is to catalyze interdisciplinary, stakeholder-responsive research among UVM faculty, postdocs, students, and their external collaborators.
The Good Idea Grants are one way the FSRI initiates research supporting UVM scholars and external collaborators to build collaborative programs with the potential to grow and attract external funding or recognition. Successful programs will combine cutting-edge research and scholarship with real-world engagement and impact. The grant should allow the research team to explore and solidify their research concept with evidence.
Proposals should involve food systems research in an interdisciplinary and stakeholder-responsive approach. The research area must be related to a priority area of the FSRI. The topics are broad; the questions are indicative and not exclusive. A range of methods and disciplines are welcome, including historical, visual or narrative methods, as well as more traditional agronomic, economic, statistical, modelling, laboratory, etc. methods. In 2025, the priority areas are:
Building resilience to climate shocks (near- and long-term) across the food system. This can include direct and indirect impacts (e.g. new diseases) of climate shocks on food production, processing, distribution and/or consumption patterns
Research on food choices and nutritional outcomes, especially considering barriers to “choosing” and/or having “access” to a “healthy” diet.
Food policy for regional food system sustainability and nutritional security. The concept of a regional food system is appealing to increase local economic growth, bind consumers to food producers, and perhaps offer a pathway to sustainability and resilience to future shocks. The FSRI would like to see research on how specific policy interventions can improve sustainability and/or nutritional security across the New England region.
Diversification options for New England food production, including novel crops or animals, under-utilized lands, or new markets. These options can range across the food system from production through to consumption, including novel financing ideas.
Data analysis and/ or decision support tools for food system actors to improve food system sustainability or nutritional outcomes. This can include novel ways to collect and share evidence of food system outcomes and impacts.
Funding Level and Duration
Funding level: Up to $25,000. There is no overhead. FSRI intends to fund up to $150,000 in up to six awards.
Duration: November 1, 2025 – November 1, 2026 (12 months). No-cost extensions are typically not allowed.
How to apply
Proposals must be submitted through this InfoReady Review Portal by 11:59 pm EDT August 1, 2025. Detailed information on Eligibility, Proposal Requirements, Allowable and Non-Allowable Costs, Reporting Requirements, Evaluation Criteria and Review Process, How to Apply, and Contact Information available at the link below:
Open Access Fund
The Food Systems Research Center (FSRC) is providing funding to maximize our scientific impact through open access publication charges, allowing the research results from FSRC work to be publicly available.
Eligibility and Conditions:
- Previously or currently funded FSRC projects and people are eligible (funded either under the CA 59-8062-9-009 AWD 34853 or the NACA 58-8090-2-002 AWD1102).
- Open access charges will be available for fully open access journals (i.e. where the entire journal is open access). An exemption may be requested for open access charge for hybrid journals, but require additional information (see below).
- The FSRC will fund a maximum amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000) per request. An individual cannot request more than six thousand dollars ($6,000) total from the fund, as first or corresponding author.
- Any funding received should be acknowledged in the funding section of your publication. This information will be provided to you if your publication is provided funding.
- All funding is first come/first serve until the funds have been fully expended.
