College-Level Awards and Funding Opportunities

Research Commercialization

RAIN Grants Program

RAIN (Research Applications for INnovation) is a source of competitive funds for researchers within the College of Agricultural Sciences who are prepared to take the next steps in transitioning technologies generated through their research to commercialization.

Collaborative Research Support

College of Agricultural Sciences Strategic Networks and Initiatives Program (SNIP)

See the impact of faculty collaborations supported by SNIP

The Strategic Networks and Initiatives Program (SNIP) provides three levels of support for faculty-driven, interdisciplinary initiatives at the vanguard of agricultural and natural resources research.

Endowed College Awards

Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research

The purpose of this award is to recognize tenure-track faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences whose significant accomplishments include exceptional and original agricultural research conducted at Penn State.

Roy C. Buck Faculty Award

The purpose of this award is to honor and recognize an untenured, tenure-track faculty member in the College of Agricultural Sciences whose research involves the social or human sciences for the best refereed article published in a scholarly journal in the previous two years.

Research Innovator Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize faculty and staff in the College of Agricultural Sciences who have commercialized technologies generated through Penn State research.

Endowed Funding for Research

Mushroom Research Competitive Grants Program

Through the generosity of the Giorgi Mushroom Company, the College of Agricultural Sciences supports research focused on the cultivation and health of mushrooms.

Crouch Endowment for Viticulture, Enology, and Pomology Research

The purpose of these funds is to support research in viticulture, enology, or pomology and those students studying in these areas.

Joan Luerssen Faculty Enhancement Fund and the Horace T. Woodward Faculty Development Fund

The purpose of these two endowments is to provide supplementary funds to support professional development and programs.

Arthur W. Nesbitt Faculty Program Development Award

The purpose of this endowment is to support a College of Agricultural Sciences faculty member focusing on dairy in their teaching or extension programs, with the intent that the investment will help the awardee leverage future funding opportunities in any or all of these functional areas, for Animal Science or Food Science.

Jeanne and Charles Rider Endowment for Support of Research on the Biotechnology of Food Crops

The purpose of this endowment is to support College of Agricultural Sciences faculty in their biotechnology research and teaching programs that give promise of improving upon food crop production and quality while protecting the quality and safety of the environment.

Stoy G. and Della E. Sunday Program Support for Fruit Production Research

The purpose of this endowment is to enrich the College of Agricultural Sciences by providing monies for fruit production research.

Capacity Grant Opportunities

Animal Health and Disease Research

This grant opportunity is being offered to support research that relates to animal health and disease research.

McIntire-Stennis Forestry Research

This grant opportunity is being offered to support forestry-related research.

Small Equipment Grants

The College of Agricultural Sciences Office for Research and Graduate Education makes funds available in some fiscal years to sponsor co-funded equipment purchases to support research efforts.