Mushroom Research Competitive Grants Program

Mushroom research is broadly defined, including: processing, packing, composting, pathology, strain research, entomology, disease control, spent substrate research, food safety, post-harvest handling, product development and marketing, and mushroom physiology (list is illustrative, not constraining). Funds may be used to support undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, technicians, expendable supplies, necessary equipment, and infrastructure improvement (i.e., laboratory or chamber enhancement). Successful proposals have previously focused on research that directly impacts production, distribution, and other commercial aspects in the mushroom industry.

Guidelines

1. This competition is open only to faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State.
2. Proposals are restricted to 5 pages of text, figures and tables.
3. Typically, four to six proposals ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 are awarded annually. Please note that we are not soliciting proposals for the 2026/2027 fiscal year.
4. Interdisciplinary proposals are strongly encouraged. Input will be sought from the mushroom industry; include a statement of the relevance of proposed research to industry needs.
5. Proposals that were funded under the PSU Mushroom Endowment for the current year may be resubmitted to this RFP to request additional funding. Attach an additional page to your Mushroom Endowment proposal to clearly explain what objectives would be supplemented by the additional funds above those awarded under the Mushroom Endowment competition.
6. Projects requiring more than one year to complete may be proposed, but initial funding will be only for one year.
   
   • Objectives should be clearly tied to procedures and anticipated results.
   • If a multi-year proposal is prepared, clear metrics of year-by-year accomplishments must be identified so that progress can be evaluated in a competitive renewal process.
   • Subsequent-year funding will require submission of an updated proposal and budget and a progress report relative to initial metrics for evaluation in the next competition for Giorgi Mushroom Company funds.
7. Provide a budget using the budget template in the InfoReady competition.
   
   • Faculty supplemental salary may not be requested on these proposals.
   • The College's Grants and Contracts office does not need to be utilized for these internal awards.
8. Submit proposals electronically, as a pdf file, via the online portal.

2025/2026 COMPETITION

Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by the program administrators and a committee of peers for scientific merit and contributions to the industry.