AgR-SEED: Developmental research funding to build competitive national proposals

About this program

Auburn University's Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES), supported by federal and state funds and administered with the ARES program, provides internal competitive grants to advance fundamental and applied research that strengthens Alabama’s agriculture and forestry industries. Awards are offered annually (RFA released mid–late spring) across six initiatives — AgR‑SEED and PAR (up to $70,000 over 2 years), Equipment ($5,000–$50,000 with 50% cost share), FAST ($10,000), PEER (postdoc $10,000 / graduate $5,000), and GRIT ($7,500) — plus a Multistate Travel Grant (up to $1,000). Applicants must have an AAES appointment and either an approved or pending Hatch project or serve as Auburn’s official station representative on a Hatch/multistate project; faculty may serve as PI or Co‑PI. Recipients are required to submit at least one external funding request within 12 months and to provide 12‑month progress and project completion reports; refer to the RFA for deadlines, forms, and evaluation procedures.