Efficient Fertilizer Consortium 2026 Request for Applications

FFAR welcomes applications from all  domestic and international higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations and government-affiliated research agencies. Multiple applications from the same institution are allowed.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to perform the proposed research as Principal Investigator(s) may apply through their home institution or organization.

FFAR requests of USD$250,000 – $500,000 are available for all proposed projects. There is no maximum on the amount of applicant-provided matching funds that may be included in the total budget. Projects from two (2) to three (3) years in length are eligible for funding.

Matching funds are optional but desired for this funding opportunity. Review the RFA for full guidelines regarding matching funds.

The EFC supports research focused on field trials evaluating the agronomic performance and environmental impacts of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEF) in targeted regions, including South America, Central America, Western North America and arid or irrigated systems worldwide. Funded projects must center on maize, preferably in rotation with other row crops, and assess commercially available enhanced efficiency nitrogen and/or phosphorus fertilizers (enzyme inhibitors, slow- or controlled-release fertilizers, and/or biofertilizers) that have demonstrated potential to improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) or reduce nutrient losses. All trials must measure agronomic performance and NUE or nutrient recovery, with strong preference for studies that also quantify nutrient losses via emissions, leaching or runoff to capture environmental tradeoffs. For full details, eligibility requirements, and application guidance, consult the full RFA.

The EFC will not consider applications including:

• Product development or environmental toxicity evaluations. Products included in trials must be commercially available and ready to use in the field by producers. Products must have already undergone proof of concept evaluation.
• Specialty crops, including tree crops, fruits, vegetables, horticulture and turf.
• Crop breeding, genomics or cultivar screening, including biological nitrification inhibition (BNI).
• Projects solely focused on the following soil amendments: manure, compost, hormones, nanofertilizers, non-microbial biostimulants, residue decomposition products, seaweed products, organominerals, waste products, insect frass, biochar and products intended to primarily support carbon sequestration. These product types may be combined with the in-scope EEFs; however, they cannot be the primary focus of the project.
• Life cycle analyses or socioeconomic analyses of fertilizer products or EEFs. While the data generated could inform these analyses, the primary use of the funding must be for field trials.
• Projects evaluating novel measurement techniques or technologies.
• Crop diagnostic technologies.
• Projects solely focused on modeling exercises. While the data generated could inform models, the primary use of the funding must be for field trials.

All applications must be submitted by the deadline date through FFAR’s online application Grant Management System. Applications submitted outside of this System will not be considered. To start a new application, please click here. If you are a new user, register for an account by clicking the “Create Account” button located under the Sign In button on the bottom right side of the page.

Once you log in, you may begin working on your application. Please be sure to save your work often by clicking on “Save and Finish Later.” To access a saved application, please do so through your Grant Management Account.

Only applications submitted by the deadline through FFAR’s Grant Management System will be accepted and considered eligible for evaluation. To be fair to all our applicants, FFAR will not grant extensions to applicants who missed the deadlines posted in the Key Dates section.

For questions related to the online submission system, please contact FFAR’s Grants Management team at grants@foundationfar.org. FFAR’s Grants Office Hours are held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 12pm EST. Registration for office hours can be done on FFAR’s website.

For questions related to the Efficient Fertilizer Consortium, please contact Dr. Sarah Lyons at slyons@foundationfar.org.

FFAR strives to respond to inquiries within two business days, but our response time depends on the volume of questions received and the complexity of the questions asked. Please note that we do not monitor mailboxes on evenings, weekends or federal holidays.