The ROAR program is open year-round to eligible applicants.
The application process is designed to provide swift deployment of funding in response to an outbreak; often, we make the decision to award a grant within days of receiving an application.
We award one-year grants, up to $150,000, in response to an outbreak for the development of diagnostics, monitoring and mitigation strategies. We do not support research on food-borne disease outbreaks or weather-related disasters.
ROAR applications, like other competitive research applications, are subject to a rigorous scientific review process and matching funding requirement.
We encourage applicants to form broad-based coalitions to increase research collaboration and maximize the adoption of new knowledge and practices by the agriculture sector.
Apply for a ROAR grant
About ROAR
Insects and pathogens are a pesky business, costing farmers and industries $540 billion a year globally.
Plant and animal pests and pathogens can strike quickly, devastating crops, livestock and livelihoods. When such unplanned events occur, it often takes months before an effective response can be mounted. Researchers must understand these pests and pathogens before they can develop an effective solution. While the initial period after pest or pathogen detection is critical to stopping the threat, conventional research funding opportunities take significant time and effort to pursue.
To address these outbreaks quickly, FFAR makes rapid grants through ROAR for research related to response, prevention or mitigation of new pests and pathogens. ROAR’s one-year funding fills urgent research gaps until traditional, longer-term funding can be secured.
ROAR grants are swift, diverse and far-reaching. In the past, we have awarded ROAR grants to combat invasive weevils, lettuce wilt, swine viruses and cattle ticks, among other pests and pathogens.
