Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) Program

The Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) program is administered by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR). This program delivers urgent funding in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the U.S. food supply or agricultural systems. The ROAR initiative supports short-term, high-impact research focused on the prevention, mitigation, and response to new outbreaks of pests or pathogens that affect plant or animal agriculture. The objective of the program is to quickly fill critical research gaps until longer-term funding can be arranged through conventional channels. The ROAR program provides one-year grants of up to $150,000. These grants are awarded year-round through a two-stage application process that begins with the submission of a one-page concept note. This concept note must outline the research team members, the source and amount of matching funds, and a brief description of the pest or pathogen threat. If the concept note is accepted, applicants are invited to submit a full proposal within eight weeks. Matching funds equal to or greater than the requested FFAR funding must be secured and confirmed within eight weeks of the concept note submission. Matching funds must come from non-federal sources. ROAR grants focus exclusively on pest or pathogen threats and do not fund research on food safety, natural disasters, weather events, or pesticide application technologies. Eligible research activities include diagnostics, monitoring protocols, response coordination, and development of prevention or mitigation strategies with immediate application potential. Diagnostic tools must be outbreak-specific and possess a high likelihood of adoption by industry stakeholders. Fundamental research and generalized diagnostic platform development are not eligible. Organizations eligible to apply include public and private higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit entities. Federal organizations may participate in ROAR projects but cannot use federal funds as a match. Collaborative applications, especially those involving industry and multiple stakeholders, are encouraged to enhance the impact and applicability of research outcomes. Applications are accepted year-round, with no set open or close dates, reflecting the program’s commitment to responsiveness during agricultural emergencies. All applications undergo a scientific review and must adhere to strict eligibility criteria. Though the program generally funds domestic projects, FFAR may directly solicit research for international outbreaks that pose significant risk to U.S. agriculture, though unsolicited international applications are not accepted. Program contacts for ROAR include Dr. Jasmine Bruno and Dr. Kathy Munkvold, and inquiries should be directed to ROAR@foundationfar.org. Past awarded grants under ROAR have targeted threats such as invasive weevils, lettuce wilt, swine viruses, and cattle ticks, with projects located in states such as Colorado and California and supported by a range of industry and academic matching funders.

The program encourages applicants to form broad-based coalitions, including industry participation, to increase research collaboration and maximize the adoption of outcomes by the agriculture sector.