Northeast SARE FAQ
Below are some common questions and our answers. The first section addresses eligibility, while the second section answers questions about the application process. If you do not see the answers to your questions here, please contact us.
Eligibility
The application process
Can SARE funding be used for personnel who live outside of the region?
Yes, but only if their professional capacity is justified in the proposal. Project beneficiaries (primarily farmers and agricultural service providers) must be in the region.
Will SARE consider proposals addressing raw milk production, mobile slaughtering, or other food processing projects that may raise food safety concerns?
Proposals that address controversial but legal issues having to do with food processing or preparation must follow all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. The proposal needs to be very clear that the project is compliant, and should include collaboration with appropriate agency personnel to assure that, in the end, farmers will be allowed to use the information generated by the project.
Is it okay to include someone in the proposal if they are in a different country, and if so, is it allowable to include international travel expenses?
SARE can't pay for research or personnel expenses incurred outside the U.S., or for their travel to the U.S. Your international travel is allowable, but you will need to prove the need and describe a strong, direct relationship to the project.
In general, SARE doesn't encourage international travel, so you must clearly justify your need for international travel expenses.
If I have proprietary information in my grant proposal, will that become public knowledge?
SARE is a USDA program. If your proposal is funded, any proprietary information included in your proposal or subsequent project reports will be available to the public.
If we include in-kind or matching support, will it bolster the application even though it is not required?
Matching funds are not a factor in deciding on funding a project, since reviewers look at SARE's return on investment. It doesn't matter to us if other funds are being used or not.
If a match is part of a funded project, it becomes part of the grant contract, and project accounting must track and report it; SARE is only allowed to pay out on the grant proportionally to the match. For example, if a 50 percent payment of a match is reported, then we can only pay out up to 50 percent of the SARE funds.
This can be an administrative nightmare for institutions, and one result is that some do not allow applicants to list a match when it's not required. This has put them at a competitive disadvantage in the application when matching is considered as a criteria. This can also be an administrative nightmare for SARE as well, since we are obligated to track the match and ensure compliance.
That said, sometimes it's necessary for an applicant to describe an overall project and the other funding components of it in order for reviewers to understand the SARE request; otherwise, the SARE component simply doesn't make sense. In these cases, it's appropriate to describe the overall program, but without making a formal matching commitment in the proposed budget.
Can the signatures needed on the cover page be submitted as faxed copies?
Collecting signatures from multiple institutions who have subcontracts can be challenging, so yes, the signature pages can be submitted as faxed copy. All the signatures do not need to be on the same page, and if institutions customarily use a stamp for authorizing these types of documents, then a stamp is acceptable.
If you do use printed or faxed copy and then gather the original signature pages later, please send them on to us so that we can put them in the main file to replace the faxed copy.
Can I mail in materials to go with my online application?
No. All materials need to be submitted on line by the application deadline. Reviewers can only see what is submitted with the online application so materials that are mailed in cannot be used to support a proposal. We ask that applicants do not send us any further information unless we specifically request it.
If I purchase something I will use in the SARE study before I get the grant award, can I submit it for reimbursement?
SARE can only reimburse for items purchased after the award is announced. If the season for purchasing necessary items comes before the notification, consider waiting to start your actual research until the next year. SARE understands the constraints that affect the field and research work we fund, so a delay in starting is acceptable.
Is it important for nonprofits or NGOs to have a connection to a university in a grant proposal by collaborating with extension or on-campus faculty?
There's no requirement that project leaders collaborate with extension or a university--good collaboration with appropriate partners is what strengthens a proposal. Select partners who can engage the target audience and achieve the project's milestones and performance target.
Why is the format of the reports in the national reporting system different from the Northeast SARE reporting guide regarding milestones and other report content?
The other SARE regions do not use the Northeast outcome funding format, but all the regions must share a single online report template--the result is compromise, with the somewhat generic headings you see in the reporting system not matching our requirements.
Our reporting instructions include prompts that explain what to do in each report section because we recognize that there's some disconnect between what we ask for and the report headings. Rely on the region-specific instructions when you write and submit reports.
Is a participant in a Research and Education grant able to apply for a Farmer, Partnership, or Graduate Student grant?
Yes--but this must be done transparently, so reviewers know this is the case. The application should address how the two projects are complimentary rather than redundant (if they are focused on similar work), and address whether the applicant has the capacity to conduct both projects if both are funded.
Is it common for full Research and Education or Professional Development proposals to request more funding than the preproposal did? Should we fit our project into the original preproposal budget estimate?
As you develop your full proposal, you'll get a more accurate accounting of the required expenditures. Your full proposal should reflect what the project will really cost, be that more or less than the estimate from your preproposal. In short, you are not necessarily bound by the draft budget in the preproposal.
Keep in mind that proposals are evaluated in terms of return on investment--what SARE is getting (milestones, performance targets, etc.) for the funding requested. There's no advantage in either inflating your budget or cutting yourself short, since both will trigger skepticism from reviewers. Instead, ask for the funds you will need to actually carry out the project. Don't pad your budget, but don't make it unrealistically lean either, since it's always problematic to run out of resources before the project is complete.
What is Northeast SARE looking for in the references required for Research and Education and Professional Development proposals?
References should be able to speak to the ability of the project leaders to accomplish the project and, to some extent, the need for the project. References should be familiar with the project leader's prior work and the context for the proposed project.
