Research Grants Program

Back to Pest Management Grants

Overview

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) Research Grants Program provides funding for research projects that advance integrated pest management (IPM) knowledge in agricultural, urban, and wildland settings. Projects should focus on reducing impacts to public health or the environment from pesticides of high regulatory interest.

Please see the Alliance Grants Program for funding opportunities that promote or increase the implementation, expansion, and/or adoption of effective, proven, and affordable IPM systems and practices.

Application Process and Current Status

The 2025 Research Grants solicitation period is now closed. Proposal applications were accepted through September 19, 2024.

The 2025 Research Grants Program sought applications that addressed one or more of the following priority topic areas. For relevant definitions, please see the “Definitions for Priority Topic Areas” section of the 2025 Research Grants solicitation, PDF. The priority topic areas were:

  • IPM for underserved or disadvantaged communities;
  • Decreasing the use of pesticides of high regulatory interest (such as fumigants like 1,3-dichloropropene or sulfuryl fluoride);
  • Advancement of urban IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in urban settings;
  • Advancement of IPM and safer, more sustainable pest management tools and strategies in agricultural settings adjacent to or near a school(s);
  • Meeting the IPM needs of small growers; and/or
  • TWO or more of the three sustainability pillars noted below and referenced in the Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap, PDF:
    • Human Health and Social Equity
    • Environmental Protections
    • Economic Vitality

For reference, the 2025 Research Grants application materials can be found in the 2025 Research Grants Materials.

Dates and Deadlines

  • July 2024 – Solicitation period opens; DPR begins accepting proposal applications
  • Thursday, September 19, 2024 – Final application deadline
  • Thursday, February 13, 2025 (9:30 am PT) – Pest Management Advisory Committee (PMAC) Research Grants proposal review meeting
  • April 2025 – Funding decision emails sent out
  • Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – Earliest project start date pending full execution of the grant agreement
  • Friday, June 30, 2028 – Latest project end date

Informational Videos

DPR staff have produced recorded videos on topics to assist applicants in successfully applying to our Grants Programs. These videos are available on YouTube and include coverage of the following topics:

Office Hours

DPR’s Grants Program hosts office hours year-round for potential applicants to reserve 30-minute appointments to discuss various aspects of the Grants Program. Please note that discussion may not focus on any of the criteria or aspects that are competitively ranked by DPR staff and Pest Management Advisory Committee (PMAC) members when reviewing and ranking proposal applications.

To sign up for an appointment, please fill out the DPR Grants Program Office Hours Form. Note that when requesting a scheduled appointment during office hours, you will be prompted to include a specific set of questions or topics for discussion. After submitting the form, you will receive an email confirming your appointment and providing a link for the meeting.

Funded Pest Management Research Grants (2013 - present)

Funded Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos Research Grants (2019 - present)

Alternatives to chlorpyrifos research projects were funded through a special one-time allocation from California’s General Fund. The funds were used to support research projects that advance safer, more sustainable pest management alternatives to chlorpyrifos with the goal of developing and fostering integrated pest management (IPM) practices that can be voluntarily adopted in lieu of using chlorpyrifos.

For questions, please contact IPMgrants@cdpr.ca.gov.