USDA Invests $125 Million in Ag Research Facilities

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a historic $125 million annual investment in agricultural research infrastructure across America, opening the fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding opportunity for the Research Facilities Act Program.

The announcement came on June 15 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where Secretary Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon hosted land-grant university leaders for a roundtable discussion. The funding was made possible by President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts, which provided $125 million annually for the program.

The research that improves your yields, protects your crops, and opens new markets often starts inside a university lab, making this grant impactful for corn farmers. This investment allows agricultural research facilities to invest in renovations, expansions, and construction projects.

Illinois universities have driven agricultural innovation for generations, turning research into real-world results that reach farms across the nation. The University of Illinois helped shape agriculture by pioneering advances from hybrid corn to modern conservation practices, while Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is driving research in corn-based ethanol and biochemicals. This work helped shape Illinois agriculture.

The Research Facilities Act program is designed to ensure that the work is done in well-equipped facilities. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will administer competitive funding to strengthen agricultural research capacity.

How the funding works

To keep a strong local investment and protect taxpayer dollars, applicants must provide a dollar-for-dollar non-federal cash match. Eligible entities may receive funds for only one project at a time. Projects will be funded at four levels:

• Level I – Planning Grants: $100,000 to $200,000 for needs assessments, site surveys, preliminary designs, and cost estimates
• Level II – Small Facility Upgrades: $250,000 to $2 million for renovations and lab modernization
• Level III – Mid-Scale Construction/Expansion: $2 million to $10 million for expansions, specialized research wings, and major retrofits
• Level IV – Large-Scale Research Complex: $10 million to $30 million for entire new buildings, specialized labs, and controlled environment research facilities

The deadline for applications is July 17, 2026.

One of IL Corn’s top priorities is for continued funding for the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. This federal program could allow NCERC to expand opportunities for research and development in converting corn to ethanol and ethanol to biochemicals. IL Corn will monitor this funding opportunity and advocate for research investments that keep Illinois farmers competitive at home and around the world.

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