Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC) Request for Pre-Proposals

Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC) Request for Pre-Proposals is sponsored by Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC). NRAC invites pre-proposals for projects that focus on improving the opportunities for growth and sustainability of the aquaculture industry in the Northeast.

Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center Request for Preproposals | STAR-IDAZ Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center Request for Preproposals US National Institute of Food and Agriculture Department of Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) Targeted Project Area (TPA) The following statement, as prepared by the NRAC Technical and Industry Advisory Council and approved by the Board of Directors, is intended to address challenges and opportunities identified by industry members for research, demonstration, outreach, and/or education.

Pre-proposals that address these areas will receive equal consideration. Areas described below are in no particular order. Aquaculture commodities chosen for study should have proven or have viable economic potential for commercial development in the Northeast region.

Collaborative partnership(s) with appropriate industry sector(s), firm(s), fishing groups, or tribal groups is highly encouraged. Projects that promise to produce tangible end-products that are of direct use or value to aquaculture businesses or address key bottlenecks to aquaculture operations or marketing are preferred.

NRAC encourages a diversity of projects and multi-disciplined investigators to advance aquaculture (including aquaponics) in the Northeast as it relates to species, production systems, applications, and markets. NRAC supports projects that demonstrate measurable impacts in either marine or freshwater environments, at sea or on land, and in urban centers or rural settings.

Aquaculture organisms are always aquatic and include finfish, shellfish, invertebrates, seaweed, other aquatic plants, and microalgae.

Goal: To improve the opportunities for growth and sustainability of the aquaculture industry by focusing on areas of economic, environmental, and social impacts at all industry stages (i.e., product life-cycle curve): New/young businesses: issues affecting barriers to entry, assisting market or industry segment entrants Established businesses: issues affecting scalability and growth as demands increase Mature businesses: issues affecting sustainability and maintenance such as the development of new market opportunities or diversification Statement of Opportunity: Aquaculture in the northeast region includes a diversity of species, systems, and industries.

NRAC funds projects that focus on all aspects of aquaculture and emphasize outcomes leading to development and sustainable growth of the industry.

Members of the Industry Advisory Committee have identified the following challenges as major constraints: Access to capital and/or increasing financial literacy Navigating the regulatory environment Education-to-workforce pipeline Infrastructure needs and/or shortfalls Commercial water access and water rights Improving efficiency and optimizing production Disease, biosecurity, and/or product safety Practical responses to environmental interactions and/or change and identifying potential biological, market, and policy solutions Market/public acceptance of aquaculture Market development, expansion, and diversification Sustainable waste management and environmental stewardship NRAC welcomes proposals that address these identified issues, as well as other issues that advance aquaculture in the Northeast.

The Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC) is inviting Pre-Proposals for project funding consideration. This 2026 Request for Pre-Proposals (RFP) identifies targeted research areas that NRAC is considering for funding. The NRAC selection criteria, review process and Pre-Proposal submission guidelines are described in the RFP.

Extension is an essential component for success and must be funded and integrated into the pre-proposal’s budget. The deadline for submitting Pre-Proposals is 25 July 2025 . (Local Time in College Park, Maryland) .

Pre-Proposals will be reviewed to determine which investigators will be invited to submit detailed full proposals for consideration. Eventual funding will require a successful full proposal. Successful proposals are expected to receive funding by September 2026 .

This round of proposal development and project funding will use funds available from NRAC’s grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NRAC will accept pre-proposals in the targeted research priority areas described herein the RFP . Proposal funding is contingent on NRAC budget approval by Congress.

Research priority areas are recommended to NRAC by representatives of the aquaculture industry in the Northeast through an industry-driven committee process. Help build the STAR IDAZ community. Share reports and updates on social channels.