DPR Opens $4.65 Million Grant Application Process to Fund Innovative Solutions Supporting a Transition to Safer, More Sustainable Pest Management Tools and Practices
Julie Henderson
Director
Gavin Newsom
Governor
Jared Blumenfeld
Secretary for Environmental Protection
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today opened the application period for the 2023 Alliance and Research Grants cycle, offering $4.65 million in potential funding to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable pest management in agricultural, urban and wildland settings.
"California is a leader in the development of more sustainable pest management," said DPR Director Julie Henderson. "DPR-funded grant projects are critical to identifying and fostering new methods and tools to reduce reliance on pesticides and their impact on human health and the environment."
The increased funding for the 2023 Alliance and Research Grants, provided for in the 2021-2022 state budget, supports the state’s goal to accelerate and increase the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in agricultural, urban, and wildland settings. IPM is an innovative approach to pest management that uses the least-toxic, most effective method to solve pest problems.
Over the last 20 years, the department has invested more than $22 million to fund 92 projects within the Research and Alliance Grant programs. Last year’s DPR Grants Programs cycle represented the first year of increased funding allocated by the state budget. The department awarded $3.75 million in Research Grants to fund 10 research projects that explore IPM tools for urban, non-agricultural and agricultural pest management. DPR expects to award an additional $1.8 million in Alliance Grants funding later this month.
The 2023 Research Grants Program will award grants for projects up to two and a half years in length that develop pest management tools and practices to reduce the use of high-risk pesticides or decrease the impacts of pest management chemicals on public health and the environment. Project budgets may range from $50,000 to $3.15 million. Research Grant applications will be accepted through Thursday, September 22, 2022.
Highlights from past Research Grants projects include:
- Evaluated drone-based releases of biocontrol organisms.
- Tested non-chemical entrapment surfaces for monitoring and control of bedbugs.
- Studied the effects of pesticide-free plant immunity enhancing materials.
- Developed standardized practices for transplant greenhouses to reduce the need for fungicides.
The 2023 Alliance Grants Program will award grants for projects up to two and a half years in length that promote or increase the implementation, expansion and/or adoption of effective, proven and affordable IPM systems or practices. Project budgets may range from $50,000 to $1.5 million. Alliance Grant applications will be accepted through Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Highlights from past Alliance Grants projects include:
- Provided land managers with the best available information regarding invasive plant management through the use of an online decision support tool.
- Drove the adoption of mating disruption among small almond, pistachio and walnut growers within field clusters.
- Conducted outreach on sustainable pest management methods to small growers in the Hmong and Iu-Mien communities.
- Developed herbicide-free best practices for combating invasive plants in native habitats.
For more information on the Alliance Grants and Research Grants Programs, including how to join our virtual information sessions aimed at providing grant applicants with additional information and answering questions on how to apply, please visit our department’s website.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to evaluate and register pesticides and monitor and regulate their sale and use across the state.
DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health and the environment prior to and following registration, registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their combined 400 field inspectors across the state’s 58 counties. DPR invests in innovative research, outreach, and education to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information.
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