U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced a $125 million annual investment in agricultural research infrastructure, opening the fiscal 2026 funding opportunity for the Research Facilities Act Program.

The announcement was made June 15 during a roundtable at the U.S. Department of Agriculture with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and leaders from land-grant universities. The funding stems from President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts, which allocated $125 million annually for the program.

The investment is aimed at strengthening the facilities where agricultural research is conducted, supporting work that contributes to crop improvement, pest and disease management, and market development. For the seed industry, the funding could support advancements in plant breeding, seed technology and crop resilience research.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the program will allow research institutions to renovate, expand and construct facilities needed to maintain and grow agricultural innovation. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture will oversee the competitive grant process.

Land-grant universities have long played a central role in agricultural research, developing innovations that have shaped modern crop production. Institutions in Illinois, including the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, were highlighted for contributions ranging from hybrid corn development to research in corn-based ethanol and biochemicals.

The Research Facilities Act Program requires a dollar-for-dollar nonfederal cash match from applicants. Eligible entities may receive funding for one project at a time.

Funding will be distributed across four project levels. Planning grants will range from $100,000 to $200,000 for needs assessments, site surveys, preliminary designs and cost estimates. Small facility upgrades will range from $250,000 to $2 million for renovations and laboratory modernization. Mid-scale construction and expansion projects will receive between $2 million and $10 million for facility additions, specialized research wings and major retrofits. Large-scale research complexes will range from $10 million to $30 million for new buildings, specialized laboratories and controlled-environment research facilities.

Applications for the fiscal 2026 funding cycle are due July 17, 2026.

Source: IL Corn, "USDA Invests $125 Million in Ag Research Facilities"