Resilient Agriculture Finance and Insurance Research Collaborative | Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability

2026 RFP: Resilient Agriculture Finance and Insurance Research Collaborative

Overview

The Resilient Agriculture Finance and Insurance Research Collaborative—a joint initiative of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability—invites proposals for research projects that will advance finance and insurance solutions that boost resilience to extreme weather and promote natural resource conservation in U.S. agriculture.

The purpose of this program is to accelerate the development of finance and insurance innovations that enable farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses to invest in practices, technologies, and production systems that improve resilience to extreme weather and strengthen the natural systems that contribute to resilience, including soils and groundwater.

Successful proposals will:

Address key research priorities for farmers and ranchers, university researchers, agricultural lenders, and crop insurers.
Generate actionable insights for financial and insurance institutions that can be translated into new business practices, tools, or policies by 2028.
Involve engagement with one or more financial institutions or insurers in the research design process to help translate insights into impact.
Demonstrate how your work will influence the financial and insurance sectors.

The Research Collaborative is structured to leverage the complementary strengths of each partner:

EDF contributes expertise in sustainable agriculture finance and insurance and private sector engagement.
Cornell Atkinson contributes a proven ability to move research to action through projects and partnerships.
FFAR contributes matching research funds and leadership in agricultural innovation.

RFP Timeline

December 11, 2025: Informational webinar (Watch recording)
January 2026: Intake Form deadline
February – March: Partnership building and matchmaking
March 26: LOI / RFP Informational Webinar (Watch recording)
April 22, 5 p.m. ET: Letter of Intent (LOI) due
End of May: LOI feedback provided and invitations sent for full proposals
July 27, 5 p.m. ET: Full proposals due (Instructions)
(By invitation only. Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.)
Winter 2026-27: Grantee awards notification
Winter 2026-27: Funds available

Applicant Eligibility

The Research Collaborative welcomes proposals from research teams that integrate scientific rigor with applied innovation to influence financial and insurance systems that shape the resilience of U.S. agriculture.

Who Can Apply

The research collaborative invites proposals led by academic institutions and encourages applications from land-grant universities or including land-grant institutions as a core partner.
Co-PIs and collaborators may include universities, nonprofits, private-sector partners, or other organizations with the capacity to conduct applied research.
Successful applications will involve engagement with one or multiple financial institutions or insurers.
Projects must focus on U.S. agriculture.

Each proposal must designate a Lead Principal Investigator and clearly describe the roles of all co-PIs, collaborators, and partner organizations. Projects are expected to co-design research questions with at least one industry partner (e.g., lender, insurer, agribusiness) to ensure the findings are actionable. Interested researchers will be invited to virtual and in-person meetings designed to facilitate connections with private sector partners.

How Funding Works

All proposals are submitted through a single process. The research collaborative partners–Cornell Atkinson, EDF, and FFAR–will determine the appropriate funding source for each selected project based on institutional eligibility and project scope.

Projects led by Cornell Atkinson Faculty Fellows may receive support directly from Cornell Atkinson.
Projects led by other U.S.-based institutions may receive support from EDF or FFAR.
While not required, applicants are encouraged to leverage private sector contributions, foundation grants, or institutional cost share where possible.
Private sector partner engagement can include advising the project, sharing datasets, and contributing match funding.

Priority Themes

Projects should align with one or more of the following themes:

Financing Transition to Resilient Practices: Evaluating return-on-investment timelines and characteristics of resilient practices, and comparing differences in return, risk, and producer attributes between adopters and non-adopters of these practices. Projects under this theme should inform agricultural lending solutions for resilient agriculture.
Aligning Resilient Practices with Risk and Insurance Outcomes: Assessing how resilient practices affect yield stability, risk profiles, and crop insurance outcomes, including probability and depth of loss. Projects under this theme should provide evidence to design insurance solutions that reflect the impact of resilient practices.
Valuing Resilience in Farmland and Mortgage Markets: Analyzing how the value of resilient practices is reflected in farmland and mortgage markets, through factors such as land price appreciation, increased collateral value, and improved loan repayment capacity. Projects under this theme should inform solutions that capture these effects in appraisals and loan underwriting.

Achieving these themes could include developing (1) Data and Decision Tools: Building datasets and tools that improve risk assessment and inform lending and insurance solutions, and (2) Private sector frameworks: Developing strategies and frameworks to integrate research findings into business operations.

Projects outside the listed themes may be considered only if they clearly contribute to advancing resilient agriculture through financial or insurance mechanisms. Applicants are encouraged to contact program staff if unsure about alignment.

This grant program will NOT fund:

Research and topics outside the U.S;
Projects focused on forestry or aquaculture;
Political organizations, action groups, candidates, or lobbying efforts;
Religious organizations for religious purposes;
Salary or wage support for staff or administrative personnel other than what might be needed for administration of specific programs or projects;
Capital or building campaigns;
Construction;
Advocacy programs;
Recurring external meetings, conferences, or workshops;
Recurring external fundraising dinners, galas, and events;
Outreach, community, or education activities without a research component;

Funding Tracks

Two-Track Approach: From Research to Impact

To support a diverse range of project types and readiness levels, the RFP offers two distinct funding tracks—the Research Track and the Impact Track. All projects must include a research component, regardless of track. Applicants should select the track that best matches their project’s maturity, using the table below as a guide.

Project Maturity and Readiness Scale

(click image to enlarge)

Research Track: Early-Stage Discovery, Development, and Prototyping

The Research Track supports early- to mid-stage projects that advance scientific understanding with the potential for future application. These efforts focus on generating new knowledge, developing or testing methods or tools, and/or producing data that will ultimately enable future private sector implementation. Projects must include an industry partner to ensure practical relevance and potential for future uptake. Teams should be able to articulate the likely pathway(s) by which the outputs and outcomes of this project will influence the financial and insurance sectors.

Ideal for:

Foundational research;
Modeling and early-stage tool design;
Or Collaborative planning or proof-of-concept pilots.

Expected deliverables may include:

Peer-reviewed publications or preprints
Datasets, code packages, or models
Conceptual frameworks or analytical tools
Pilot results with potential for future testing

Impact Track: Deployment, Private Sector Influence, and Real-World Integration

The Impact Track supports mature projects that are ready to move research into action via stakeholder engagement, field application, or private sector integration. These projects retain a strong research focus but emphasize real-world testing, adoption, and measurable outcomes.

Ideal for:

Implementation-ready tools or strategies;
Private sector-relevant insights and guidance;
Stakeholder field trials.
Note: Focus is on action, integration, or uptake by private sector partners or institutions

Expected deliverables may include:

Private sector frameworks, implementation plans;
Tools tested or adopted by private sector partners;
Evidence of behavioral or financial system change;
Reports on measurable environmental, social, or economic outcomes

Funding Levels and Structure

Track	Project Duration	Funding Range	Notes
Research Track	Up to 18 months	$25,000 – $75,000	Targeted at exploratory or proof-of-concept efforts.
Impact Track	Up to 2 years	Up to $140,000	Designed for deployment, stakeholder update, or private sector influence.

Notes:

Funding is expected to support a mix of small and large projects. We anticipate 3–6 awards total across both tracks.
Projects may be funded by Cornell Atkinson, EDF, or FFAR, depending on eligibility and funder alignment.

How to Apply

All applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through the online submission form. Only applicants who submit an LOI by the deadline are eligible to be invited to submit a full proposal.

Letter of Intent Submission (Closed)

Letters of Intent are required for all applicants. Submitting an LOI ensures your eligibility to submit a full proposal, but the LOI is not a screening stage. LOIs help the funding partners understand project interest, identify potential collaborations, and provide feedback that can strengthen full proposals.

LOI Content:

~~Lead collaborator names and bios (university + partners)~~
~~Project title (≤150 characters)~~
~~Priority theme alignment~~
~~Funding Track (Research / Implementation)~~
~~Problem statement~~
~~Short project description (aims, rationale, activities, and pathway to impact)~~

Deadline:

~~Submit LOIs by 5 p.m. on April 22, 2026 using the online LOI form. Late submissions will not be accepted.~~

Full Proposal Submission (Invitation Only)

Only applicants who submitted an LOI and are invited to the next stage may submit a full proposal. Detailed submission instructions and templates will be provided upon invitation. If you were invited to submit a full application, please refer to the details in the emailed invitation for additional instructions and guidance on developing your full applications.

Full proposals must be submitted through the online application form and include the following components:

Online Application Form
Submit online by July 27, 5 p.m. ET (Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.)
Technical Proposal (PDF)
Applicants must upload a single technical proposal PDF (maximum 5 pages, 11-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced text). The technical proposal should follow the required section headings and suggested word limits provided in the Technical Proposal Template. Required attachments do not count toward the five-page limit.
Financial Proposal (Excel and PDF)
Applicants must use the provided budget template(s) and upload one or more Excel budgets and a budget justification. Final budget requirements may vary by funder.
Required and Optional Attachments (PDF)
The required and optional attachments are detailed below in the corresponding section. They should be uploaded separately and do not count towards the five-page narrative limit.

Technical Proposal Narrative Content:

The 5-page Technical Proposal PDF should include the following sections:

Project Title (25 words)
Provide a short title that clearly communicates the purpose and importance of the project to a general audience.
Track Selection and Justification (200 words)
Identify whether the proposal is submitted under the Research Track or Impact Track and briefly explain why the project’s maturity, partner engagement, timeline, and budget are appropriate for the selected track. Both tracks need to demonstrate co-creation of research ideas with private sector insurance and/or financial services providers and provide details on the specific products or services the research is intended to inform.
- Research Track proposals should explain how the project will generate knowledge, data, methods, or tools that can support future applications to specific private sector finance and insurance products or services. Research should be clearly designed with input from subject matter experts with practical experience in the specific products or services that are targeted to ensure the questions and methods are relevant and hold potential to inform future decisions.
- Impact Track proposals should demonstrate readiness for impact through stakeholder adoption or trials, field testing, program or policy integration, or other real-world use by external partners or institutions that provide finance or insurance products or services to agricultural producers. Proposals must contain a research element and an explanation of how that research will be used to actively inform and scale practical solutions. They must also show a commitment to transparency and publication of study findings to benefit the broader industry beyond the immediate project partners.
Problem Statement and Vision for Sustained Impact (250 words)
Explain the challenge the project addresses and how the work will generate actionable insights for farmers, ranchers, researchers, agricultural lenders, insurers, or other relevant decision-makers.
Research Context and Project Approach (600 words)
Describe the research context, hypotheses or core questions, methods, datasets, tools, or analytical approach.
Finance / Insurance Decision-User and Use Case (250 words)
Identify the intended financial, insurance, producer, supply-chain, or other decision-user and describe the specific decision, tool, product, policy, or investment pathway the project is intended to inform.
Partnership and Collaboration Plan (300 words)
Describe the role of private-sector finance and/or insurance partners and other collaborators, including their role in project design, data access, testing, interpretation, dissemination, or use of outputs. Applicants should describe how partners helped shape the research idea and what products, services, tools, or decisions the project is intended to inform. Letters of support should be uploaded separately.
Goals, Deliverables, Milestones, and Timeline (250 words)
Summarize the project’s goals, objectives, key deliverables, and timeline. Indicate clear milestones that demonstrate progress towards goals.
Implementation Strategy / Pathways to Impact (300 words)
Describe how the project’s outputs could be used by the intended user. For Impact Track proposals, describe the pathway to stakeholder testing, adoption, integration, or implementation. For Research Track proposals, describe how the work could enable future finance or insurance applications.
Outcomes, Long-term Impact, and Sustainability (200 words)
Explain how the expected outcomes relate to the program’s priority themes and how the project could contribute to resilient agriculture finance and insurance systems beyond the award period.
Data Management and Dissemination (150 words)
Applicants should describe how project data, outputs, and results will be stored, accessed, shared, and communicated in accordance with FAIR principles, where possible. Data and results should be shared broadly across relevant research and stakeholder communities through publications and presentations to support learning across the resilient agriculture finance and insurance field.
The plan should identify expected data or informational outputs, any limits on sharing due to confidentiality or partner restrictions, and how findings will be communicated to relevant audiences. If no data are expected to be produced, applicants should state: “No data are expected to be produced.” Applicants should still describe how overarching findings or results will be shared.

Financial Proposal Content

The maximum total budget request is:

Research Track: $75,000
Impact Track: $140,000

Applicants should submit a budget that is commensurate with the proposed scope, timeline, deliverables, partner engagement, and selected funding track. The budget justification should briefly explain how the requested funds will support the project goals and, where applicable, what could be accomplished through a first fundable milestone or reduced-scope award. Final budget requirements may vary by funder, and selected applicants may be asked to submit revised or additional budget materials after award selection.

Budget Requirements – FFAR Budget Spreadsheet (Excel) and Justification (PDF)

All applicants must use the provided FFAR budget template as well as upload a FFAR budget justification of up to 500 words. Cornell-led proposals are asked to provide additional budget information (see below).

Use the FFAR budget template and upload a budget justification. For non-Cornell projects, this budget should reflect 100% of the total project request, and must follow FFAR budget guidance and allowable-cost rules.

Applicants should ensure that the budget represents the full project budget and is consistent with the total request described in the proposal form, narrative, and budget justifications.

Additional Budget Requirements (Cornell-led projects)

Cornell-led proposals must submit two separate budgets, reflecting a 50/50 split structure between Cornell Atkinson and FFAR:

Cornell Atkinson Budget
Use the Cornell Atkinson budget template and budget justification template. This budget should reflect 50% of the total project request and must follow Cornell Atkinson budget guidance and allowable-cost rules.
FFAR Budget
Use the FFAR budget template and upload a justification of up to 500 words (PDF). This budget should reflect the remaining 50% of the total project request and must follow FFAR budget guidance and allowable-cost rules.

Applicants should ensure that the two budgets together represent the full project budget and are consistent with the total request described in the proposal form, narrative, and budget justifications.

Suggested file names for Cornell Atkinson budget requirements:

2026-Resilience-budget-YourLastName.xlsx
2026-Resilience-budget-justification-YourLastName.pdf

The Excel budget should be uploaded as a separate file when you submit your proposal. The budget justification should be uploaded as a separate PDF. The budget justification does not count against the proposal page count.

Please follow the budget and budget justification templates carefully and provide the requested level of detail.

Indicative Budget Guidance (Cornell Atkinson only)

Funds may be used to support project-related costs, including but not limited to:

Partial support for research associates, postdoctoral researchers, technical staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students;
Travel directly related to the project;
Supplies, data acquisition, analysis, software, and other direct project expenses;
Equipment necessary for the proposed work, where justified;
Publication fees (up to $3,000), dissemination, and outreach costs, where appropriate.

Funds may not be used to support:

Tenure-track faculty salaries (including summer salary);
Staff bonuses;
General-purpose laptops or computing equipment unless dedicated to project work and clearly justified;
Costs unrelated to the proposed scope of work.

Applicants should ensure that requested funds are reasonable, necessary, and clearly tied to the proposed research, partnership, and impact activities.

This is not an exhaustive list. Please contact Alan Martinez (amartinez@cornell.edu) with specific budget or allowability questions.

Required Attachments

Applicants should upload the following materials as instructed:

5-page Technical Proposal PDF
FFAR Budget Spreadsheet (Examples)
FFAR Budget Justification, up to 500 words
Cornell Atkinson Budget Spreadsheet, if applicable (Template)
Budget Justification, uploaded as a PDF
Biosketches/CVs for the PI and Key Personnel (Link)
Provide a biographical sketch or CV, up to 3 pages per person, for the PI and all key personnel. Combine all biosketches/CVs into a single PDF. Do not include personal information such as home address, personal phone number, personal email address, date of birth, citizenship, driver’s license, passport or Social Security numbers, marital status, or personal hobbies. These materials may be shared with internal and external reviewers.
Current and Pending Support (Link)
Project timeline (Link)
Upload a project timeline that identifies major activities, deliverables, and milestones.
References Cited (PDF)
Upload references cited in the technical proposal. The references cited do not count against the proposal page count.
Letter(s) of Support from finance or insurance partner(s), where applicable (PDF)
Letters should describe the partner’s role in the project, including any involvement in project design, data access, testing, interpretation, dissemination, use of outputs, or financial/in-kind support.
Matching Funds Contribution Letter(s), if matching funds are listed (Link)
Matching funds are not required for this opportunity. If matching funds are included in the application, applicants should upload contribution letter(s) documenting those commitments. Combine all matching funds contribution letters into a single PDF.

Optional Attachments

Applicants may upload:

Additional key personnel information if not fully captured elsewhere
Graphics, figures, equations, or tables, up to 3 pages, if helpful to explain the proposed work.
Additional letters of support, where applicable. Additional collaborator or stakeholder letters may be uploaded if they are important to the proposed work.

Selection Process

Proposals will be peer-reviewed by subject-matter experts in a process managed by FFAR, with contributions from EDF and Cornell Atkinson.

Evaluation Criteria Will Include:

Relevance to research priorities and resilience objectives as described in the RFP and letter to invited full proposal applicants.
Scientific rigor and novelty.
Pathway to implementation with private sector lenders and/or insurers.
Appropriate research team knowledge and skills and the quality of partnerships with appropriate lending and insurance companies and other stakeholders.
Feasibility of budget and timeline to achieve the stated goals.
Alignment with cross-sector collaboration goals, including strength and specificity of private-sector engagement in project design, testing, and/or implementation.
Strength of the data management and dissemination plan, and potential for broader impact and learning across the relevant research and stakeholder communities.

Conditional Awards

Selected awards may be conditioned on revised budgets, clarified scope, partner documentation, compliance review, reporting requirements, or other administrative requirements before funds are issued.

Awardee Responsibilities

Submit progress reports and final reports against stated success metrics.
Acknowledge Cornell Atkinson, EDF, and FFAR in outputs.
Engage with Research Collaborative events and knowledge exchange activities.
Participate in future proposal review panels.

Data Sharing / IP Issues

Applicants should consider early conversations with data partners regarding access and sharing of private sector datasets. Cornell-based PIs may consult with OSP regarding non-financial agreements or data-use protocols.

Note: All funded projects must comply with the data-sharing and intellectual property policies of their home institutions and funding source.

Communications and Visibility

Awardees are expected to support communications efforts by providing short project updates and summaries on a regular basis, as well as participating in collaborative events.

More Information

Most successful proposals are the result of early engagement. We strongly encourage applicants to attend at least one information webinar and to contact the program team with questions before submitting their LOI. For eligibility, partnership, or funding questions, contact:

Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability: Alan Martinez (amartinez@cornell.edu)
Environmental Defense Fund: Vincent Gauthier (vgauthier@edf.org)
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research: Allison Thomson (athomson@foundationfar.org) or Sarah Zoubek (szoubek@foundationfar.org)

All inquiries must be submitted by email. We strive to respond to inquiries within three business days, but our response time depends on the volume of questions we receive and the complexity of the questions asked. Please note that we do not monitor mailboxes in the evenings, weekends, or federal holidays.