BIOAg Funds Seven Research Projects for 2026

CSANR BIOAg grants support early-stage research, high-impact “last-mile” work, and new directions in sustainable agriculture.

Scene of a dairy with monitoring device, dairy cow, and superimposed icons.
A GHG emissions and localized weather sensing node is deployed at Royal Dairy Farm and will be used in BIOAg-funded dairy research. Photo: Keshawa Dadallage, WSU

The Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) has selected seven projects for funding through its BIOAg grant program for 2026. This year’s awards total $247,871 and support research spanning dairy sustainability, organic pest management, perennial grains, and plant disease monitoring.

Chad Kruger, former director of CSANR, said the latest funding cycle was especially competitive. “This was the strongest and deepest pool of proposals in the last 15 years,” he said. “Overall, we were able to fund approximately 40% of submitted proposals.”

The seven funded projects draw researchers from across Washington State University, spanning multiple departments within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, as well as the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Biological Sciences. Collaborators include partners from North Dakota State University and Cornell University, and several projects include direct partnerships with Washington farmers and agricultural businesses. Individual awards range from $11,575 to $40,000.

BIOAg funding helps researchers generate preliminary data for larger grants, while also supporting high-impact “last-mile” work and exploration of new research directions.

Since 2020, $1.46 million in BIOAg investment has helped secure more than $20 million in external funding.

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2026 BIOAg Projects and Principal Investigators

A woman holds an insect net while st standing outdoors near a body of water.
Kristen Baker, a PhD student, will conduct BIOAg-funded research to determine where codling moths overwinter and pupate. Photo: Riley Reed