The Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund is a current-use fund to advance research that identifies and develops value-added resources from pistachio, almond and pomegranate byproducts. The intent is to promote collaboration and strengthen the network among research faculty, agricultural producers, food companies, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical companies, commodity boards, and other stakeholders interested in pistachio, almond, and pomegranate byproducts through awarding competitive research grants as part of an annual Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Other agricultural byproduct research with transferrable information (e.g., grapes and citrus) will be considered. Priority details are subject to change with subsequent RFPs.
 

Eligibility for Submission

All principal investigators for the research projects shall be UC Davis faculty and/or Cooperative Extension specialists; research projects may include collaborations among UC Davis faculty and CE specialists and researchers at other universities and institutions in California and throughout the United States.

• Restrictions on the Use of Research Funds

• Funds cannot be used for indirect costs and overhead costs.

  Partial funding (1-2 months) of faculty summer salaries for 9-month faculty may be considered. 

  Exceptions for out of state graduate students with critical skill sets will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

  Travel is restricted to within the U.S. with a preferred focus on California. 

  Equipment purchases are not allowed unless critical to a research project and require justification and prior approval of the dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. 

• Proposal Submittal Requirements

• The proposal must be submitted in PDF format. All items below (#1-11) must be included in the single PDF submission. 

  The proposal should be scientifically and technically sound and written in a manner such that a non-academic can evaluate. (Note: the review committee consists of both industry and research members.) 

  Do not exceed 8 pages including tables and figures, 1” margins, and not smaller than 11-point font in the main text. The references, budget, budget justification and biographical sketch are not included in the 8-page maximum length. 

  The research proposal should include: 

  • 1. Principal investigator name(s), department, mailing address, phone number and email address. 
    2. Project title.
    3. List of collaborators and their affiliations. 
    4. Project background, objectives/hypotheses, and scientific significance of the proposed work. 
    5. Approach and methods. 
    6. Relevance to the mission of the Resnick Agricultural Research Fund (please see the “About the Fund/Mission” section on page 1). 
    7. Potential commercial applications of the research will be an important factor in selection. 
    8. Possible risks and/or barriers to research advancement. 
    9. Qualifications of the principal investigator(s). 
    10. References.
    11. Budget proposal using SPO budget template form and budget justification. 
    12. Biographical sketch of the PI(s). Include brief vitae, professional an academic experience and contact information (telephone and fax, email and mailing address). List up to five refereed publications most closely related to the proposed project and up to five other significant publications, including those in press. This document should not exceed two pages and is not counted in the 8-page limit for the proposal. 
• Important Budget Note
• One UC Davis investigator should be designated as the primary investigator; all funds will be allocated to this individual’s department. The budget submitted should reflect this by indicating expenditure by category (i.e., supplies, travel, personnel), not by investigator. Any distribution of funds to other investigators will be the responsibility of the recipient department.
• Review Process

• The Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has convened an internal and external group of stakeholders (the “Advisory Board”) to serve as the review committee to advise on what research questions are of strategic importance to the industry related to agricultural byproduct research. The Advisory Board will review requests and make recommendations to the Dean as to which proposals meet the purpose of the Research Fund. The following principal criteria of quality will be used in the review: 

  Competence – Technical soundness of the proposed research questions and approach; innovativeness of research; feasibility of successfully completing preliminary research within the designated timeframe; capability and recent research performance of the principal investigator(s); and adequacy of available resources. 

  Intrinsic Merit – Probability that the research will lead to new discoveries or important advances and will improve understanding of issues critical to agricultural sustainability.

  Market Viability – Likelihood of innovations resulting from the research having commercial value within a relatively brief timeframe.

  Relevance – Prospect that the research will contribute to the achievement of the priority issues of the Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund and to the advancement of science contributing to the sustainability of the California almond, pistachio and pomegranate industries. 

• Reporting Requirements

• Researchers receiving funding will submit quarterly progress reports and a final report at the conclusion of the grant period (April 30, 2026). The report will contain research results and a financial accounting of how the funds were expended. No-cost extensions will be considered. A final report will be due no later than three months following the end of the research project. All reports are to be submitted to the Engagement & Research Coordinator, Daria Costello (dlcostello@ucdavis.edu).

  Grantees must participate in meetings of the Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund including a mid-year (November 2025), virtual 1:1 check in with the donor and CA&ES leadership, and an in-person presentation at the Annual Meeting in February 2025.