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Annual Call for Research
2027 Request for Proposals - Now Open
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2027 Research Priorities
2027 RFP Guidance: Pre-Proposals
Please read the instructions carefully before preparing your pre-proposal.
Important Requirements
- Three-page limit: Only three-page pre-proposals will be accepted.
- Submission deadline: Pre-proposals are due no later than 12:00 noon Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. No exceptions.
- CPS will not pre-evaluate proposals prior to submission.
- All required documents should be submitted as separate attachments within one email. Do not send multiple emails.
Pre-Submission Office Hours
September 14–18 and September 21–25, 2026
Interested applicants are highly encouraged to schedule a confidential pre-submission virtual conference with members of the CPS Technical Committee, industry representatives, subject matter experts, and the CPS Executive Director.
To request a conference, contact [email protected].
When requesting a meeting:
- Provide up to three specific questions related to the research topic of interest. Questions may address industry practices, cost or time limitations associated with implementing new ideas, clarification of the research need, or other factors that may help inform the proposed research.
- Provide three possible dates and times for the meeting. Please do not provide options that are all on the same day.
Questions about proposal requirements, applicant qualifications, or other general administrative matters are addressed in the 2027 RFP Guidance: Pre-Proposals.
If you do not find the information you need in the guidance document, please send your question to [email protected].
New to CPS?
If you are new to the Center for Produce Safety, we encourage you to schedule a call to learn more about CPS and our expectations for research proposals.
2027 RFP Guidance: Full Proposals
Full-proposal submissions are by invitation only.
Applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal following CPS review and selection of pre-proposals.
Additional guidance and requirements for invited full proposals will be provided to selected applicants.
“I appreciate the connections [CPS makes with] industry partners, and their willingness to share information with us on real-world situations in the field and during processing. This makes our research much more impactful.”
Teresa Bergholz
Ph.D., Michigan State University
CPS-funded researcher
