Who funds crop breeding research?

We count 45 funded crop breeding projects, active between 2021 and 2032, from 5 funders. The most came from USDA (13 projects), EU · Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (9 projects) and Gates Foundation (6 projects). The median award is $2.1M, across the 45 of 45 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

45

Funders

5

Median award

$2.1M

Open calls now

1

Top funders of crop breeding research

Projects whose title or summary mentions crop breeding. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open crop breeding funding calls

1 open call mentions crop breeding today.

• Enhancing the competitiveness of organic crop breeding: focus on intercropping adapted varieties
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €6,000,000Deadline: September 22, 2027 ·

Funded crop breeding projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• Transitions from wild ecosystems to modern agricultural environments are often associated with unique selective pressures resulting from…
  USDA · $849,027 · ends 2030
• Directed enzyme evolution coupled with targeted gene editing (de-ge) offers a valuable new source of genetic variation to improve quality…
  USDA · $617,000 · ends 2030
• This multi-state (kansas, lousiana, texas, and new york) and multi-disciplinary project proposal addresses the plant breeding for…
  USDA · $617,000 · ends 2030
• Rainbow Crops — Agricultural Development
  Gates Foundation · $6,974,277 · ends 2030
• COOLAID for plants: Cold Operation Over the Long-term And in Individual Days
  UKRI · BBSRC · £654,076 · ends 2029
• University of Queensland — Agricultural Development
  Gates Foundation · $2,770,133 · ends 2028
• Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo — Agricultural Development
  Gates Foundation · $19,999,695 · ends 2028
• I-Corps: Translation potential of DNA-free gene editing technology for crop improvement
  NSF · TIP · $50,000 · ends 2027
• Colour and patterns as fundamental and applied training playground for the next generation of leaders in plant breeding and plant research
  EU · MSCA · €3,144,671 · 2027–2031 · TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
• Unlocking the potential of Orphan Crops
  EU · ERC · €1,498,342 · 2027–2032 · INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “crop breeding or plant breeding”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.