The Center for Plant Excellence grant program focuses on the most pressing needs facing Pennsylvania's plant industries.
CPE awards competitive grants to support research, workforce development, and career training across the commonwealth. In its inaugural grant cycle, CPE funded 27 projects spanning more than 20 counties statewide. Funded projects have addressed plant health and disease diagnostics, workforce pipelines and career training, business resilience and innovation, and expanding the visibility of plant industry careers. Specific funding priorities are reviewed by CPE's Board of Directors each grant cycle and will be outlined in the Request for Proposals.
Inaugural Grants
CPE's first grant cycle is complete. View the full list of funded projects.
2026-2027 Grants
CPE's next Request for Proposals is expected in August 2026. To be notified when the application opens, contact Miranda Harple at mharple@psu.edu.
The Center for Plant Excellence awards competitive grants to researchers, educators, and industry organizations working to strengthen Pennsylvania's plant industries.
Current CPE grantees are required to submit progress reports and a final report as a condition of their grant. Reporting requirements differ by track. All final reports are made available to the CPE Board and information from these reports may be shared publicly or reported back to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
