January 5, 2026
We are excited to announce that the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC) is accepting pre-proposals for new research projects on priority terrestrial invasive species.
University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and many postdocs are eligible to apply for a grant as a principal investigator. Pre-proposals are due April 1, 2026. We anticipate having $3.5 million available for this round of funding. Projects will start January 2027. Proposals must address one or more priority terrestrial invasive species and one or more research themes.
Newly eligible species
In 2026, we added three species to our existing list of prioritized species—one plant, and two plant pathogens. These are now eligible for research funding:
- Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
- Late wilt of maize (Harpophora maydis)
- Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)
Visit our species list to see all species that are eligible for funding, as well as each species’ evaluation.
A note on partners
We strongly encourage collaboration with implementation partners external to the University, including federal and state agencies, Tribal governments, and private industry. These partnerships enrich the research and increase the likelihood that new knowledge and tools will be implemented into practice. We can advise on who the right partners might be for your project.
About MITPPC's grant program
MITPPC administers a competitive grant program supported by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
If you have questions or would like us to review a draft proposal, please reach out to MITPPC director, Rob Venette, [email protected].
To help develop a research idea, review our past and current projects, as well as the academic publications authored by MITPPC researchers.
We look forward to reviewing new proposals!