Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF)

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is a farmer-funded, farmer-directed non-profit foundation created in 1981 to strengthen agricultural research serving western Canadian grain producers. Built initially from producer funds transferred from the former Prairie Farm Assistance Act and later augmented by check-offs, royalties and third-party revenues, WGRF manages a substantial research fund whose earnings are dedicated to crop research.

WGRF invests in both single-crop and cross-cutting crop research, focusing on variety development and production issues for a wide range of field crops, including wheat, barley, canola, pulses, oilseeds and other cereals. The foundation co-funds research through established, science-based competitive processes in partnership with provincial and federal programs and sectoral funding consortia. It also provides dedicated support for research capacity, such as research chairs and infrastructure, within public institutions.

The foundation’s research priorities are organized around two main streams: variety development (genetics, breeding, pest resistance, quality traits and variety testing) and production systems (cropping systems, soil and water management, crop nutrition, integrated pest management, storage, climate change adaptation and economic analysis). In addition, WGRF has defined cross-cutting priorities that span multiple crops, with key themes such as weed, disease and insect management, plant nutrition, response to weather variability and climate change, and sustainable resource management.

Primary beneficiaries are western Canadian grain farmers, but funding is channelled mainly to public research providers including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, universities and applied research organizations. WGRF also invests in the next generation of scientists through its Graduate Scholarships program, providing annual funding to several universities for master’s and PhD students working in priority research areas.

Rather than running open calls alone, WGRF typically participates in existing competitive programs such as provincial sustainable agriculture and research funding schemes, where proposals are peer reviewed. Projects that align with WGRF’s research priorities and offer significant short- and long-term profitability and sustainability benefits for grain farmers are considered for co-funding. The organization emphasizes collaboration with other funding agencies, producer commodity groups and national research partnerships to leverage resources and coordinate programming.

Since its creation by leaders from 12 farm organizations, more than 145 farmers have served on the WGRF board, ensuring decisions remain grounded in producer needs. The board oversees the Research Fund, sets strategic directions, and monitors performance through regular reporting and external audits. WGRF is a registered charity and manages its funds to meet disbursement quota rules while maintaining a sustainable endowment that can support long-term investments in crop improvement.

Through its combination of targeted research funding, collaboration with other funders and support for graduate training, WGRF plays a central role in advancing profitable and sustainable grain farming across Western Canada.