The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is requesting applications for its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants for Education and Workforce Development.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/07/2023
Size of the Grant: $750,000
Grant Duration: 60 months
Details:
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Education and Workforce Development (EWD) focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. In 2023, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the AFRI’s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support:
- professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals;
- non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth;
- workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges;
- training of undergraduate students in research and extension;
- fellowships for predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars.
Purpose
The purpose of AFRI is to support research, education, and extension projects that address key problems of local, regional, national, and global importance in sustaining conventional, organic, urban food, and agricultural and natural systems. These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; bioenergy and bio-based products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition; mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; mitigating food waste and food loss; physical and social sciences; rural human ecology; development of circular/regenerative economies, and genetic improvement of plant and animals. In addition, the economic sustainability of food systems is an overarching priority for the projects funded in response to this Request for Applications (RFA); therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to underserved communities, farmers, ranchers, or small- or medium-sized farms or ranches are also encouraged. Through this support, AFRI advances knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. It also allows AFRI to support education and extension activities that deliver science-based knowledge to end users, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions.
Goals
The AFRI Education and Workforce Development RFA is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Goals:
- Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources, and Communities;
- Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous;
- Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers;
- Strategic Goal 4: Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans;
- Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities;
- Strategic Goal 6: Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated Workforce that’s Proud to Represent USDA.
Program Area Priorities
Applications are solicited in the following six Program Area Priorities:
- Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL)
- Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT)
- Food and Agricultural Non-Formal Education (FANE)
- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU)
- Predoctoral Fellowships
- Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Funding Information
- Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL)
- Including indirect costs: $500,000
- Grant Duration: 36-48 months
- Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT)
- Including indirect costs: $250,000 for Design Project Standard Grants and Strengthening Standard Grants
- Including indirect costs: $650,000 for Implementation Project Standard Grants and Strengthening Standard Grants
- Grant Duration:
- 12-24 months for Design Projects Standard Grants and Strengthening Standard Grants
- 36-48 months for Implementation Projects Standard Grants and Strengthening Standard Grants
- Food and Agricultural Non-Formal Education (FANE)
- Including indirect costs: $750,000
- Grant Duration: 36-48 months
- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU)
- Including indirect costs: $600,000 for 48-month REEU projects; $750,000 for 60-month REEU projects
- Project costs for REEU projects must be predominantly for student support, including items such as participant stipends, housing, meals, travel, and laboratory use fees. Costs in budget categories outside Participant Support must be modest and reasonable (and may include justified support for the coordination of the program).
- Tuition for course credit and promotional items are not allowable costs in this program.
- Each review cycle may award up to two REEU projects per lead institution.
- Grant Duration: 48 or 60 months
- Including indirect costs: $600,000 for 48-month REEU projects; $750,000 for 60-month REEU projects
- Predoctoral Fellowships
- Including institutional allowance: $180,000 total per project and are limited to a total of $60,000 per year for the following:
- Up to $35,000 per year stipend
- Up to $22,000 per year tuition, fees, fringe benefits, supplies, travel, workshops, and publications
- Up to $3,000 per year institutional allowance, in lieu of indirect costs which are not permitted on Predoctoral Fellowship Grants
- With the exception of the stipend, awarded funds in other budget categories may be carried over from one year to other years. The stipend is capped at $35,000 per year and cannot be carried over from year one to the next.
- Grant Duration: Up to 36 months
- Including institutional allowance: $180,000 total per project and are limited to a total of $60,000 per year for the following:
- Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Including institutional allowance: $225,000
- Funds must be requested primarily for salary or stipend and be properly justified
- Other expenditures (e.g., fringe benefits, supplies, travel, workshops, and publications) may not exceed $60,000 per year and must be itemized and properly justified
- Up to $3,000 per year institutional allowance, in lieu of indirect costs which are not permitted on Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants
- Grant Duration: Up to 24 months.
- Including institutional allowance: $225,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is linked to the project type as specified below:
- Research, Education, or Extension Projects
- Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:
- State Agricultural Experiment Station;
- colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher);
- university research foundations;
- other research institutions and organizations;
- Federal agencies;
- national laboratories;
- private organizations or corporations;
- individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents; and
- any group consisting of two or more entities
- Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
