AFRI Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting applications for its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development.

Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 08/15/2024

Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million

Grant Duration: 5 Years

Details:

The AFRI is America’s flagship competitive grants program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. In 2024, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the AFRI’s EWD program area 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; and
fellowships for predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars.

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 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 welcome. Through this support, AFRI advances knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. Additionally, AFRI supports work in education and extension activities that deliver science based knowledge to end users, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions.

Priority Areas

Plant health and production and plant products;
Animal health and production and animal products;
Food safety, nutrition, and health;
Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
Agriculture systems and technology; and
Agriculture economics and rural communities.

Funding Information

Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL)

Maximum Award Amount(s): Including indirect costs: $500,000
Grant Duration: 36-48 months

Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT)

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
Maximum Award Amount(s)
- 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
- Each review cycle may award up to two grants, in any project type combination, per lead institution

Food and Agricultural Non-Formal Education (FANE)

Grant Duration: 36-48 months
Maximum Award Amount(s): Including indirect costs: $750,000

Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU)

Grant Duration: 48 or 60 months
Maximum Award Amount(s): Including indirect costs: $600,000 for 48-month REEU projects; $750,000 for 60-month REEU projects

Predoctoral Fellowships

Grant Duration: Up to 36 months
Maximum Award Amount(s): 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.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Grant Duration: Up to 24 months
Maximum Award Amount(s): 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

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 identified in a) through h).
Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations

Integrated Projects
Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include: