The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting applications for its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Strengthening Agricultural Systems.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/26/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 5 Years
Details:
Section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (hereafter referred to as the Act) (7 U.S.C. 3157), as amended, authorizes the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), a competitive grant program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension to address food and agricultural sciences in the following six 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.
The purpose of AFRI is to invest in research, education, and extension projects that will help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other agricultural producers address key problems of local, regional, and national importance in sustaining food and agricultural systems. These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; domestic biofuels and bio based products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition; mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; physical and social sciences; prevention of agricultural pests and diseases; and genetic improvement of plants and animals. In addition, the economic sustainability of food systems is an overarching priority for the projects funded in response to this NOFO; therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to 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. The AFRI SAS NOFO provides funding for fully integrated extension, education, and research projects through a CAP grant type. CAP grants support large-scale projects and coordinate activities among academic, government, state, regional, nongovernmental, and private sector institutions. The long-term goal of the SAS program is to transform the U.S. food and agricultural systems by increasing agricultural production and optimizing its financial and human capital gains. Achieving this goal requires systems and transdisciplinary approaches to address current and future challenges in food and agriculture.
Funding Information
- The amount available for the AFRI SAS NOFO is approximately $140,000,000
- Minimum Award Amount: $1,000,000
- Maximum Award Amount: $2,000,000
Grant Duration
Up to 60 Months.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for the AFRI must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
- Integrated Projects
- Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include:
- Colleges and universities;
- 1994 Land-grant Institutions; and
- Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
- Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include:
- For item a) under Integrated Projects, the terms “college” and “university” means an educational institution in any state which
- admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;
- is legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;
- provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded;
- is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
- is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.
- A research foundation maintained by a college or university is eligible to receive an award under this program.
- Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement Grants Part II § C.2 of this NOFO contains the eligibility details for FASE Grants. Note that under FASE program, Strengthening Coordinated Agricultural Project Grants are solicited in this NOFO.
For more information, visit Gants.gov.
