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:
- colleges and universities;
- 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and
- Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
Deadlines
- Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy: September 12, 2024
- Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges: September 19, 2024
- Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education: December 5, 2024
- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates: August 15, 2024
- Predoctoral Fellowships: October 24, 2024
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: September 5, 2024
For more information, visit Grants.gov.