Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009041
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Education and Workforce Development (EWD) Program is a competitive grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that is centered on building the future talent pipeline for the food and agricultural sciences. The program is designed to strengthen education, training, and career preparation so the United States can develop and retain the next generation of professionals who will work across research, education, and extension. In practical terms, EWD supports projects that expand hands-on learning opportunities, improve teaching and training approaches, and create structured pathways into agricultural and food-system careers, including pathways for students and early-career scientists.
For the referenced FY 2021 program structure, EWD invites applications across seven focus areas that collectively span the full career pipeline and multiple learning environments. These areas include agricultural workforce training (efforts that build job-ready skills aligned with industry, government, and community needs), professional development (training and upskilling for educators and professionals who support workforce development), agricultural literacy (programs that help broader audiences understand agriculture and food systems), training of undergraduate students in research and extension (often emphasizing experiential learning and mentorship), fellowships for predoctoral candidates, fellowships for postdoctoral scholars, and a newer component aimed at food and agricultural non-formal education (education delivered outside traditional degree programs, such as community-based programs, informal learning settings, or outreach models). The FY 2021 lineup also included a one-time program specifically for evaluating NIFA’s agricultural literacy and workforce development portfolio, reflecting an emphasis on measuring outcomes and improving program effectiveness over time. Applicants are directed to the EWD Request for Applications (RFA) for the detailed priorities, required elements, and deadlines that apply to each area.
Eligibility is a key part of this opportunity and is tied directly to the type of project being proposed, so applicants have to match their submission to the correct project category and meet every requirement stated in the RFA by the deadline. For single-function projects (research-only, education-only, or extension-only), eligibility is broad and can include State Agricultural Experiment Stations; colleges and universities (including junior colleges that offer associate degrees or higher); university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations or corporations; and even individuals, as long as they are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents. Collaborative group applications are also allowed, meaning two or more eligible entities can apply together. A notable restriction is that foreign and international organizations are not considered eligible institutions for these awards, even if they may sometimes participate through limited roles.
For Integrated Projects, which combine two or more functions such as research, education, and extension into one coordinated effort, eligibility narrows to specific institution types. Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include colleges and universities (with a specific definition), 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. The RFA’s definition of an eligible college or university for integrated projects emphasizes that the institution must admit students with a secondary school completion credential (or equivalent), be legally authorized to provide education beyond secondary school, offer programs granting at least a bachelor’s degree or higher, operate as a public or nonprofit institution, and be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body. Research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university may also receive an award, which can be helpful for institutions that route sponsored projects through affiliated foundations.
The opportunity also includes Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants, which are a set of mechanisms within AFRI intended to strengthen the capacity of investigators and institutions or to support targeted needs. The RFA notes that multiple FASE grant types are solicited here, including New Investigator, Strengthening Standard, Strengthening Conference, Seed, Equipment, and Sabbatical Grants, with detailed eligibility and requirements provided in the cited section of the RFA. These mechanisms typically serve different strategic purposes, such as helping new researchers establish momentum, supporting capacity-building at strengthening-eligible institutions, enabling conference convenings, funding early-stage proof-of-concept work, acquiring critical equipment, or supporting professional development through sabbaticals.
Operationally, applicants are expected to align proposals to the program area priorities and deadlines listed in the RFA, because those priorities determine what NIFA is trying to fund in a given cycle and how proposals will be reviewed. The notice also clarifies that award recipients may subcontract with organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those partners are necessary to complete the work. At the same time, the eligibility rules are strictly enforced: if an applicant does not meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline, NIFA may exclude the application from consideration or may be legally unable to make an award even if the proposal is reviewed.
From the opportunity listing details, this is a discretionary grant program under CFDA 10.310 (Agriculture), administered by NIFA. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA AFRI 009041, with an original closing date of March 30, 2023. The listing shows an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000, indicating that some project types or tracks under the EWD umbrella can support large, multi-year, multi-partner efforts depending on the specific program area and the rules in the RFA.Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009041
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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