Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development

Issuing agency

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Department of Agriculture)

Opportunity number

USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596

Funding type

Grant

Funding purpose

Agriculture

Status

Open (posted)

Application deadline

Closes December 31, 2026

Published award range

$10,000 – $650,000

Estimated total program funding

$39,700,000

Expected number of awards

245

Cost sharing or match required

Yes

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

NonprofitsHow we determined this: Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions nonprofits (flagged for review).

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

10.310

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗ · Agency information link ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361169 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 361169 · Funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596

Posted

January 20, 2026 · Source last updated January 22, 2026

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

100% of key fields published by the source

Record confidence

loweligibility described only in free text (in review).

Eligibility details (from the agency)

Eligibility Requirements - Applicants for 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. Eligibility is linked to the project type as specified below.1. Research, Education, or Extension Projects Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:a) State Agricultural Experiment Station;b) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher);c) university research foundations;d) other research institutions and organizations;e) Federal agencies;f) national laboratories;g) private organizations or corporations;h) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents; andi) any group consisting of two or more entities identified in a) through h).Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.2. Integrated ProjectsEligible applicants for Integrated Projects include: a) colleges and universities;b) 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; andc) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (see NIFA’s Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities page).For item a) under Integrated Projects, the terms “college” and “university” mean an educational institution in any state which: a) 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; b) is legally authorized within such state to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; c) provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded; d) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and e) 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.3. Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement GrantsPart II, C.2 contains the eligibility details for Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. Note that under FASE opportunity, only Strengthening Standard, Predoctoral Fellowship Grants, Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Strengthening Workshop are solicited in this NOFO.Applicants must respond to the Program Area Priorities and deadlines found in Part I, C. Grant recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award (see Part III, B).USDA will not accept competitive applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted for due dates after June 20, 2025, and/or research and development (R&D) contract proposals submitted to solicitations issued after June 20, 2025, for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.

Description (from the official listing)

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. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the AFRI’s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support:1. professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals;2. non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth;3. workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges;4. training of undergraduate students in research and extension; 5. fellowships for predoctoral candidates;6. fellowships for postdoctoral scholars; and7. education and workforce development workshop grants.

Agency contact

NIFA Support Email grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m. – 5p.m. ET, except federal holidays
grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov