Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 007692
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) - Foundational and Applied Science opportunity is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is designed to fund both fundamental and applied work that strengthens U.S. agriculture and the broader food system, supporting projects that generate new knowledge as well as projects that translate that knowledge into practical outcomes. This opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA AFRI 007692 and is associated with CFDA 10.310.
The program is organized around six AFRI priority areas, which collectively cover the major scientific and societal challenges tied to agriculture, food, and rural communities. These areas include: (1) Plant Health and Production and Plant Products, focusing on issues like crop resilience, productivity, pests, diseases, and crop product quality; (2) Animal Health and Production and Animal Products, supporting work to improve animal wellbeing, disease prevention, production efficiency, and animal-derived products; (3) Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health, covering topics that help prevent foodborne illness, improve dietary quality, and strengthen the connection between food systems and public health; (4) Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment, emphasizing sustainable resource management, environmental outcomes, and renewable energy approaches linked to agriculture; (5) Agriculture Systems and Technology, aimed at innovation in agricultural systems, engineering, precision agriculture, data-driven tools, and technology adoption; and (6) Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities, which supports research and outreach on farm and market economics, rural development, community resilience, and the human dimensions of agricultural change.
A key feature of this funding opportunity is the range of project types it invites. Applicants may propose research-only projects, extension-only projects, or integrated projects that combine research with education and/or extension. In practice, that means proposals can focus purely on generating new scientific insights, purely on delivering training and outreach to producers and communities, or on an end-to-end model where research results are built alongside education and extension activities so they can be implemented and evaluated in real-world settings. The detailed expectations for each priority area, including topic-specific requirements and any special instructions, are contained in the official Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications (RFA), which applicants are expected to consult for the most precise guidance.
From a funding standpoint, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $15,000,000, indicating that some projects or award types can be quite large depending on the program area and structure described in the RFA. The opportunity also anticipates a high volume of awards, with an estimate of 500 expected awards, reflecting the broad scope of AFRI and the many sub-programs and topic areas it supports. The posting shows a creation date of July 17, 2020, and an original closing date of July 29, 2021, which situates this specific listing in that application cycle.
Eligibility is indicated as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," meaning eligibility is not fully defined in the short summary and must be confirmed in the official RFA language. In many NIFA programs, eligibility can vary by program area and may include institutions of higher education, non-profits, for-profits, government entities, and other organizations, but the definitive answer for this opportunity depends on the RFA details for the specific sub-program being targeted.
Overall, this AFRI Foundational and Applied Science opportunity is essentially a wide umbrella grant competition meant to drive innovation across the full agricultural pipeline, from basic discovery to applied solutions and outreach, with topic areas spanning crops, livestock, food safety and nutrition, natural resources and climate-related concerns, technology and systems engineering, and the economic and community conditions that shape agriculture and rural life.Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 007692
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science" 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 Jul 17, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2021. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 500 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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AFRI Foundational and Applied Science (USDA NIFA) - FAQs
What is this grant opportunity?
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) - Foundational and Applied Science opportunity is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It supports both foundational (fundamental) and applied work to strengthen U.S. agriculture and the broader food system, including projects that generate new knowledge and projects that translate knowledge into practical outcomes.
What is the official funding opportunity number and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NIFA AFRI 007692, and it is associated with CFDA 10.310.
What is the main purpose of AFRI Foundational and Applied Science funding?
The main purpose is to fund science and related activities that address major challenges in agriculture, food, and rural communities. This includes supporting discovery-oriented work as well as efforts that move research into real-world use through education and/or extension.
What are the AFRI priority areas covered by this opportunity?
The program is organized around six AFRI priority areas:
- Plant Health and Production and Plant Products (crop resilience, productivity, pests and diseases, quality of crop products)
- Animal Health and Production and Animal Products (animal wellbeing, disease prevention, production efficiency, animal-derived products)
- Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health (foodborne illness prevention, dietary quality, links between food systems and public health)
- Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment (sustainable resource management, environmental outcomes, renewable energy approaches tied to agriculture)
- Agriculture Systems and Technology (engineering, precision agriculture, data-driven tools, technology adoption, system innovation)
- Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities (farm and market economics, rural development, community resilience, human dimensions of agricultural change)
Does the program support basic research, applied research, or both?
Both. The opportunity is explicitly intended to fund fundamental work that generates new knowledge as well as applied work that turns that knowledge into practical outcomes for agriculture and the food system.
What types of projects can applicants propose?
Applicants may propose:
- Research-only projects focused on generating new scientific insights
- Extension-only projects focused on delivering training, outreach, and implementation support to producers and communities
- Integrated projects that combine research with education and/or extension, often designed to build results alongside education/outreach so the work can be implemented and evaluated in real-world settings
What does an "integrated project" mean in this program?
An integrated project combines research with education and/or extension. In practice, it can be an end-to-end approach where research is developed while education and extension activities help move outcomes into use, with implementation and evaluation occurring in real-world contexts.
Where are the detailed topic requirements and special instructions located?
The detailed expectations for each priority area, including topic-specific requirements and any special instructions, are contained in the official Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications (RFA). Applicants are expected to consult the RFA for the most precise guidance.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $15,000,000, indicating that some projects or award types can be quite large depending on the program area and structure described in the RFA.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The opportunity estimates approximately 500 expected awards, reflecting the broad scope of AFRI and the many sub-programs and topic areas it supports.
When was this opportunity posted and what was the closing date for this listing?
The posting shows a creation date of July 17, 2020, and an original closing date of July 29, 2021. This situates the listing in that application cycle.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is indicated as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which means eligibility is not fully defined in the short summary. The definitive eligibility requirements must be confirmed in the official RFA language for the specific sub-program or topic area being targeted.
Does eligibility vary by program area or sub-program?
Yes. The summary indicates that eligibility is not fully defined in the listing and must be confirmed in the RFA. It also notes that, in many NIFA programs, eligibility can vary by program area, so applicants should rely on the RFA details for the specific area they plan to pursue.
What kinds of topics fit under Plant Health and Production and Plant Products?
This priority area focuses on issues such as crop resilience, productivity, pests, diseases, and the quality of crop products.
What kinds of topics fit under Animal Health and Production and Animal Products?
This priority area supports work to improve animal wellbeing, prevent disease, increase production efficiency, and improve animal-derived products.
What kinds of topics fit under Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health?
This priority area covers topics intended to prevent foodborne illness, improve dietary quality, and strengthen the connection between food systems and public health.
What kinds of topics fit under Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment?
This priority area emphasizes sustainable resource management, improved environmental outcomes, and renewable energy approaches linked to agriculture.
What kinds of topics fit under Agriculture Systems and Technology?
This priority area is aimed at innovation in agricultural systems and technology, including engineering, precision agriculture, data-driven tools, and technology adoption.
What kinds of topics fit under Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities?
This priority area supports research and outreach related to farm and market economics, rural development, community resilience, and the human dimensions of agricultural change.
Is this opportunity limited to research, or does it also support outreach and training?
It supports more than research. The opportunity explicitly allows extension-only projects and integrated projects that include education and/or extension, which can involve outreach, training, and implementation activities.
How should applicants choose the right program area within this opportunity?
This opportunity functions as a broad umbrella covering many topic areas. Applicants typically align their proposal with one of the six AFRI priority areas and then follow the detailed topic requirements and any special instructions laid out in the official Foundational and Applied Science RFA.
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