Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program
ID: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011134 • Type: Posted
Opportunity Assistant
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Overview
Category of Funding
Agriculture
Funding Instruments
Grant
Grant Program (CFDA)
Grant Category
Discretionary
Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement
False
Source
On 1/2/25 the National Institute of Food and Agriculture posted grant opportunity USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011134 for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program with funding of $300.0 million.
The grant will be issued under grant program 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
Timing
Posted Date
Jan. 2, 2025, 12:00 a.m. EST
Closing Date
Dec. 31, 2025, 12:00 a.m. EST Due in 119 Days
Last Updated
Jan. 2, 2025, 12:01 p.m. EST
Version
1
Archive Date
Jan. 30, 2026
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Additional Info
A. Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for AFRI must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. 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; and
i) any group consisting of two or more entities identified in a) through h).
Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.
2. Integrated Projects
Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include:
a) colleges and universities;
b) 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and
c) 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 Grants
Part II § C.2 contains the eligibility details for Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. Note that under the FASE program, New Investigator Standard, New Investigator Seed, Strengthening Standard, Strengthening Conference, Strengthening Seed, Equipment and Sabbatical Grants are solicited by specific program area priorities in this RFA. Not all grant types are solicited by every program area priority in this RFA and only grant types specifically solicited by each specific program area priority, as identified in the Program Area Descriptions of Part I § C, will be considered for review.
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).
Award Sizing
Ceiling
$15,000,000
Floor
$1,000
Estimated Program Funding
$300,000,000
Estimated Number of Grants
Not Listed
Contacts
Contact
Joseph Perez
Program Analyst
Contact Email
Email Description
If you have questions about preparing application content, contact grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov
Contact Phone
(202) 445-5402
Additional Information
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science Program