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

National Institute of Food and Agriculture · Opportunity USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596

Deadline December 31, 2026 113 days left
Award range $10k – $650k
Total program funding $39.7M

≈ 245 awards expected

PostedJanuary 20, 2026

Who can apply

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 institutio

About this opportunity

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.

Portfolio context — this listing covers more than this opportunity

This opportunity is funded under Assistance Listing 10.310 (“Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)”), a broad federal program that made about 821 new awards per year over the last five fiscal years (median award $300k). Those figures describe that whole portfolio — not this specific solicitation, so we don't show them as if they were this opportunity's track record.

Applicant counts per solicitation are not published by any federal agency — no one can honestly sell you that number. USDA NIFA publishes AFRI application and award counts in its annual review — source.

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