Dear Colleagues,
USDA NIFA is soliciting proposals for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program - Foundational and Applied Science Program.
AFRI is America's flagship competitive grants program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. The purpose of this program is to support research, education, and extension projects that address key problems of local, regional, national, and global importance in sustaining conventional, organic, urban food, and agricultural and natural systems. The goal of this program is to invest in agricultural production research, education, and extension projects for more sustainable, productive, and economically-viable plant and animal production systems.
There are six AFRI priority areas which will be funded through the Foundational and Applied Science Program for 2024. In 2024, the priority areas for AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program are:
- Plant health and production and plant products (PHPP);
- Animal health and production and animal products (AHAP);
- Food safety, nutrition, and health (FSNH);
- Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment (BNRE);
- Agriculture systems and technology (AST);
- Agriculture economics and rural communities (AERC)
The amount of funding available varies depending on the priority area and sub area. Please see the RFA for specific details https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/FY24-AFRI-FAS-RFA-P_0.pdf.
The deadlines under this RFA are summarized as follows:
Plant health and production and plant products (PHPP)
PHPPP a. Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems
Deadline: September 12, 2024
PHPPP b. Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products
Deadline: August 15, 2024
PHPPP c. Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems
Deadline: September 19, 2024
PHPPP d. Physiology of Agricultural Plants
Deadline: August 22, 2024
PHPPP e. Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production
Deadline: October 10, 2024
PHPPP f. Pollinator Health: Research and Application
Deadline: August 22, 2024
PHPPP g. Conventional Plant Breeding for Cultivar Development
Deadline: October 10, 2024
Animal health and production and animal products (AHAP)
AHPAP a. Animal Reproduction
Deadline: August 8, 2024
AHPAP b. Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation
Deadline: August 8, 2024
AHPAP c. Welfare of Agricultural Animals
Deadline: August 8, 2024
AHPAP d. Diseases of Agricultural Animals
Deadline: August 8, 2024
AHPAP e. Animal Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics
Deadline: August 8, 2024
Food safety, nutrition, and health (FSNH)
FSNH a. Food Safety and Defense
Deadline: August 22, 2024
FSNH b. Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies
Deadline: September 26, 2024
FSNH 3c. Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases
Deadline: August 22, 2024
FSNH d. Food and Human Health
Deadline: August 8, 2024
FSNH e. Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Food Chain
Deadline: September 19, 2024
Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment (BNRE)
BNRE a. Soil Health
Deadline: September 12, 2024
BNRE b. Water Quantity and Quality
Deadline: September 5, 2024
BNRE c. Sustainable Bioeconomy through Biobased Products
Deadline: September 5, 2024
BNRE d. Sustainable Agroecosystems
Deadline: September 12, 2024
BNRE e. Environmental Justice
Deadline: September 12, 2024
Agriculture systems and technology (AST)
AST a. Engineering for Agricultural Production and Processing
Deadline: October 3, 2024
AST b. Biorefining and Biomanufacturing
Deadline: October 3, 2024
AST c. Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems
Deadline: September 19, 2024
AST d. Engineering for Precision Crop and Water Management
Deadline: October 10, 2024
Agriculture economics and rural communities (AERC)
AERC a. Small and Medium-Sized Farms
Deadline: August 15, 2024
AERC b. Economics, Markets and Trade
Deadline: October 3, 2024
AERC c. Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies
Deadline: October 31, 2024
AERC d. Rural Economic Development
Deadline: September 12, 2024
AERC e. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Deadline: September 12, 2024
Crosscutting Programs
Crosscutting a. Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources
Deadline: October 3, 2024
Crosscutting b. Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE)
Deadline: September 12, 2024
Crosscutting c. Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS)
Deadline: November 14, 2024
Crosscutting d. Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS)
Deadline: October 3, 2024
Crosscutting e. Agricultural Biosecurity
Deadline: August 8, 2024
Crosscutting f. Extension, Education & USDA Climate Hubs Partnership
Deadline: September 5, 2024
Crosscutting g. AFRI Commodity Board Co-funding Topics
Deadline: August 1, 2024
Crosscutting h. Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
Deadline: Accepted on a continuous basis
* PHPPP=Plant Health and Production and Plant Products, AHPAP=Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; FSNH=Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; BNRE=Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment; AST=Agriculture Systems and Technology; AERC=Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities; Crosscutting=Crosscutting Programs
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)