Contracts and Grants Updates

• USDA NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Program

  Jan 21, 2025

  Dear Colleagues,

  The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) invites applications for the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program for fiscal year (FY) 2025. The long-term purpose of this call is to help transform the U.S. food and agricultural system to increase agricultural production while also reducing its environmental footprint. Applications to the call must focus on systems approaches that significantly improve the supply of climate-smart, sustainable, safe, healthy, and accessible food and other agricultural products while fostering economic revitalization in America.

  Eligibility and program priorities:

  This program support projects that significantly advance foundational and applied sciences for the following USDA priorities: Addressing climate change via climate smart agriculture and forestry | Advancing racial justice, equity, and opportunity | Creating more and better market opportunities | and Tackling food and nutrition insecurity.

  Applications must address one or more of the following long-term goals:

  • Strengthening the Bioeconomy: Foster economic development and prosperity in rural America by developing sustainable and renewablebiobased products and clean energy. Projects should aim to create cost-competitive, sustainablebiobased supply chains and support workforce development in thebioeconomy. Projects supporting this goal must address at least one of the following:
    • Sustainable Bioenergy and Biobased Products
    • Resilience and Robustness of Bioeconomies
    • Regional Resource Hub (RRH) Partnerships
  • Food and Nutrition Security: Enhance resilient local and regional food systems to ensure consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods. Projects should focus on strategies that address social determinants of health, reduce food loss and waste, and mitigate the effects of climate change on food systems. Projects supporting this goal must address at least one of the following:
    • Local and Regional Food Systems
    • Reducing Food Loss and Waste
    • Nutrition Security
  • Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF): Improve the mitigation, adaptation, and resilience of agricultural and forestry systems to climate change. Projects should focus on greenhouse gas reduction, enhancing market opportunities, and developing climate adaptation strategies tailored to regional needs. Projects supporting this goal must address at least one of the following:
    • Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
    • Markets and Socioeconomics
    • Regionally Appropriate Climate Adaptation and Resilience

  Key Details

  • Project Type: Integrated
  • Matching Requirement: 1:1 match required, but can be waivable (See RFA)
  • Letter of Intent Deadline: Thursday, March 27, 2025 by 2pm (requested LOI, not required)
  • Application Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2025 by 2pm
  • Grant Duration: Up to 60 Months
  • Anticipated # of Awards: 8
  • Maximum Award Amount: $10,000,000

  Visit the SAS RFA for more information about this funding opportunity and access to the application materials.

  Thank you,

  Kendra Rose Associate Director, Proposal Development Services

   

• USDA NIFA – 3 New RFA Opportunities: AFRI FAS, CPPM, and FBMB Programs

  Jan 9, 2025

  Dear Colleagues,

  USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released 3 new Requests for Applications.

   

  1) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) - Foundational and Applied Science Program.

  AFRI is USDA'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.

  This funding opportunity focuses on six AFRI priority areas, supporting projects that contribute to innovative solutions and education in agriculture:

  • Plant Health and Production and Plant Products
  • Animal Health and Production and Animal Products
  • Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health
  • Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment
  • Agriculture Systems and Technology
  • Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities

  Please see the AFRI Foundational and Applied Science RFA and specific program for details. Award amounts, application deadlines, and letter of intent requirements varies by the specific priority area and program code you're applying to.

  Key Details

  • Matching Requirement: 1:1 waivable (See RFA)
  • Application Deadline Dates: August 7, 2025, to October 9, 2025. Dates vary by program area priority. Refer to Part I, C of the RFA for details.

   

  2) Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) Program.

  This program addresses critical state, regional, and national integrated pest management (IPM) needs to ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges. The CPPM program supports projects that address these challenges with IPM approaches developed through coordinated state, regional, and national research and extension efforts. The impact of these efforts will be enhanced by the establishment of communication networks and active stakeholder participation in setting priorities.

  Program priorities:

  • Applied Research (single function) Projects: Focus on developing tools and tactics for pest management systems (e.g., biocontrol, cultural or mechanical controls, monitoring methods) and understanding how tactic interactions influence pest management effectiveness.
  • Research-led Projects: Address constraints to adopting IPM strategies, promote interdisciplinary approaches, and develop sustainable tactics for managing invasive pests and emerging issues.
  • Extension-led Projects: Develop extension materials, implement field-scale demonstrations, and deliver IPM outreach and training.

  Key Details

  • Matching Requirement: 1:1 waivable (See RFA)
  • Application Deadline Dates: March 6, 2025
  • Grant Duration: 24–36 months
  • Maximum Award Amount: $325,000

  How to Apply: Visit the CPPM RFA for more information about this funding opportunity and access to the application materials.

    

  3) Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Program.

  This program aims to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers and maintain the publicly available national farm financial management database to support improved farm management.  The FBMB program strongly supports innovative extension approaches and collaborative efforts that address the challenges facing the nation's agriculture and food systems, requiring projects that are timely, strategic, creative, and multi-disciplinary.

  Program objectives and strategies:

  FBMB projects must address at least one of the following objectives:

  • Maintain and expand the national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management knowledge and skills for producers of various crops and livestock across multiple U.S. regions.
  • Establish or expand outreach-based, collaborative farm management educational programs with farm organizations or associations contributing data to FINBIN to improve farm management knowledge and skills.

  FBMB projects must address at least one of the following strategies:

  • Advance data collection and research on financial ratios related to farm production costs, profitability, and the effects of farm policy.
  • Develop or expand cooperation and data sharing among farm management associations and business education programs to structure financial analyses into a uniform system.
  • Provide training, technical assistance, and software to states with farm management associations to standardize financial procedures and software.
  • Improve the profitability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized farms and ranches by providing access to high-quality, uniform farm business management benchmarking information.
  • Enhance producers' abilities to manage agricultural operations through periods of uncertainty, including supply and demand risk, price volatility, and financial stress.

  Key Details

  • Application Deadline: February 20, 2025
  • Grant Duration:
  • Standard Grant: 12-36 months
  • Planning Grant: 12 months
  • Maximum Award Amount:
  • Standard Grant: $450,000
  • Planning Grant: $50,000

  How to Apply: Visit the FBMB RFA for more information about this funding opportunity and access to the application materials.

   

  Thank you,

  Kendra Rose

  Associate Director, Proposal Development Services