Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program | USDA NIFA AFRI 011134

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 011134

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that funds projects intended to strengthen both basic and applied scientific knowledge that matters to U.S. agriculture and food systems. This program is organized around six AFRI priority areas: 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; and Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities. The overall aim is to move science forward in ways that can translate into real improvements in agricultural productivity, sustainability, resilience, food and nutrition outcomes, and rural prosperity, depending on the topic area selected.

The solicitation supports multiple project formats, which is important because eligibility and expectations can vary by project type. Applicants may propose research-only projects, extension-only projects, or projects that integrate research with education and/or extension. In other words, applicants are not limited to lab or field research alone; the program also supports outreach, knowledge transfer, and workforce or educational components when those are appropriate to the goals of the project. The specific technical priorities, grant types available under each priority, and detailed requirements are laid out in the Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications (RFA), which applicants are expected to follow closely.

Eligibility is a key screening factor, and NIFA makes clear that failing to meet eligibility requirements by the application deadline can lead to an application being excluded from consideration or prevent NIFA from making an award. For single-function projects (research, education, or extension), eligible applicants include State Agricultural Experiment Stations; colleges and universities (including junior colleges that offer associate degrees or higher); university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations or corporations; and individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Partnerships are also allowed, and a group consisting of two or more eligible entities may apply together. However, foreign and international organizations are not considered eligible institutions under this program.

For integrated projects (those combining research with education and/or extension), the eligible applicant pool is narrower. Eligible applicants include colleges and universities, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. The RFA also defines what qualifies as a college or university for integrated project eligibility: it must be an educational institution in a U.S. state that admits students with a high school diploma or equivalent, is legally authorized to provide postsecondary education, offers programs awarding a bachelors degree or higher, is public or otherwise nonprofit, and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body. A research foundation maintained by a college or university is also eligible to receive an award under the program, which can matter for institutions that route sponsored funding through affiliated foundations.

The opportunity also references Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants, which are special AFRI mechanisms intended to support new investigators and strengthen research capacity, among other goals. The RFA indicates that several FASE grant types may be solicited depending on the specific program area priority, including New Investigator Standard and Seed grants; Strengthening Standard, Seed, and Workshop grants; as well as Equipment and Sabbatical grants. A practical detail here is that not every program area priority offers every FASE grant type, and only the grant types explicitly solicited under a given priority area will be accepted for review. Applicants interested in FASE options need to confirm availability in the Program Area Descriptions section of the RFA.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is listed as USDA NIFA AFRI 011134 under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 10.310, with an original closing date of 2026-12-31 and an award ceiling listed as up to $10,000,000. Because AFRI is a competitive program and requirements can be priority-specific, applicants typically need to align their proposal tightly to the chosen priority area, select the correct project type (research, extension, or integrated), and verify that both the applicant organization and the proposed grant mechanism are eligible under that priority. NIFA also points new applicants to its "About Grants" resources to help navigate federal funding processes and compliance expectations.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program" 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 2025-08-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-12-31. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 011134

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