Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science (FAS) Program is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s principal competitive grants program for advancing research, education, and extension activities in the food and agricultural sciences. Administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under Assistance Listing 10.310, the AFRI FAS program supports fundamental and applied projects that address pressing challenges affecting plant and animal systems, food safety and nutrition, natural resources, bioenergy, technology, and rural community development. Through a competitive peer review process, AFRI ensures that federal research investments lead to outcomes that strengthen American agriculture and enhance national food security. The AFRI FAS program funds projects in six primary 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; agricultural systems and technology; and agricultural economics and rural communities. A crosscutting area also supports multi-disciplinary and rapid-response projects addressing emerging issues, agricultural biosecurity, and data science. NIFA anticipates approximately $300 million in FY2026 funding for the FAS program, drawing from an overall AFRI appropriation of roughly $407 million. Project types may include research, education, extension, and integrated projects. Grant mechanisms include standard, strengthening, new investigator, seed, equipment, sabbatical, and workshop grants, each varying by scope and duration. Applications are invited from eligible entities such as U.S. colleges and universities, research institutions, non-profits, and other organizations engaged in food and agricultural science. Strengthening institutions, including those eligible under the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), are encouraged to participate. Cost sharing or matching funds are not generally required unless specified by statute or program area. Applicants must follow all requirements detailed in Part IV of the RFA, including submission through Grants.gov and adherence to formatting, mentoring plan, and data management policies. Workshop grant letters of intent are required at least 195 days before the event, and full workshop proposals must be submitted at least 150 days before the event. Letters of intent for other program areas vary according to deadlines listed in Part I, Section C. All proposals are evaluated using NIFA’s peer review process based on scientific merit, relevance to U.S. agriculture, innovation, feasibility, and alignment with AFRI’s priorities. Review panels include scientific experts and producer representatives to ensure that funded projects directly address agricultural needs. Applicants are encouraged to engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters in project design and outreach to ensure practical relevance. Award notifications generally occur within eight months after the submission deadline, with project durations ranging from one to five years. Performance monitoring and annual reporting through NIFA’s REEport system are required. Deadlines for FY2026 vary by program area, ranging from early October to mid-November 2025, with all applications due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the listed dates. Examples include October 2 for the Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems and November 6 for Animal Health program areas. Rapid response and some workshop applications are accepted on a continuous basis. The program operates on an annual cycle, with updated RFAs released each fiscal year. Interested applicants can consult the NIFA AFRI RFA Resources page for additional guidance, templates, and mentoring plan requirements. For program-specific inquiries, applicants may contact the NIFA AFRI team via Policy@usda.gov or the designated program email listed in each priority area.