Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Strengthening Agricultural Systems

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Strengthening Agricultural Systems (AFRI SAS) program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a discretionary federal grant opportunity designed to support transdisciplinary research, education, and extension projects that aim to transform the U.S. food and agricultural system. The long-term objective of the AFRI SAS program is to increase agricultural productivity and farmer prosperity while addressing pressing challenges across the food supply chain. The program emphasizes inclusive innovation, stakeholder engagement, and systems-based approaches that balance economic viability, environmental sustainability, and quality of life for farmers and rural communities. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlines the AFRI SAS program’s priorities for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. With an estimated total program funding of $140 million and individual awards ranging from $1 million to $10 million, the program will support large-scale Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) and Strengthening CAP grants. Projects must integrate all three core functions of the agricultural knowledge system: research, education, and extension. They must also align with at least one of the following sub-priorities: developing new uses and expanding markets for agriculture and forestry products, addressing pests and diseases affecting plants or animals, or combating food and diet-related chronic diseases. An additional focus area is the integration of artificial intelligence in K–12 agricultural education, though that is covered under a separate program code. Eligible applicants for integrated projects include public or nonprofit colleges and universities, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. Research foundations affiliated with eligible institutions may also apply. Institutions seeking Strengthening CAP grants must meet additional criteria, often based on EPSCoR designation or limited institutional research capacity. While institutions are the primary applicants, they may subcontract with other entities necessary for project execution. Cost-sharing is required for commodity-specific applied research that is not national in scope, with a 1:1 match of federal funds from non-federal sources either in cash or in-kind. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. A Letter of Intent, while optional, is strongly encouraged and must be submitted by February 26, 2026. Full applications are due by either March 26, 2026 (for Strengthening Agricultural Systems projects) or April 23, 2026 (for AI in K–12 Agricultural Sciences). Applicants must include a project narrative, logic model, data management plan, mentoring plan (if applicable), management plan, and other supporting documents such as CVs, budgets, and reference lists. Submissions that fail to include critical components like the project narrative or bibliography will not be reviewed. Applications will be evaluated through a rigorous peer review process. Review criteria emphasize project relevance, integration of research, education, and extension, and potential to generate measurable outcomes and long-term impact. High-ranking applications may be designated as Centers of Excellence, which may be used as a tiebreaker during funding decisions. Funded projects may last up to 60 months and are expected to begin no later than September 30, 2026. Awardees must participate in annual PD meetings and adhere to reporting and data-sharing requirements. This program is recurring and operates on an annual cycle. For the 2026 competition, all applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on their respective deadlines. Notifications of award status are generally provided within several months of submission. For technical and content-related questions, applicants may contact [email protected] or [email protected]. More information can be found in the full NOFO available through official USDA channels.

Design projects with all three components (research, education, extension); include advisory board and evaluator; stakeholder engagement is critical from inception; use systems and transdisciplinary approaches; metrics must show long-term impact.