Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development
Funding Amount
$10,000 - $650,000
Deadline
December 31, 2026
71 days left
Number of Awards
245
Grant Type
Federal
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round
- Current deadline
- December 31, 2026
- Tracked since
- April 2026
From the program guidelines: “Year-round Workshop Grant applications are accepted after submission of a Letter of”
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Eligible organizations
- Research, Education, or Extension Projects Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:a) State Agricultural Experiment Station;b) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher);c) university research…
Geography
- Located in an EPSCoR
Other requirements
- Eligibility Requirements - Applicants for AFRI must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO.
- Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award.
- For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
- Eligibility is linked to the project type as specified below.1.
Not eligible / not funded
- Not eligible: this NOFO (excluding workshop grants) for projects that involve any type of education,
- Not eligible: A MentP is now required for all AFRI grant applications (excluding workshop grants) for
- Not eligible: remission costs are not allowed.
- Not eligible: towards these degrees are not supported under this Program Area Priority.
- Not eligible: Nor require student
- Not eligible: not supported under this Program Area Priority).
- Not eligible: tuition remission costs are not allowed.
- Not eligible: Workshop grants with the sole purpose of supporting travel and
- Not eligible: Grant recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such
- Not eligible: Competitive applications for grants
- Not eligible: Cooperative agreements submitted
- Not eligible: applications is not allowed.
Overview
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development (EWD) focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the AFRI’s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support: 1. professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals; 2. non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth; 3. workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges; 4. training of undergraduate students in research and extension; 5. fellowships for predoctoral candidates; 6. fellowships for postdoctoral scholars; and 7. education and workforce development workshop grants.
Details
- Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Department: Department of Agriculture
- Opportunity #: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596
- Total Funding: $39,700,000
- Expected Awards: 245
- Instrument: grant
- Cost Sharing: Required
Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements - Applicants for AFRI must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process. Eligibility is linked to the project type as specified below.1. Research, Education, or Extension Projects Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:a) State Agricultural Experiment Station;b) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher);c) university research foundations;d) other research institutions and organizations;e) Federal agencies;f) national laboratories;g) private organizations or corporations;h) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or perman
How to Apply
FY2026 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development - NOFO
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
Competitive Grants Program
Education and Workforce Development
FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2026
LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE: Varies by Program Area Priority (see Part I, C)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Varies by Program Area Priority (see Part I, C)
ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: $39,700,000
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596
ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.310
---
ANNOUNCEMENT
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
Assistance Listing Number: The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Education
and Workforce Development (EWD) is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.310.
Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines
Task Description Deadline
Application: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, on the DATE 2026 deadline dates
indicated in Part I, C
Letter of Intent: Only required for A7001, 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, on the LOI
deadline dates indicated in Part I § C.7
Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice
(NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)
Table 2: Program Area Priorities and Deadlines
Program Area Priority 2026 Review Cycle Deadlines1
- Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy Thursday, March 19, 2026
(A7501)
- Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Thursday, March 19, 2026
Colleges (A7601)
- Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education (A7801) Thursday, March 19, 2026
- Research and Extension Experiences for Thursday, March 19, 2026
Undergraduates (A7401)
- Predoctoral Fellowships (A7101) Thursday, April 16, 2026
6.
Excerpt from the funding announcement. Read the full announcement.
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Agriculture
- Education
- Workforce development
Categories
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