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A grant from USDA-NIFA

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development

USDA-NIFA’s AFRI Education and Workforce Development opportunity supports projects that develop the next generation of food and agricultural research, education, and extension professionals. Listed activities include K-14 educator professional development, youth non-formal education, workforce training at community/junior/technical colleges, undergraduate research and extension training, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, and workshops. Applicant eligibility depends on the selected project type, and applicants must respond to program-area priorities and deadlines in the NOFO. Formal review criteria are not included in the supplied evidence, so any assessment of reviewer priorities remains inferred.

Start here · Eligibility

Check whether your organization qualifies

Answer 5 focused questions in about 60 seconds before investing time in the application.

Take Eligibility Quiz
1 source-confirmed criterion · No signupReview criteria

Potential award

$10,000–$650,000

Time remaining

131 days

Application load

High effort

Best next move

Take the eligibility quiz

Apply

Verified against the source on 8/22/2026

01

Start here

Confirm eligibility

Check your fit in about 60 seconds.

Eligibility requirementsQuestion 1 of 5
About 60 seconds totalInferred criterion

Does your proposed work directly align with Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Workforce Development, Youth Development, Community Development, Research?

What does this mean?

Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Workforce Development, Youth Development, Community Development, Research

Review supporting source ↗
Does your proposed work directly align with Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Workforce Development, Youth Development, Community Development, Research?
Select an answer to continue

No signup · Answers stay in this browser session

This is an explainable self-assessment, not a win probability or legal determination. Hard eligibility conflicts are never averaged against softer program-fit signals. Always verify the official notice.

Optional Review source criteria and citations

Nonprofit status

Confirm nonprofit eligibility in the full notice.

Review source ↗
unclear

Geography

Nationwide availability is inferred from the catalog record; confirm the official notice.

Review source ↗
inferred

Organization size

No organization-size limit was captured.

Review source ↗
unclear

Program area

Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Workforce Development, Youth Development, Community Development, Research

Review source ↗
inferred

Population served

No specific population was captured.

Review source ↗
unclear

Matching funds

Matching or cost-share funding is required.

Review source ↗
confirmed

Registrations

SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration may be required; confirm in the notice.

Review source ↗
inferred

Exclusions

Review the full notice for exclusions and prohibited uses.

Review source ↗
unclear
02

Grant-writer assessment

Understand the opportunity

Start with the practical interpretation. Open the complete source narrative when you need the underlying detail.

Plain-English explanation

Plain-English explanation

USDA-NIFA’s AFRI Education and Workforce Development opportunity supports projects that develop the next generation of food and agricultural research, education, and extension professionals. Listed activities include K-14 educator professional development, youth non-formal education, workforce training at community/junior/technical colleges, undergraduate research and extension training, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, and workshops. Applicant eligibility depends on the selected project type, and applicants must respond to program-area priorities and deadlines in the NOFO. Formal review criteria are not included in the supplied evidence, so any assessment of reviewer priorities remains inferred.

Editorial analysis

What the funder is trying to accomplish

USDA-NIFA seeks to support education and workforce development in the food and agricultural sciences through K-14 educator professional development, youth non-formal education, community/junior/technical college workforce training, undergraduate research and extension training, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, and education and workforce-development workshops.

Editorial analysis

Strong-fit project signals

The project clearly addresses development of the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The proposed work fits a listed EWD activity, such as K-14 educational-professional development, youth non-formal education, community/junior/technical college workforce training, undergraduate research or extension training, fellowships, or workshops. The applicant can establish eligibility for the selected project type and responds to the applicable program-area priorities and deadlines. The applicant has a plan to meet the reported cost-share requirement and can develop a request consistent with the reported $10,000 award floor and $650,000 award ceiling, subject to verification in the NOFO.

Editorial analysis

What reviewers may prioritize

The supplied evidence does not state formal review criteria or scoring weights. It is reasonable to infer that a competitive application should make its EWD activity, food-and-agricultural-science connection, participant-development purpose, and eligibility under the chosen project type easy to verify. These are alignment considerations inferred from the program description and requirements, not confirmed review standards.

Source dossier Read the full official program description
Source-backed synopsis

What this grant funds

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.

Read the complete official description ↗
03

Decision economics

Size the opportunity

Use the source facts below to judge whether the likely return justifies the application effort.

Award range
$10,000–$650,000
Total program funding
$39,700,000
Expected awards
245
Geography
National
Cost share
Required
Assistance listing
Not specified

Mission alignment

Compare your program with Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development.

Geographic fit

National

04

Working plan

Build the application

The generated milestones are planning aids. Only the official notice establishes required dates.

Requirements captured

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. 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 permanent residents; andi) any group consisting of two or more entities identified in a) through h).Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.2. Integrated ProjectsEligible applicants for Integrated Projects include: a) colleges and universities;b) 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; andc) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (see NIFA’s Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities page).For item a) under Integrated Projects, the terms “college” and “university” mean an educational institution in any state which: a) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; b) is legally authorized within such state to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; c) provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded; d) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and e) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association. A research foundation maintained by a college or university is eligible to receive an award under this program.3. Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement GrantsPart II, C.2 contains the eligibility details for Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. Note that under FASE opportunity, only Strengthening Standard, Predoctoral Fellowship Grants, Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants, and Strengthening Workshop are solicited in this NOFO.Applicants must respond to the Program Area Priorities and deadlines found in Part I, C. Grant recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award (see Part III, B).USDA will not accept competitive applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted for due dates after June 20, 2025, and/or research and development (R&D) contract proposals submitted to solicitations issued after June 20, 2025, for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.
Submission system
Grants.gov
Attachments
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development, FY2026 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development - NOFO
Contact
Joseph Perez Program Analyst · grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov · 202-445-5402

Official deadline

December 31, 2026

High effort based on requirements currently captured.

  1. Confirm eligibility, registrations, partners, and internal approval.

  2. Finalize project design, outcomes, and supporting evidence.

  3. Draft the narrative and detailed budget.

  4. Complete compliance review and collect attachments.

  5. Submit early and preserve the confirmation receipt.

05Past behaviorCompare historical awardsHistorical patterns provide context, but do not predict or guarantee future funding decisions.
No licensed historical awards are currently linked to this opportunity.
06Audit trailVerify the evidenceSee where the facts came from, when they were checked, and what has materially changed.

Source record

Source verified means the official record was successfully checked. It does not mean every eligibility or application field has been extracted.

Verification
verified
Source
grants gov
Last checked
8/22/2026, 8:50:41 AM
Content updated
8/12/2026, 1:46:05 AM
Review
Automated normalization; not yet expert-reviewed
Open official source ↗

Material changes

  1. Updated categories.

  2. Updated categories.

  3. Updated amount max, amount min, application details, categories, cost share required, description, eligibility, eligibility details, expected awards, important dates, requirements, source citations, total funding.

  4. Updated tracking started.

Verify before applying. Official funder documents control. Derived analysis and preparation dates should not replace the notice.
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Quick answersFrequently asked questionsGet concise answers about Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development.
Is Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development currently open?

Yes, based on the latest source record. The deadline is December 31, 2026, with 131 days remaining. Because funders can amend or extend notices, confirm the date and submission instructions on the official application page. The source was last checked 8/22/2026.

How much funding does Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development provide?

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development lists $10,000–$650,000 per award. The total program funding recorded is $39,700,000. USDA-NIFA expects to make approximately 245 awards, although the final number may vary.

Who can apply to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development?

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) Applicants should still complete the eligibility quiz and verify every condition in the official notice; a general fit does not override exclusions or registration requirements.

Does Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development require matching funds?

Yes. A cost-share or matching requirement is recorded for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development. Confirm the required percentage, eligible contribution types, documentation, and whether the commitment must be secured at submission—the current summary should not replace the official budget rules.

What should I prepare before applying to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development?

High effort is expected. The captured requirements include other requirements, submission system, attachments, contact. Start by confirming eligibility and registrations, then work backward from December 31, 2026 using the preparation plan above.