GIGrant Intelligence
Grant directories
Openfederal funding•Federal coverage•Tier 2 intelligence

A grant from USDA-NIFA

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

USDA-NIFA’s AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports fundamental and applied agriculture-related work across six named priority areas, with research, education, extension, and integrated project pathways described in the notice. Fit depends first on selecting the applicable program-area description and project type, then confirming applicant eligibility and any FASE mechanism availability in the FY2026 RFA. The packet does not supply formal review criteria, scoring, or full RFA instructions, so competitiveness and detailed application demands cannot be determined from this evidence alone.

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–$10,000,000

Time remaining

131 days

Application load

Moderate effort

Best next move

Take the eligibility quiz

Apply

Verified against the source on 8/21/2026

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, Health, Environment, Research?

What does this mean?

Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Health, Environment, Research

Review supporting source ↗
Does your proposed work directly align with Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Education, Health, Environment, 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, Health, Environment, Research

Review source ↗
inferred

Population served

No specific population was captured.

Review source ↗
unclear

Matching funds

No cost share is indicated.

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 Foundational and Applied Science Program supports fundamental and applied agriculture-related work across six named priority areas, with research, education, extension, and integrated project pathways described in the notice. Fit depends first on selecting the applicable program-area description and project type, then confirming applicant eligibility and any FASE mechanism availability in the FY2026 RFA. The packet does not supply formal review criteria, scoring, or full RFA instructions, so competitiveness and detailed application demands cannot be determined from this evidence alone.

Editorial analysis

What the funder is trying to accomplish

USDA-NIFA intends to advance knowledge in fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture through projects within six AFRI priority areas. The notice solicits research-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education, and/or extension projects.

Editorial analysis

Strong-fit project signals

The proposal explicitly maps its work to one named AFRI priority area and explains how it advances fundamental or applied knowledge important to agriculture. The applicant’s institutional or individual status satisfies the eligibility rules applicable to the chosen project type. For an integrated proposal, the applicant is an eligible college or university, 1994 Land-Grant Institution, Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university, or an eligible research foundation maintained by a college or university. If using FASE, the applicant has verified that its particular FASE grant type is solicited by the selected program-area priority.

Editorial analysis

What reviewers may prioritize

The supplied packet provides no formal review criteria, scoring weights, or reviewer instructions. As an inferred preparation focus, make the selected priority-area fit, agriculture relevance, project type, eligibility basis, and RFA compliance easy to verify; these are all explicit structural features of the notice rather than documented scoring factors.

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

What this grant funds

The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are: 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. Research-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education and/or extension projects are solicited in this Request for Applications (RFA). See Foundational and Applied Science RFA for specific detail.

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–$10,000,000
Total program funding
$300,000,000
Expected awards
Not specified
Geography
National
Cost share
Not indicated
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 RFA. 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; and i) any group consisting of two or more entities identified in a) through h). Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations. 2. Integrated Projects Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include: a) colleges and universities; b) 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and c) 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 Grants Part II § C.2 contains the eligibility details for Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. Note that under the FASE program, New Investigator Standard, New Investigator Seed, Strengthening Standard, Strengthening Workshop, Strengthening Seed, Equipment and Sabbatical Grants are solicited by specific program area priorities in this RFA. Not all grant types are solicited by every program area priority in this RFA and only grant types specifically solicited by each specific program area priority, as identified in the Program Area Descriptions of Part I § C, will be considered for review.
Submission system
Grants.gov
Attachments
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science Program, FY2026 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program - RFA-MOD1
Contact
Joseph Perez Program Analyst · grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov · 202-445-5402

Official deadline

December 31, 2026

Moderate 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
8/21/2026, 9:02:01 AM
Content updated
8/12/2026, 1:46:02 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, 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.
Browse the directory

Explore related funding collections

This grant appears in these evidence-backed collections based on its geography, program focus, and supported uses.

California grants →Hawaii grants →Alaska grants →Arizona grants →Utah grants →Colorado grants →
Keep searchingSimilar and alternative grantsExplore verified opportunities related by program area, funder, or funding type.

HHS-NIH11

Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Related by Health and Research.

View grant →

HHS-NIH11

Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program: Phase 2

Related by Health.

View grant →

HHS-NIH11

Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)

Related by Health and Research.

View grant →

HHS-NIH11

Research on System Support and Tools for Provider Training and Quality Monitoring for Suicide Preventive Care

Related by Health and Research.

View grant →

HHS-NIH11

Forecast to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for EmbraceHealth Clinical Research Network to Reduce Health Disparities – Coordinating Center

Related by Health and Research.

View grant →

HHS-NIH11

Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) 2.0

Related by Health.

View grant →
Quick answersFrequently asked questionsGet concise answers about Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program.
Is Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program 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 8/21/2026.

How much funding does Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program provide?

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program lists $10,000–$10,000,000 per award. The total program funding recorded is $300,000,000. The expected number of awards has not been captured, so the award range alone should not be treated as an estimate of competitiveness.

Who can apply to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program?

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 Foundational and Applied Science Program require matching funds?

No cost-share requirement is indicated in the captured source facts. Applicants should still verify the official budget instructions in case an amendment, program track, or specific cost category carries additional conditions.

What should I prepare before applying to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program?

Moderate 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.