Dear Colleagues,
USDA NIFA has announced the FY21 and FY 22 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Foundational and Applied Science Program.
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is America's flagship competitive grants program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. In this RFA, NIFA requests applications for six AFRI priority areas through the Foundational and Applied Science Program for 2021 and 2022. Applicants considering applying to the second year should check the AFRI RFA webpage and www.grants.gov. The goal of this program is to invest in agricultural production research, education, and extension projects for more sustainable, productive and economically viable plant and animal production systems. The global agricultural output needs to be expanded significantly to meet the food needs of the population expected in 2050; thus, it is imperative to develop innovative, safe and sustainable management strategies for livestock, crops, and critical underlying resources.
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.
In 2021 and 2022, applications are sought in the following priority areas:
1. Plant health and production and plant products (PHPPP);
2. Animal health and production and animal products (AHPAP);
3. Food safety, nutrition, and health (FSNH);
4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment (BNRE);
5. Agriculture systems and technology (AST); and
6. Agriculture economics and rural communities (AERC)
The anticipated amount available for new grants for the 2021 and 2022 deadlines in this Foundational and Applied Science RFA is approximately $290 million.
The deadlines under this RFA are summarized as follows:
PHPPP a. Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems
Deadline: June 17, 2021 or September 15, 2022
PHPPP b. Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products
Deadline: May 20, 2021 or August 18, 2022
PHPPP c. Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems
Deadline: May 27, 2021 or August 25, 2022
PHPPP d. Physiology of Agricultural Plants
Deadline: May 20, 2021 or August 18, 2022
PHPPP e. Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production
Deadline: May 20, 2021 or August 18, 2022
PHPPP f. Pollinator Health: Research and Application
Deadline: June 17, 2021 or September 15, 2022
AHPAP a. Animal Reproduction
Deadline: May 6, 2021 or August 11, 2022
AHPAP b. Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation
Deadline: May 6, 2021 or August 11, 2022
AHPAP c. Welfare and Well-being of Agricultural Animals
Deadline: May 6, 2021 or August 11, 2022
AHPAP d. Diseases of Agricultural Animals
Deadline: May 6, 2021 or August 11, 2022
AHPAP e. Animal Breeding and Functional Annotation of Genomes
Deadline: May 6, 2021 or August 11, 2022
FSNH a. Food Safety and Defense
Deadline: May 27, 2021 or August 25, 2022
FSNH b. Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
FSNH c. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases
Deadline: May 27, 2021 or August 25, 2022
FSNH d. Food and Human Health
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
FSNH e. Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Food Chain
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
BNRE a. Soil Health
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
BNRE b. Water Quantity and Quality
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
BNRE c. Sustainable Bioeconomy through Biobased Products
Deadline: June 10, 2021 or September 1, 2022
BNRE d. Sustainable Agroecosystems: Health, Functions, Processes and Management
Deadline: June 17, 2021 or September 15, 2022
AST a. Engineering for Agricultural Production Systems
Deadline: July 15, 2021 or October 6, 2022
AST b. Bioprocessing and Bioengineering
Deadline: July 1, 2021 or September 29, 2022
AST c. Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems
Deadline: May 27, 2021 or August 25, 2022
AERC a. Small and Medium-Sized Farms
Deadline: June 24, 2021 or September 22, 2022
AERC b. Economics, Markets and Trade
Deadline: July 15, 2021 or October 6, 2022
AERC c. Economic and Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies
Deadline: July 15, 2021 or October 6, 2022
AERC d. Rural Economic Development
Deadline: June 17, 2021 or September 15, 2022
Crosscutting a. Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources
Deadline: July 15, 2021 or October 6, 2022
Crosscutting b. Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE)
Deadline: June 17, 2021 or September 15, 2022
Crosscutting c. Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS)
Deadline: July 29, 2021 or October 20, 2022
Crosscutting d. Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS)
Deadline: July 15, 2021 or October 6, 2022
Crosscutting e. Tactical Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity
Deadline: July 22, 2021 or October 20, 2022
* PHPPP=Plant Health and Production and Plant Products, AHPAP=Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; FSNH=Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; BNRE=Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment; AST=Agriculture Systems and Technology; AERC=Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities; Crosscutting=Crosscutting Programs
** All applications must be received by 5 p.m. EST on the deadline date.
Please see the Foundational and Applied Science RFA for specific details: https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rfa/FY-2021-2022-AFRI-Foundational-and-Applied-Science-RFA-Final-07172020.pdf
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)