Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009002
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) grant opportunity, administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), supports ambitious, systems-based projects intended to drive transformational change across the U.S. food and agriculture system. The core idea is to move beyond narrow, single-discipline solutions and instead fund integrated efforts that can meaningfully improve how food and agricultural products are produced, moved through value chains, and ultimately made available to people. Competitive applications are expected to show how their proposed approach will increase the supply of agricultural products that are affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible, while also strengthening economic development and rural prosperity. Strong proposals do not just address immediate technical challenges; they also demonstrate awareness of current needs and provide a credible picture of how the work anticipates longer-term social, cultural, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts.
A key theme of the SAS program is measurable societal benefit. Projects should be designed so the outcomes improve quality of life for the people and communities involved across the entire food and agriculture value chain, from production through utilization and consumption. In practice, that means applications should connect research outcomes to real-world adoption and impact, including how innovations or systems changes could bolster rural prosperity, improve resilience, and deliver benefits to consumers and communities, not only to producers or specific industry segments. NIFA explicitly signals interest in creative and visionary ideas, but those ideas must be grounded in a coherent systems approach that links activities to outcomes and explains why the proposed work can produce significant, durable improvements.
Eligibility is tightly tied to the specific project types described in the SAS Request for Applications (RFA), and applicants are expected to follow all requirements in that document. For Integrated Projects, eligible applicants include colleges and universities, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. The RFA clarifies what counts as a college or university for eligibility purposes: the institution must admit students with a secondary-school credential (or equivalent), be legally authorized to offer education beyond secondary school, award bachelor’s degrees or higher, be public or other nonprofit, and be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association. Importantly, a research foundation maintained by a college or university may also be eligible to receive an award under this program, which can matter for institutions that route sponsored projects through affiliated foundations.
The opportunity also includes Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grant options, with eligibility and rules provided in the RFA’s FASE section. Under this solicitation, NIFA indicates that Strengthening Coordinated Agricultural Project and Strengthening Standard Grants are included, which generally signals an emphasis on building capacity and competitiveness in eligible institutions or project teams, depending on the specific FASE mechanism. Applicants must align their proposals to the program area priorities and meet the deadlines listed in the RFA. Even if a prime applicant must meet eligibility requirements, funded projects may subcontract work to organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project’s scope. NIFA emphasizes that failing to meet eligibility requirements by the application deadline can lead to the application being excluded from consideration, or prevent an award from being made even if the application is reviewed, so compliance with eligibility and formatting requirements is a practical make-or-break issue.
From the opportunity listing, the award instrument is a discretionary grant under CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 10.310, with an award ceiling shown as $10,000,000. The posting lists the original closing date as 2022-07-28 and identifies the opportunity number as USDA NIFA AFRI 009002. Applicants considering similar future cycles should treat these dates as specific to that posting year and rely on the current SAS RFA for the active deadlines, priorities, and any updated funding parameters.Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009002
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA AFRI 009002) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program – Organic Transitions Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 009001 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ICGP 009001 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science Program Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009003 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 009003 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009004 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009004 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $3,500,000 |
| Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Apply for USDA NIFA BFR 009021 Funding Number: USDA NIFA BFR 009021 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development Program Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009041 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 009041 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Extension Program - Capacity Applications Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009062 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009062 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $984,000 |
| Farmed Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 VSSPRS00 22 0001 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10025 VSSPRS00 22 0001 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0011 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0011 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY 22 Conservation Innovation Grants State Program Apply for USDA NRCS AR CIG 22 NOFO0001181 Funding Number: USDA NRCS AR CIG 22 NOFO0001181 Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| USDA APHIS Tribal Nations Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Opportunities 2022 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0014 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 22 0014 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| APS-OAA-21-00001 Addendum USAID/Nepal Apply for 72036722APS00002 Funding Number: 72036722APS00002 Agency: Nepal USAID-Kathmandu Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009108 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009108 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 009106 Funding Number: USDA NIFA CGP 009106 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| National Plant Diagnostic Network for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA ES 009109 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ES 009109 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009104 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009104 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Special Research Grants for Aquaculture Research Program Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 009105 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 009105 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009110 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009110 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Tribal Colleges Extension Program: Special Emphasis Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009121 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009121 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Organic Cost Share Programs Apply for USDA FSA SND AMA 22 NOFO0001214 Funding Number: USDA FSA SND AMA 22 NOFO0001214 Agency: Farm Service Agency Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $244,150 |
| Organic Cost Share Programs Apply for USDA FSA SND NOCCSP 22 NOFO0001215 Funding Number: USDA FSA SND NOCCSP 22 NOFO0001215 Agency: Farm Service Agency Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,437,800 |
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