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About Grants

The lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements consists of four phases: Pre-Award, Award, Post-Award, and Close Out.

Access to Data

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is committed to serving its stakeholders, Congress, and the public by using new technologies to advance greater openness.

Access Data Gateway

The Data Gateway enables users to find funding data, metrics, and information about research, education, and extension projects that have received grant awards from NIFA.

View Resources Page

This website houses a large volume of supporting materials. In this section, you can search the wide range of documents, videos, and other resources.

Featured Webinar

Second annual virtual grants support technical assistance workshop.

Check out this five-day workshop in March 2024 workshop, designed to help you learn about NIFA grants and resources for grants development and management.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the nation’s leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences. 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awards AFRI research, education, and extension grants to improve rural economies, increase food production, stimulate the bioeconomy, mitigate impacts of climate variability, address water availability issues, ensure food safety and security, enhance human nutrition, and train the next generation of the agricultural workforce.

AFRI was established by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill and re-authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. The program was re-authorized to be funded at $700 million a year. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 funds AFRI at $455 million.

NIFA provides AFRI grants to support research, education and extension activities in six Farm Bill priority areas:

• 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.

AFRI-funded science is vital to meeting food, fiber, and fuel demands as the world’s population races toward a projected 10 billion by 2050 concomitant with diminishing land and water resources and increasingly variable climatic conditions. In addition, AFRI programs help develop new technologies and a workforce that will advance our national security, our energy self-sufficiency, and the health of Americans.

NIFA’s policies for accepting late applications are available at  https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/late-application-consideration .  If your application is delayed for a valid extenuating circumstances, please let the program contact listed in the Request for Application (RFA) know about the potential delay and submit all the required documentation after your application had been submitted to us.  NIFA will consider your request at that time based on the information provided.

Funding Portfolio

NIFA’s AFRI funding portfolio includes both single- and multi-function research, education, and extension grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance. AFRI-funded projects sustain all components of agriculture, including farm efficiency and profitability, ranching, renewable energy, forestry (both urban and agroforestry), aquaculture, rural communities and entrepreneurship, human nutrition, food safety, biotechnology, and conventional breeding. These projects also create jobs and help develop the next generation of agriculture and food scientists.

AFRI-funded integrated projects must include at least two of the three functions of agriculture knowledge – research, education, and extension – to ensure delivery of science-based knowledge to people, allowing them to make informed practical decisions.

In addition to Standard grants, the AFRI portfolio includes Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement ( FASE ) grants. CAP grants are large, multi-million dollar projects that often involve multiple institutions. FASE grants help institutions become more competitive and attract new scientists and educators to careers in high-priority areas of agriculture.

NIFA makes grants for high priority research, education, and extension, taking into consideration the determinations made by the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.

Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out the AFRI program, the Secretary may award grants to state agricultural experiment stations; colleges (including community colleges) and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations or corporations; individuals; or any group consisting of two or more of the aforementioned entities.

Each grant program has its own unique set of requirements, the details of which are available within specific Requests for Applications in Part I, C. See the list of available AFRI RFAs.

• 2022 NIFA APHIS Program Priorities
• 2022 NIFA AFRI Foundational and Applied Science RFA Partnership Opportunity
• 2021 AFRI New Investigators Webinar Series   

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On April 1, 2016, NIAES (National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences) was integrated into NARO (the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization) .

WELCOMING ADDRESS

Welcoming Address from the President of NIAES

OUTLINE OF NIAES

Research Strategy, Projects, Facilities and Organization

OUTLINE OF NIAES (PDF)

Outline of NIAES (PDF files)

RESEARCHERS

Information pages of Researchers in NIAES

PUBLICATIONS

Bulletins and Annual Reports of NIAES

VIDEO LIBRARY

Introduction Video Movies to NIAES

SYMPOSIA / WORKSHOPS

International Symposia and Workshops held by NIAES

The Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium

DATABASE AND MAP

Research Database, Numerical Map and Chart

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Job Opportunities for Research Scientists

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Technical Reports and Guidelines

LINKS TO OTHER SITES

List of Links to Other Sites

Site Map of NIAES Official Web Site

Updates on This Site

Latest Updates

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) and Nitrous Oxide (N O) Emissions from Rice Paddies by a Manually Operated Closed Chamber Method” New
December 22, 2015	New
December 1, 2015	New
October 19, 2015	(PDF) / (October 20-23, 2015, Tsukuba)  Updated
August 11, 2015	and N O Emissions from Rice Paddies by a Manually Operated Closed Chamber Method, Version. 1 (PDF)  New
August 3, 2015	Annual Report 2014  New
July 9, 2015	Updated
Job Opportunities for Research Scientists  Updated
June 12, 2015	( / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / )  Updated
New
Job Opportunities for Research Scientists  Updated
New
(PDF files) Updated
(Asian-Pacific Alien Species Database) -- Archived Page Opened
-FFTC Joint International Workshop 2013 on Benefits and Risks of Genetically Modified Food Crops in Asia (October 8-10, 2013, Tsukuba, Japan) NEW
Symposium 2012 “Strengthening Collaboration to meet Agro-Environmental Challenges in Monsoon Asia” (September 24-27, 2012, Tsukuba, Japan) Updated
Satellite Symposium 2012 “Risk Alleviation Technologies for Arsenic and Cadmium Contamination of Foods in Monsoon Asia (October. 29-30, 2012, Tsukuba, Japan) Updated
Enrichment) Facility   Updated

Highlights in 2013 / 2014

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Conserve the Environment by Listening to Wind, Observing Soil, and Thinking of Our Future.

National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences

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Treatment with yeast-derived enzyme promotes degradation of biodegradable plastics

Accurate estimation of daily minimum temperature in complex topography

In the case of complicated topography such as hilly mountainous areas and slopes, depending on the location of the farmland, the daily minimum temperature may be nearly 10 ° C lower than the value of the weather data provided for each 1km mesh. The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has developed a method that can estimate the daily minimum temperature with a 5m mesh, considering the movement of the cold air drainage that occurs with radiative cooling at night. In the future, this result is expected to contribute to the development and provision of accurate weather data for agricultural land located in places where cold air drainage is likely to occur due to complex topography. Read more

Identification of the amino acid site that regulates the function of the cadmium-manganese transporter protein in rice

Rice plants absorb cadmium and manganese from the roots simultaneously by using OsNRAMP5, a protein localized in the cell membrane. NARO identified the 337 th amino acid, which constitutes the OsNRAMP5 protein, as an important site for the regulation of cadmium and manganese transport. Rice plants, in which the amino acid at this site has been changed from glutamine to lysine due to mutation, the uptake of both elements is suppressed, but the amount of manganese necessary for growth can be secured. This result will be useful for the development of rice cultivars with improved safety and productivity. Read more

Relative humidity greatly affects the panicle temperature elevation that causes heat-induced sterility of rice

NARO has established an international monitoring network (MINCERnet) of micrometeorology in rice paddy field, which has revealed that heat-induced spikelet sterility (HISS) of rice in paddy fields can be evaluated by using the panicle temperature during the flowering time as an indicator, rather than air temperature under various climates. Under hot and humid climates, the risk of HISS was estimated to be high because the panicle temperature tends to be high due to the low evaporative cooling effect associated with canopy and panicle transpiration. By utilizing this evaluation method, it will be possible to improve the accuracy of predicting HISS worldwide and to take appropriate adaptation measures against HISS under global warming. Read more

Visualization of the nationwide changes in ecological risks to aquatic organisms due to pesticide usage

NARO has integrated multiple ecological risk assessment techniques that has been developed so far and enabled the visualization of nationwide changes in ecological risks to aquatic organisms due to pesticide usage over time and in regions. As an application example, we assessed the ecological risks, associated with 67 major paddy rice pesticides used in Japan at 350 river sites nationwide and examined the transition over the period from 1990 to 2010. From the result it was revealed that the ecological risk of insecticides was decreased by 92.4% and by 53.1% for herbicides. This study proposes a method to "visualize" the degree of ecological risks rather than the use of pesticides. Hence it can be used to support scientific decision-making by the government, etc. Read more

Wild-bee Bombus ardens ardens greatly contributes to persimmon pollination

Wild pollinators are known to be useful in the cultivation of fruit trees and fruit vegetables that require pollination. However, there remained many unsolved points in the actual situation. NARO has developed a survey manual to actively utilize wild pollinating insects and has demonstrated that Bombus ardens ardens , a wild bumblebee species, contributes significantly for pollinating persimmon nationwide. By grasping the contribution of wild pollinating insects in the field, the number of hives of the European honeybee Apis mellifera , which has been introduced as pollinating insects, can be optimized for each region, enabling labor-saving cultivation. Read more

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Centers・Institutes

• Research Center for Agricultural Information Technology, NARO
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• Institute of Food Research, NARO
• Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO
• National Institute of Animal Health, NARO
• Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO
• Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO
• Central Region Agricultural Research Center, NARO
• Western Region Agricultural Research Center, NARO
• Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, NARO
• Institute of Agricultural Machinery, NARO
• Institute of Crop Science, NARO
• Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO
• Institute of Vegetable and Floriculture Science, NARO
• Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO
• Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO
• Institute for Rural Engineering, NARO
• Institute for Plant Protection, NARO
• Center for Seeds and Seedlings, NARO
• Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution, NARO

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Spartan Alert

Uncg projects play major role in usda nifa investments into sustainable agroecosystems and food and human health.

Posted on July 25, 2024

Three projects led by UNCG biology’s Dr. Zhenquan Jia , Dr. Sally Koerner , and Dr. Kimbe r ly Komatsu play a major role in new USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) research investments into sustainable agroecosystems and into the relationships between food and human health.

On July 24, 2024, NIFA announced an $8 million investment into sustainable agroecosystems in the form of 13 funded projects and a nearly $7 million investment into investigating the relationships between food and human health in the form of 14 funded projects .

One of the UNCG projects, led by Jia, explores the bioactive components in Hawaiian māmaki tea. Māmaki, particularly the species Pipturus albidus, has been a part of traditional Hawaiian medicine for centuries, however the mechanisms behind its benefits remain unclear.

With $300,000 in NIFA funding, Jia will investigate mamaki’s previously documented potential anti-inflammatory capabilities by identifying and purifying mamaki’s bioactive compounds and characterizing the mechanisms by which they create anti-inflammatory effects in human aortic endothelial cells.

Jia’s multidisciplinary team will then assess whether these compounds are able to treat or improve atherosclerosis – a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the thickening or hardening of the arteries due to the buildup of plaque – in mouse models.

Another project, led by Koerner with Komatsu serving as co-PI, will investigate the role of two key microbial symbioses in promoting nutrient availability in longleaf pine savannas. With $300,000 in NIFA funding for their project, the associate professors aim to improve understanding of the rhizobial bacteria that help longleaf pine savanna legumes fix nitrogen and the mycorrhizal fungi that help many longleaf pine savanna plants uptake phosphorus.

Today, less than four percent of the longleaf pine savannas that once dominated the Southeast United States survive, so methods of restoring and managing these ecosystems are critical. Koerner and Komatsu hope their findings will help improve management strategies for remaining longleaf pine ecosystems.

Separately, Komatsu was awarded another $300,000 by NIFA to study the role of legume-rhizobia symbiosis in the soil health of grazing lands.

“Grazing lands are vital to food security and economic wellbeing, while also contributing significant environmental benefits,” says Komatsu. “It is critical that our pasture management practices promote both cattle production and environmental sustainability.”

Komatsu seeks to better understand legume diversity and the role of that diversity in grazing land functions, with the aim of improving both their environmental benefits and agricultural productivity.

by Sangeetha Shivaji and Nikkola Brown

Research News

July 25, 2024

2024 Friday Medal awarded to UNCG Center Director Pitre-Martin

July 22, 2024

$1.5M UNCG-led collaborative will focus on clean energy innovations using natural products

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