Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program is the USDA's main competitive funding program for advancing food and agricultural sciences through research, education, and extension. It was authorized by Section 7406 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill), which updated federal authority for competitive agricultural research grants and formally created AFRI as the successor-style core program building on the scope of the former National Research Initiative (NRI). The intent is to support both fundamental (basic) and applied work that addresses real agricultural and food-system challenges, while also strengthening the pipeline of education and outreach that helps move new knowledge into practice.

A key feature of AFRI is its flexibility in the types of projects it can fund. The program supports both single-function projects (focused only on research, or only on education, or only on extension) and integrated projects that combine two or all three of those components (research, education, and extension) into one coordinated effort. That means an applicant could propose, for example, a research project that generates new findings, an education component that trains students or professionals using those findings, and an extension component that translates results into guidance for producers or communities. This structure is meant to encourage solutions that do not stop at discovery, but also build capacity and deliver usable outcomes.

Based on the published opportunity details, the AFRI program is offered as a discretionary grant program under the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and is tied to CFDA number 10.310. The funding areas are broad and reflect how agriculture intersects with many public priorities, including agriculture itself, education, employment and workforce training, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources, and science and technology/research and development. In practical terms, this signals that AFRI is not limited to traditional production agriculture topics, but can also support work spanning nutrition, sustainability, environmental impacts, bioenergy, and related technology and systems research.

For the FY 2009 cycle reflected in this listing, estimated total program funding is shown as $190,000,000, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000 and no stated award floor (listed as $0), which suggests a range of potential award sizes depending on the specific program area and project type. The opportunity also indicates that cost sharing or matching is required, meaning applicants should expect some level of non-federal contribution as part of the project budget, with the exact requirement typically detailed in the full program announcement.

The timeline information indicates that the opportunity uses multiple deadline dates throughout the fiscal year rather than a single uniform due date. While a closing date of July 30, 2009 is shown, the listing emphasizes that applicants must consult the current AFRI Program Announcement for the complete and correct set of deadlines and program-specific due dates. Eligibility is also not fully defined in the summary listing and is instead deferred to the AFRI Program Announcement, specifically Part III, A, which lays out who may apply and what conditions apply for integrated versus non-integrated projects. The listing labels eligible applicants generally as "Others (see text...)," which typically implies that eligibility may include a mix of institutions such as universities, research organizations, and other eligible entities as defined in the full announcement.

For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, the opportunity provides a CSREES Help Desk contact at 202-401-5048 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Overall, this grant opportunity represents a large, central USDA funding stream designed to competitively support high-impact projects across the research-to-practice spectrum in agriculture and food systems, with an emphasis on both scientific advancement and real-world application through education and extension.

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