Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 004918
Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 004918
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Water for Agriculture Challenge Area" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 1, 2015 and posted on Feb 18, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 16, 2015 Letters of Intent must be received by 500 p.m. Eastern Time on April 9, 2015. Applications must be received by 500 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2015.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $30,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligibility is linked to the project type. All project types are described beginning in Part II, C.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Agriculture Challenge Area (Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA AFRI 004918) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It was created to launch a dedicated "challenge area" focused on major water resource problems that directly affect agriculture and working lands. The opportunity is designed to support practical, science-based solutions for water issues that producers and land managers are already facing, including drought, flooding, excess soil moisture, and water quality challenges.
At its core, this grant targets research and development that leads to improved management practices, new or better technologies, and decision-support tools that can be used by farmers, ranchers, forest owners and managers, and a broader group of stakeholders such as public decision makers and public and private resource managers. The intention is not just to study water problems in the abstract, but to produce outcomes that can be applied in the field and in real management and policy settings to improve both the quantity of water available and the quality of water moving through agricultural landscapes.
A defining feature of this challenge area is NIFA's emphasis on integrating disciplines. The program explicitly calls for approaches that connect social, economic, and behavioral sciences with the more traditional biophysical sciences and engineering. That means proposals are expected to go beyond purely technical solutions and also address adoption barriers, incentives, producer decision-making, economic tradeoffs, and the human systems that determine whether innovations actually get used. The program frames water challenges as regional in nature, encouraging work at scales where shared hydrologic processes, meteorological patterns, and basin characteristics influence outcomes across multiple farms, communities, and jurisdictions.
The funding activity category is Natural Resources under CFDA 10.310 (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative). The estimated total funding available for the opportunity is $30,000,000, and cost sharing or matching is required. Eligibility is not described as one simple category; instead, it is tied to the specific project type, with project types outlined in the full announcement beginning in Part II, C. The listing notes "Others" under eligible applicants and directs applicants to the eligibility section in the full text for clarification, which typically means applicants need to confirm their eligibility based on the exact project structure they propose.
Key dates for this competition include a posted date of February 18, 2015, with a required Letter of Intent deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 9, 2015, and a full application deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2015. The opportunity was later archived on August 15, 2015. For access issues with the full announcement, NIFA provided support through the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during business hours (7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays), and the notice also indicates there is a contact route for questions about preparing application content.
Overall, this AFRI challenge area is aimed at accelerating usable, regional-scale solutions to agricultural water risks and water quality concerns by combining technical innovation with economic and behavioral insight, so that the resulting practices and tools are both effective and realistically adoptable in the places where water constraints and extremes are most pressing.
AFRI Water for Agriculture Challenge Area (USDA NIFA AFRI 004918) - FAQs
What is the AFRI Water for Agriculture Challenge Area?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It was created as a dedicated "challenge area" focused on major water resource problems that directly affect agriculture and working lands.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA NIFA AFRI 004918.
Which federal agency administers this funding opportunity?
The program is administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
What kinds of water problems is this opportunity intended to address?
The opportunity targets practical, science-based solutions for water issues producers and land managers are already facing, including drought, flooding, excess soil moisture, and water quality challenges.
What types of outcomes is the program looking for?
The program is designed to support research and development that leads to usable outcomes such as improved management practices, new or better technologies, and decision-support tools that can be applied in real field, management, and policy settings.
Who are the intended end users of the funded work?
Intended end users include farmers, ranchers, forest owners and managers, and a broader set of stakeholders such as public decision makers and public and private resource managers.
Is this program focused on practical application or purely academic study?
The stated intention is not to study water problems in the abstract, but to produce outcomes that can be applied in the field and in real management and policy settings to improve water quantity and water quality in agricultural landscapes.
Does the program encourage interdisciplinary approaches?
Yes. A defining feature is NIFA's emphasis on integrating disciplines, explicitly connecting social, economic, and behavioral sciences with biophysical sciences and engineering.
Why does the program emphasize social, economic, and behavioral sciences?
The program indicates proposals are expected to address factors that determine whether innovations get used, such as adoption barriers, incentives, producer decision-making, and economic tradeoffs, alongside technical development.
At what scale does the program encourage applicants to work?
The program frames water challenges as regional in nature and encourages work at scales where shared hydrologic processes, meteorological patterns, and basin characteristics influence outcomes across multiple farms, communities, and jurisdictions.
What is the funding activity category and CFDA listing?
The funding activity category is Natural Resources under CFDA 10.310 (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative).
How much total funding is estimated to be available?
The estimated total funding available is $30,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. Cost sharing or matching is required for this opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is tied to the specific project type, with project types outlined in the full announcement beginning in Part II, C. The listing notes "Others" under eligible applicants and directs applicants to confirm eligibility in the full text based on the project structure they propose.
What are the key dates for this competition?
The posted date is February 18, 2015. A Letter of Intent was due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 9, 2015. Full applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2015. The opportunity was archived on August 15, 2015.
Was a Letter of Intent required?
Yes. A Letter of Intent deadline is listed as 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 9, 2015.
When was the full application due?
The full application deadline is listed as 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
The notice states the opportunity was archived on August 15, 2015.
Where could applicants get help if they had trouble accessing the full announcement?
NIFA provided support through the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048 during business hours (7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays).
Is there a way to ask questions about preparing application content?
Yes. The notice indicates there is a contact route for questions about preparing application content, in addition to the access-related help provided by the NIFA Help Desk.
What is the overall purpose of this AFRI challenge area?
The overall aim is to accelerate usable, regional-scale solutions to agricultural water risks and water quality concerns by combining technical innovation with economic and behavioral insight so the resulting practices and tools are both effective and realistically adoptable.
Browse more business programs for Agriculture Services, Food Research Programs
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Natural Resources
Next opportunity: New and Innovative Ideas for Technology Focused Areas of Interest
Previous opportunity: Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 004918
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA AFRI 004918) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BLM CO NATIONAL CONSERVATION LANDS INTERNS Apply for L15AS00024 Funding Number: L15AS00024 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $90,000 |
| SOUTHWEST BORDER RESOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM Apply for P15AS00046 Funding Number: P15AS00046 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Water Conservation Field Services Program, Great Plains Regional Office, Oklahoma Texas Area Office Apply for R15AS00038 Funding Number: R15AS00038 Agency: Bureau of Reclamation Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD Biotech Herpetology Intern Apply for P15AS00051 Funding Number: P15AS00051 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD Marine and Coastal Resource Management Tech Apply for P15AS00052 Funding Number: P15AS00052 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Hughes Subsistence Harvest Survey Apply for P15AS00049 Funding Number: P15AS00049 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BLM (Arizona), CESU BLM AZ Northstar 2025 Arizona BLM Futuring Apply for L15AS00025 Funding Number: L15AS00025 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| National Park Service Repair Flood Damaged Historic Lime Kiln Apply for P15AC00239 Funding Number: P15AC00239 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, Natural Resource Assistants Apply for LRH 15 0001 Funding Number: LRH 15 0001 Agency: Dept. of the Army Corps of Engineers Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $65,000 |
| BLM New Mexico State Wide Cave Assistance Agreement Apply for L15AS00021 Funding Number: L15AS00021 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection Apply for F15AS00116 Funding Number: F15AS00116 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| BLM WY Seed Collection and Genetic Research CESU Apply for L15AS00030 Funding Number: L15AS00030 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| CESU CA BLM Native Plant Materials Fort Ord National Monument Restoration Apply for L15AS00029 Funding Number: L15AS00029 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| BLM CA Amargosa River Monitoring and Habitat Restoration Apply for L15AS00028 Funding Number: L15AS00028 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| BLM (WO), Seed Banking for Resiliency in the Eastern US Project Apply for L15AS00031 Funding Number: L15AS00031 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,330,000 |
| BLM OR/WA Watershed Restoration South Coast Basin Watersheds, Coos Bay Apply for L15AS00027 Funding Number: L15AS00027 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $52,000 |
| BLM (Arizona), BLM AZ Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Continuation Phoenix District Office (PDO) Apply for L15AS00032 Funding Number: L15AS00032 Agency: Bureau of Land Management Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Determining the Influence of a Predaceous Diving Beetle (Neoclypeodytes cinctellus) on the Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) and its Prey Apply for P15AS00055 Funding Number: P15AS00055 Agency: National Park Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $25,636 |
| Aquatic Invasive Species Grants to Great Lakes States Fiscal Year 2015 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Apply for F15AS00119 Funding Number: F15AS00119 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Aquatic Invasive Species Grants to Great Lakes Tribes Fiscal Year 2015 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Apply for F15AS00121 Funding Number: F15AS00121 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $100,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "USDA NIFA AFRI 004918", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.