Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI): Strengthening Agricultural Systems

Overview

• Type

  Grant

• Title

  Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI): Strengthening Agricultural Systems

• Source

  US Department of Agriculture

• Federal or State

  Federal

• Total Amount

  $140,000,000

• Number of Awards

  10 to 12

• Award Range

  $1,000,000 - $10,000,000

• Cost Share

  Yes

• Status

  Active

Topics

Agriculture

Climate

Eligibility

• Audience

  Agriculture, Education, Nonprofits

• Sector

  Agriculture, Climate

• Eligibility

  Eligible Activities

  • New Uses and Expanding Markets for Agriculture and Forestry Products
  • Solutions to pests and diseases of plants/animals
  • Combating food and diet-related chronic diseases
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) for K-12 food and agricultural sciences (the application deadline for the AI area is 2:00PM PST April 23, 2026)

  Eligible Entities

  • Colleges and universities
  • 1994 Land-grant Institutions
  • Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
  • Research foundations maintained by a college or university

  The National Institute of Food and Agriculture will recognize and prioritize Centers of Excellence (COE) applicants that carry out research, extension, and education activities that relate to the food and agricultural sciences. A COE is composed of one or more of the following entities that provide financial or in-kind support to the COE:
  1. State agricultural experiment stations
  2. Colleges and universities
  3. University research foundations
  4. Other research institutions and organizations
  5. Federal agencies
  6. National laboratories
  7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations
  8. Individuals; or
  9. Any group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8)

• Location

  National

Application Process

• Application Link

  Apply Now

• Pre-Application?

  Yes

• Requirements

  Prospective applicants are requested to email a Letter of Intent to submit an application by 2:00 p.m. PST on February 26, 2026, to AFRI-SAS@usda.gov. This notification is optional and will be used to plan for the expertise required for the review process. The information provided will not be used to screen for project appropriateness, applicant eligibility or used in review of a subsequent application.

  Applicants must provide matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all federal funds awarded under AFRI for applied research grants unless a waiver applies. Matching funds requirements for AFRI programs included in this NOFO may be found at 7 U.S.C. 3157 (b)(9)(C).

  For Applied Research Components:
  1. Match is required – If an applied research (see Appendix III) or Integrated Project with an applied research component is commodity-specific and not of national scope, the grant recipient is required to match the USDA funds awarded on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources with cash and/or in-kind contributions.
  2. Match is not required – If the applied research or integrated project with an applied research component is not commodity-specific or is national in scope, then no match is required.

• Disbursement Method

  Unspecified

Important Dates

• Application Open Date

  Jan 29, 2026

• Application Close Date

  Mar 26, 2026

• Application Close Time

  12:00 AM PST

• Publish Date

  Jan 29, 2026

Resources & Contacts

• Contact

  AFRI Program Office: AFRI@usda.gov

• Technical Assistance Contact

  Specific questions pertaining to technical matters may be directed to the Program Area Priority Contact: AFRI-SAS@usda.gov

• Resources

  • AFRI SAS Program Page
  • AFRI SAS Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
  • For more information on different AFRI Project Type requirements for each Program Area Priority, please refer to these resources: AFRI Project Types and AFRI Project and Grant Types | FAQ