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Applications to the FY 2018 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Request for Applications (RFA) must focus on approaches that promote transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system within the next 25 years. NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach, and that will significantly improve the supply of abundant, affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible food, while providing sustainable opportunities for expansion of the bioeconomy through novel animal, crop, and forest products and supporting technologies. These approaches must demonstrate current and future social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts. Additionally, the outcomes of the work being proposed must result in societal benefits, including promotion of rural prosperity and enhancement of quality of life for those involved in food and agricultural value chains from production to utilization and consumption. See AFRI SAS RFA for details.

Launched in 2018 after final appeals were denied and the Court approved the settlement of Keepseagle v. Vilsack, the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) works to support Native American farmers and ranchers and promote their continued engagement in agriculture. To that end, NAAF has issued an RFA seeking proposals for projects that deliver content with practical application to the success of Native farmers and ranchers in one of four areas important to that success: business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and advocacy. Funds may be used for project support, scholarships, re-granting, or capital expenditures. NAAF has highlighted four key priority areas: traditional foods and food sovereignty programs; hemp production analysis; youth programming; and the agriculture sciences.

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development (EWD) focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. In FY 2020, EWD invites applications in five areas: professional development for agricultural literacy; training of undergraduate students in research and extension; fellowships for predoctoral candidates; fellowships for postdoctoral scholars, and a brand new program for agricultural workforce training.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) amended Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establish a Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. To fulfill the farm to school mandate in the HHFKA, $5 million is provided to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on an annual basis to support grants, technical assistance, and the Federal administrative costs related to USDA's Farm to School Program. The USDA Farm to School Program is housed within the Food and Nutrition Services' (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS). This request for applications (RFA) provides additional details regarding the grants component of the USDA Farm to School Program. The Secretary of Agriculture was also directed through the HHFKA to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities, as well as give the highest priority to funding projects that, as determined by the Secretary - (a) Make local food products available on the menu of the eligible school; (b) Serve a high proportion of children who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches; (c) Incorporate experiential nutrition education activities in curriculum planning that encourage the participation of school children in farm and garden-based activities; (d) Demonstrate collaboration between eligible schools, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, agricultural producer groups, and other community partners; (e) Include adequate and participatory evaluation plans; (f) Demonstrate the potential for long-term program sustainability; and, (g) Meet any other criteria that the Secretary determines appropriate.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) amended Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establish a Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. To fulfill the farm to school mandate in the HHFKA, $5 million is provided to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on an annual basis to support grants, technical assistance, and the Federal administrative costs related to USDA's Farm to School Program. The USDA Farm to School Program is housed within the Food and Nutrition Services' (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS). This request for applications (RFA) provides additional details regarding the grants component of the USDA Farm to School Program. The Secretary of Agriculture was also directed through the HHFKA to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities, as well as give the highest priority to funding projects that, as determined by the Secretary - (a) Make local food products available on the menu of the eligible school; (b) Serve a high proportion of children who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches; (c) Incorporate experiential nutrition education activities in curriculum planning that encourage the participation of school children in farm and garden-based activities; (d) Demonstrate collaboration between eligible schools, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, agricultural producer groups, and other community partners; (e) Include adequate and participatory evaluation plans; (f) Demonstrate the potential for long-term program sustainability; and, (g) Meet any other criteria that the Secretary determines appropriate.

The objective of Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC) is to support new and sustainable approaches to accelerate the development and deployment of Clean Energy Solutions (CES)for increasing agriculture productivity and/or value in developing countries. Such solutions are those that integrate clean energy technologies and innovative business models to: (i) Enhance agricultural yields/productivity; (ii) Decrease post-harvest loss; (iii) Improve farmer and agribusiness income generating opportunities and revenues; and/or (iv) Increase energy efficiency and associated savings within the operations of farms and agribusinesses - while stimulating low carbon economic growth within the agriculture sector of developing countries.

NIFA requests applications for the Resident Instruction Grants for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA) and the Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment (AGFEI) for land-grant colleges and universities in the Insular Areas for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to strengthen the capacity to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences (FANH) as well as to upgrade agriculture and food science facilities, and equipment necessary to conduct tropical and subtropical agricultural research. The amount available for grants in FY 2018 is approximately $1,200,000. This RFA is being released prior to the passage of an appropriations act for FY 2018. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

Training objectives must support the agricultural extension goals of the Cochran Fellowship Program to assist eligible countries to develop agricultural systems necessary to meet the food and fiber needs of their domestic populations and/or strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and agricultural interests in the United States by providing fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize in agriculture for study in the United States. In general, USDA will identify Fellows based on country-specific topics of importance to the international agricultural trading system and place them with U.S. institutions for 1-2 week intensive programs. These programs are expected to contribute to the strategic goals and objectives of the institutions through a hands-on experience in a "real-world" international trade scenario, providing an opportunity for application of research, extension, or teaching agendas. Host institutions will be able to share the knowledge gained through the program in their classroom and extension work with their faculty, students, extension officers, and constituents; and they will be able to continue to maintain professional contacts with the Fellows after their departure from the United States

The consequences of climate variability and change are becoming more immediate and profound than previously anticipated. Over recent decades, the world has witnessed the onset of prolonged droughts on several continents, increased frequency of floods, loss of agricultural and forest productivity, degraded ocean and permafrost ecosystems, global sea level rise and the rapid retreat of ice sheets and glaciers, loss of arctic sea ice, and changes in ocean currents. These important impacts highlight that climate variability and change can have significant effects on decadal and shorter time scales, with significant consequences for plant, animal, human, and physical systems. The EaSM funding opportunity enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium: climate change and??how it is likely to affect our world. It allows the partner agencies -- National Science Foundation (NSF) and??U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- to combine resources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impact projects that support their respective missions, while??avoiding duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agencies and the investigators they support.This interdisciplinary scientific challenge calls for the development and application of next-generation Earth System Models that include coupled and interactive representations of such??components as ocean and atmospheric currents, agricultural working lands and forests,?? biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry,?? the water cycle and land ice.?? This solicitation seeks to attract scientists from the disciplines of geosciences, agricultural sciences, mathematics and statistics. Successful proposals will develop intellectual excitement in the participating disciplinary communities and engage diverse interdisciplinary teams with sufficient breadth to achieve the scientific objectives. 

The FY 2014 AFRI NIFA Fellowship RFA focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences who will lead agriculture into the future by solving current and future challenges facing our society. The AFRI NIFA Fellowships Grant Program targets talented, highly-motivated doctoral candidates and post-doctoral trainees that demonstrate remarkable promise and the potential to become gifted education, extension, and research professionals in the United States. The NIFA Fellows are individuals who have the potential for remarkable accomplishments in agricultural science. The Program seeks to develop the technical and academic competence of doctoral candidates and the research independence and teaching competencies of postdoctoral students in the food, forestry and agricultural sciences, which are within NIFA's AFRI Challenge Areas, through well-developed and highly interactive mentoring and training activities. Project types supported by AFRI within this RFA include single-function Research, Education, and Extension Projects and multi-function Integrated Research, Education, and/or Extension Projects.

The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America is seeking applications for its 2015 Safety Grants Program, the purpose of which is to encourage and provide financial support for the implementation of evidence-based safety and health interventions that protect agricultural workers. With a theme of "strengthening partnerships for safety," the priority for ASHCA's 2015 grants are projects that engage both management and workers in safety efforts; facilitate new partnerships for providing timely, effective safety programs; reach out to stakeholders that have limited access to safety programs; implement evidence-based agricultural safety and health strategies; and have the potential for being sustained beyond the grant period.

The USAID/Ghana Democracy Rights and Governance (DRG) and Economic Growth Offices' new cross sectoral governance project seeks to accelerate governance improvements and manage conflict in support of enhanced agricultural development in Ghana's Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. The purpose of the activity is to increase the capacity of Ghana's decentralized agricultural structures at the regional and district levels, improve accountability and performance efficiency of these decentralized agricultural structures, build community consensus, and strengthen civil society's demand for better service delivery in agriculture in partnership with the private sector.

With the goal of encouraging unique partnerships that support innovative and potentially transformative agricultural research, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is seeking applications for its Seeding Solutions Grants program. The program supports projects that further FFAR's challenge areas; leverage strong partnerships across multiple sectors (private, NGO, government, academia, etc.); contribute to the goal of sustainable food and agriculture; and serve the public by making data open and accessible.

Priority area 1: Competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural market systems Priority area 2: Diverse agricultural production and improved productivity Priority area 3: Policy environment for agricultural market systems development Priority area 4: Integration of youth and women into agriculture market systems Priority area 5: Collaborative Action and Learning for Market Systems Change Priority area 6: Resilience to economic, social, and climatic shocks Priority area 7: Access and consumption of diverse, safe, and nutritious foods Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management

This project is authorized by the following legislation: 7 USC 3291, International agricultural research, extension, and teaching, authorizes the Secretary in part (a) to (1) exchange research materials and results with the institutions or persons, and (5) work with transitional and more advanced countries in food, agricultural, and related research, development, teaching, and extension (including providing technical assistance, training, and advice to persons from the countries engaged in the activities and the stationing of scientists and other specialists at national and international institutions in the countries). The Office of Agreements and Scientific Affairs (OASA), International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD) is a division of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. IRSD's strategic goals are to monitor and enforce Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) obligations in accordance to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) SPS Agreement, to advance the adoption of science-based international standards and regulations, and to coordinate with other U. S. government agencies to support United States Government's (USG) SPS priorities. OASA works with a number of other U.S. government agencies (e.g., U.S. Trade Representative, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Commerce, and USDA sister agencies), international organizations, and industry to promote the trade of safe food products globally.

The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports grants in six AFRI priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are: 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.

The AFRI Foundational Program is offered to support research grants in the six AFRI priority areas to continue building a foundation of knowledge critical for solving current and future societal challenges. The six priority areas are: Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment; Agriculture Systems and Technology; and Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities. Single-function Research Projects, multi-function Integrated Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants are expected to address one of the Program Area Priorities (see Foundational Program RFA for details).

In 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BARD -the U.S.-Israel Bi-national Agricultural Research & Development Fund. For 2014, the NIFA-BARD MOU has identified a specific priority area, Water for Agriculture (link to RFA) for mutually beneficial collaboration. For this 2014 Request For Application (RFA), American Land Grant University and Israeli partner scientists may apply together, for a joint project. If the project is recommended for award by the review panel, and subject to availability for funding, the Israeli scientists will be supported by BARD. US scientists may request assistance from the BARD office in identifying an appropriate Israeli partner for the NIFA-BARD collaborative program.

The goal of the Food Security Challenge Area for FY 2015 is to develop agricultural production research, education, and extension to develop more sustainable, productive, and economically viable plant and animal production systems. This program will also develop regionally adapted crop cultivars and livestock/breeds that contribute to rural economic development and prosperity while enhancing food security. These investments will increase food security by improving agricultural production systems at the regional and national levels and by encouraging diversification of agricultural production.

The AFRI Foundational Program is offered to support research grants in the six AFRI priority areas to continue building a foundation of knowledge critical for solving current and future societal challenges. The six priority areas are: Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment; Agriculture Systems and Technology; and Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities. Single-function Research Projects, multi-function Integrated Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants are expected to address one of the Program Area Priorities (see Foundational Program RFA for details).

The Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Program provides grants to non-profits to increase the number of military veterans gaining knowledge and skills through comprehensive, hands-on and immersive model farm and ranch programs offered regionally that lead to successful careers in the food and agricultural sector. The program encourages the development of training opportunities specifically designed for military veterans. AgVets projects will offer onsite, hands-on training and classroom education leading to a comprehensive understanding of successful farm and ranch operations and management practices.