Group items tagged

The Noble Research Institute is accepting applications for its 2019 Lloyd Noble Scholars in Agriculture program, which provides students with the opportunity to work alongside agricultural professionals at one of the nation's foremost agricultural research organizations. The Noble Research Institute offers opportunities in its core areas of expertise: animal science and livestock management (emphasis on forage-based ruminant systems), agricultural economics, agronomy, horticulture, range management, soils and crops, and wildlife and fisheries. Scholars work alongside agricultural researchers and consultants who assist farmers, ranchers, and other land owners operating in the cattle belt of the Southern Great Plains to attain financial, production, and quality-of-life goals. Scholars will develop valuable applied agriculture skills, interact with and assist in identifying solutions to real-world issues encountered by producers, and further enhance communication and leadership skills necessary to be effective advocates for agriculture. The objective of the scholar experience is to provide participants a competitive advantage in the development of a career in a leading agricultural field of study, thus enabling them to positively impact the agriculture industry of tomorrow. At the conclusion of the summer program, scholars present their findings to the Noble Research Institute agriculture and research community.

The Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (Borlaug Fellowship Program) advances USDA's agricultural research goals of promoting collaborative programs among agricultural professionals of eligible countries, agricultural professionals of the United States, the international agricultural research system, and United States entities conducting research by providing fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or other related fields. Fellowships promote the expansion of domestic and international markets in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to increase trade and agricultural economic activity by extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace. The collaborative nature of the training and research programs not only benefits the Fellow, his or her home institution, and partner country; the U.S. host institution, its professors, researchers, and students; and the global agricultural sector by improving agricultural productivity, systems, and processes in partnering nations through the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies. As part of the Borlaug Fellowship Program, Fellows will attend the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium (Borlaug Dialogue) hosted by the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa during the week of October 11, 2020.

The Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (Borlaug Fellowship Program) advances USDA's agricultural research goals of promoting collaborative programs among agricultural professionals of eligible countries, agricultural professionals of the United States, the international agricultural research system, and United States entities conducting research by providing fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or other related fields. Fellowships promote the expansion of domestic and international markets in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to increase trade and agricultural economic activity by extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace. The collaborative nature of the training and research programs not only benefits the Fellow, his or her home institution, and partner country; the U.S. host institution, its professors, researchers, and students; and the global agricultural sector by improving agricultural productivity, systems, and processes in partnering nations through the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies. As part of the Borlaug Fellowship Program, Fellows will attend the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium (Borlaug Dialogue) hosted by the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa during the week of October 11, 2020. Dr. Norman E. Borlaug envisioned a prize that would honor those who have made significant and measurable contributions to improving the world's food supply. His vision was achieved in 1986 through the World Food Prize, the hosting organization for the Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium each year during October in Des Moines, Iowa. The World Food Prize (WFP) is the foremost international award for the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by im

NIFA's Agriculture in the Classroom Program (AITC) serves nearly 5 million students and 60,000 teachers annually through workshops, conferences, field trips, farm tours, and other educational activities. AITC programs include working with state AITC activities engaged in a variety of issues relating to agricultural literacy. Other programs emphasized by the NIFA AITC office include:*Science literacy*Agricultural careers*Nutrition*Pre-service and professional develop opportunities for teachers.The disciplines of agriculture and education have been related for much of our nation's history. When most Americans lived on farms or in small towns, students often did farm chores before and after school. Old schoolbooks have numerous agricultural references. As the farming population began to decline, agricultural emphasis decreased in educational materials as well.A core group of educators and agriculturalists pushed for more youth education about agriculture. They recognized the interlocking role of farming and food and fiber production with environmental quality, which included wildlife habitat, clean water, and the preservation of forests. This group went on to promote the national effort of AITC. Today AITC continues to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies.

The Scientific Exchanges Initiative advances USDA's agricultural research goals to promote collaborative programs among agricultural professionals of eligible countries, the United States, the international agricultural research system, and United States entities conducting research in the agricultural sciences by providing fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or other related fields. Fellowships promote food security and economic growth in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to improve agricultural productivity, and extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace. The collaborative nature of the training and research programs benefits the fellow, his or her home institution, and partner country; the U.S. host institution, its professors, researchers, and students; and the global agricultural sector by improving agricultural productivity, systems, and processes in partnering nations through the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies.

 The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $63 million in grant funds to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). State departments of agriculture interested in obtaining grant program funds are invited to submit applications to AMS. State departments of agriculture, meaning agencies, commissions, or departments of a State government responsible for agriculture within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to apply. Please contact your local State department of agriculture if you are not eligible to apply. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to conduct outreach regarding the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill to specialty crop stakeholders, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farmers and conduct a competitive grant proposal process. State department of agriculture contacts and state requests for proposals can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp. Applications from State departments of agriculture must be submitted by July 8, 2015.

The goal of the Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) Activity in Ukraine is to accelerate economic development of rural Ukrainian communities with the greatest need in through a better governed agricultural sector, to encourage more productive, modern, and profitable small and medium agricultural businesses that are successfully integrated into competitive markets both in Ukraine and internationally. High level results of AGRO are as follows: increased revenue of agricultural small and medium enterprises; increased access of agricultural SMEs to financing; establishment of fair and transparent agricultural land market (land reform); reducing corruption in the agriculture sector

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the  Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) under which the Secretary of Agriculture may make competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension to address food and agricultural sciences (as defined under section 1404 of the National  Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) (7 U.S.C. 3103)), as amended, in six priority areas. The six priority areas include: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food  safety, nutrition, and health; 4) renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities. 

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeks opportunities to co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate in the research, development, piloting, testing, and scaling of innovative, practical and cost-effective activities in the general area of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). The focus of this BAA is to identify innovative thinking, best practices and promising programs that will provide cost effective and practical options to respond to climate and weather related impacts on small holder farmer-based food and agriculture systems in low income countries. In many cases, such options and practices may provide a "double or triple win" by also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving agriculture income and productivity. Any opportunities for funding and partnering will be issued as Addenda to this BAA. In Addendum Number 01 to the Climate Smart Agriculture BAA, USAID seeks knowledge and solutions to the current problem of limited levels of private sector engagement and investment in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and technologies. The main focus of this work is to help smallholder-based food and agriculture systems in low-income countries adapt to climate and weather change impacts. The countries supported by the USG Feed the Future Initiative are the primary geographic focus. Collaboration opportunities that align with USAID's focus value chains in the Feed the Future countries are particularly encouraged. More information on the Feed the Future Initiative and FTF focus and aligned countries can be found at www.feedthefuture.org.

A. Purpose and Priorities The National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Program will award grants that increase the understanding and adoption of established food safety standards, guidance, and protocols. Grants awarded through this program will be carried out in a manner that facilitates the integration of food safety standards and guidance with a variety of agricultural production systems, including conventional, sustainable, organic, and conservation and environmental practices carried out by the eligible entities. The assistance provided by these programs, to the extent practicable, shall be coordinated with and delivered in cooperation with similar services or assistance by other federal agencies or programs serving those eligible entities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) have joined in a collaborative partnership to administer and manage the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Program. This program is designed to develop a comprehensive food safety training, education and technical assistance program for those affected by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Specifically, this program will address the needs of owners and operators of small and medium-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, and small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers. The joint program will award competitive grant funds that enable awardees to establish a National Coordination Center (NCC) for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance and Regional Centers (RC) for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance across the country for food safety training, education, and technical assistance. Project Teams for the RCs will reach out into local communities to work wi

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $2,500,000 total costs (pending availability of Federal funds) for one cooperative agreement to fund a technical assistance project in Argentina to increase action by labor and agriculture stakeholders to address child labor in agricultural areas in Argentina. Project outcomes include: 1) increased common understanding of the challenges and opportunities for addressing child labor in agriculture, and 2) increased capacity of labor and agriculture stakeholders to address child labor in agriculture.

The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is solicitingapplications from eligible parties for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)cooperative agreement to provide financial assistance to an eligibleorganization for a pesticide safety program, including training and education,aimed at reducing exposure to pesticides for agricultural workers, theirfamilies and the agricultural community. The grantee will conduct a nationalprogram to educate farmworkers about how to reduce risks from pesticides. Aspart of this program, the grantee will also train pesticide safety educatorswho will work with farmworker service organizations, growers and other membersof the agricultural community in key rural, agricultural areas with highpesticide use and large numbers of farmworkers to conduct interactive pesticidesafety programs for agricultural workers and their families. The grantee mayutilize existing EPA approved worker and children protection pesticide safetytraining and education materials, may develop new and/or improved materials andcollaborate with other EPA grantees to address pesticide safety issues forfarmworkers and farmworker children. All training materials should be targetedat the low literacy, predominately non-English speaking agricultural workerpopulation. EPA expects to provide an estimated $500,000 annually, depending onthe Agency's budget, for a total of up to $2,500,000 for five years (2020through 2025).

The Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development (BREAD) Program was established in 2009 as a National Science Foundation (NSF) program supported in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The goal of BREAD is to support innovative basic scientific research designed to address key constraints to smallholder agriculture in the developing world. Proposals submitted to BREAD must make a clear and well-defined connection between the outcomes of the proposed basic research and its direct relevance and potential application to agriculture in the developing world. In FY 2015, activities in two focus areas will be supported: (1) Developing High Throughput, Low Cost Phenotyping Tools and Devices to facilitate assessment of field-based phenotypes, especially for root and tuber crops (PHENO), and (2) Advancing Basic Research in Crop Plants Relevant to Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries (ABRDC) to develop critically needed sequence and functional genomics resources to enable basic and applied research in crop plants important for smallholder agriculture. As in past competitions, proposals are expected to address project outcomes in the context of broader societal impacts, and as appropriate to the research proposed, engage international partners in scientific collaborations.

The Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development (BREAD) Program was established in 2009 as a National Science Foundation (NSF) program supported in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The goal of BREAD is to support innovative basic scientific research designed to address key constraints to smallholder agriculture in the developing world. Proposals submitted to BREAD must make a clear and well-defined connection between the outcomes of the proposed basic research and its direct relevance and potential application to agriculture in the developing world. In FY 2015, activities in two focus areas will be supported: (1) Developing High Throughput, Low Cost Phenotyping Tools and Devices to facilitate assessment of field-based phenotypes, especially for root and tuber crops (PHENO), and (2) Advancing Basic Research in Crop Plants Relevant to Smallholder Agriculture in Developing Countries (ABRDC) to develop critically needed sequence and functional genomics resources to enable basic and applied research in crop plants important for smallholder agriculture. As in past competitions, proposals are expected to address project outcomes in the context of broader societal impacts, and as appropriate to the research proposed, engage international partners in scientific collaborations.

NIFA requests applications for the Food and Agriculture Education Information System (FAEIS) for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to maintain a national food and agricultural education information system that contains information on enrollment, degrees awarded, faculty, employment placement, and other similar information in the food and agricultural sciences. The Food and Agriculture Education Information System (FAEIS) is a comprehensive database that gathers information, on a voluntary basis, from degree granting institutions of higher education on student enrollment in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (FANH) sciences, degrees awarded, and graduate placement at all degree levels and by gender, race, and other relevant categories. In addition, data is collected on faculty salaries by rank and discipline.

This grant program supports: (1) training students for Master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and; (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems.

This grant program supports: (1) training students for Master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and; (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems.

This AFRI Challenge Area focuses on the priority to mitigate and adapt to climate variability and change. It supports activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration in agricultural and forest production systems, and prepare the nation's agriculture and forests to adapt to variable climates. The long-term outcome for this program is to reduce the use of energy, nitrogen fertilizer, and water by ten percent and increase carbon sequestration by fifteen percent through resilient agriculture and forest production systems. In order to achieve this outcome, this program will support multi-function Integrated Research, Education, and/or Extension Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants applications that address one of the Program Area Priorities (see Climate Variability and Change RFA for details).

The purpose of the Native Agriculture and Food Systems Scholarship Program is to encourage more Native American college students to enter these fields so that they can better assist Native communities with their efforts. First Nations will award five $1,000 scholarships for the 2018-19 academic school year to Native American college students majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields, including but not limited to agribusiness management, agriscience technologies, agronomy, animal husbandry, aquaponics, environmental studies, fisheries and wildlife, food production and safety, food-related policy and legislation, food science and technology, horticulture, irrigation science, nutrition education, and sustainable agriculture or food systems.

USAID/KEA anticipates awarding a five-year cooperative agreement (CA) whose purpose is to sustainably reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Kenya by focusing on (i) inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led growth; (ii) strengthened resilience among people and systems and (iii) a well-nourished population. USAID/KEA's programmatic priorities for achieving this purpose include: 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