United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

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R. Tronstad (Cooperative Extension) 

Limiting Language 
Limit one submission per eligible entity. An entity is an autonomous organization. Organizations with a hierarchical structure of multiple locations/offices grouped under the authority of a larger system/main office may submit one application from the autonomous system/main office. For academic institutions, this is defined as the Higher Education Directory System Office, published by Higher Education Publications, Inc., 6400 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 648, Falls Church, Virginia 22042 (703-532-2300).

Executive Summary 
This notice identifies the objectives for the GusNIP-Nutrition Incentive Program (NI) projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions. The amount available for grants in FY 2026 is approximately $36,300,000.

The GusNIP-NI funds and evaluates projects to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands; and the USDA Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) Block Grants for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands by providing a financial incentive at the point of purchase.

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
An Applicant may submit only one application in response to a solicitation. All applications submitted, regardless of the Applicant entity name, that include the same Executive Director, employees, Board, advisory boards or committees of an existing Center or a majority thereof will be determined ineligible for funding. 

Executive Summary
NIFA requests applications for grants under the RCDG program for FY 2025 to improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping nonprofit organizations who in turn provide technical assistance to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural areas. This notice is being issued to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing and prepare and submit their applications. This notice identifies the goals and objectives, eligibility criteria, and application forms and instructions.

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Limiting Language
Each applicant, whether individually or jointly, may only submit one application for RCDI Funds under this Notice. This restriction does not preclude the applicant from providing Matching funds for other applications.

Summary
The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Approximately $5 million in funding is available for FY 2025. These grants will be made to qualified Intermediary organizations that will provide financial and Technical assistance to Recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development that will support the community. Applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

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NIFA requests applications for the Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) program for fiscal year (FY) 2025 to address critical state, regional and national integrated pest management (IPM) needs to ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges. The CPPM program supports projects that address these challenges with IPM approaches developed by coordinated state, regional, and national research, and extension efforts. The impact of these research and extension efforts will be increased by the establishment of communication networks and stakeholder participation in setting priorities. In FY 2025, NIFA will only accept competitive applications for funding in the Applied Research and Development Program (ARDP) area of CPPM. NIFA will fund current Extension Implementation Program (EIP) and Regional Coordination Program (RCP) area projects through continuation applications. 

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process. 

Match Required – Applicants for the ARDP areas MUST provide matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all Federal funds awarded under the CPPM program. By statute, match may include funds from an agricultural commodity promotion, research, and information programs. Non-Federal matching funds may include in-kind support. NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a grant if one of the following applies: 1. The results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or 2. The project involves a minor commodity, the project deals with scientifically important research, and the grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement. 

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Purpose and Priorities
For the Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (WAMS) program, NIFA will support projects with a target audience of K-14 students (kindergarten through twelfth grade plus two years of post-secondary schooling (e.g., vocational technical institutions or community or junior colleges)).  

Four-year undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral focused projects will not be awarded under this grant announcement. Projects with a primary target of four-year undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral studies should consider other NIFA workforce development focused programs. The purpose of this program is to support integrated education/teaching and extension/outreach projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. For a definition of “underrepresented minorities” and “rural area” please visit Appendix III of this RFA. NIFA intends for this program to address educational needs, as determined by each institution, within broadly defined areas of food and agricultural sciences and their allied disciplines. 

Applications recommended for funding must highlight and emphasize the development of a competent and qualified workforce in the food and agricultural enterprise. WAMS-funded projects should improve the economic health and viability of rural communities by developing education and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging employment opportunities in STEM occupations for women and underrepresented minorities. Projects that contribute to the economic viability of rural communities are also encouraged.  

Duplicate or Multiple Submission – Submissions of duplicate (other than revisions) or predominantly overlapping applications are not allowed. In FY2025, an eligible applicant may submit up to two applications on behalf of multiple institution’s staff whereas they are not essentially duplications of the same project or portions of the same project to multiple programs. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate submissions. For additional information or clarification please contact the NIFA POC listed in this RFA. 

Limit: 1 // M. Hingle (Nutritional Sciences)

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.

The technical assistance webinar related to this FY 2024 funding opportunity is now scheduled. Please see details about the webinar, including the registration link, date, and time, via the technical assistance webinar button below. The recording and supporting documents will also be posted to this page after the event.

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Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. 

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) National Workforce Strategy is part of a joint agency initiative between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that is expected to cultivate comprehensive and sustained solutions for WIC workforce development. The joint agency initiative aims to strengthen the diversity and cultural competency of the WIC workforce, with the ultimate goals of increasing: 1) WIC participation through reaching those populations that are eligible, but not enrolled; and 2) WIC participants use of benefits and services, including nutrition education and breastfeeding support.

For this RFA, NIFA requests applications for a WIC Workforce Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center to provide technical assistance and evaluation oversight to implementation projects that will be funded to respond to the National WIC Workforce Strategy. 

Limit: 1 // E. Orr ( Agriculture, Natural Resources and Economic Development - Arizona Cooperative Extension)

Only one project proposal may be submitted per eligible entity.

This notice announces the availability of funds for fiscal year (FY) 2024 and solicits applications from community-based and non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Tribal entities to compete for financial assistance through the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (hereinafter referred to as the “2501 Program”). The term veteran, as used in this program, refers to military veterans.

The overall goal of the 2501 Program is to encourage and assist underserved farmers and ranchers, military veteran farmers and ranchers, and beginning farmers and ranchers with owning and operating farms and ranches and in participating equitably in the full range of agricultural, forestry, and related programs offered by USDA. It also includes projects that develop underserved youths' interest in agriculture. In partnership with the OPPE, eligible entities may compete for funding on projects that provide education and training in agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, agricultural-related services, and USDA programs, and to conduct outreach initiatives designed to accomplish those goals. This partnership includes working closely with OPPE, attend OPPE-led events in your proposed service territory, and collaborate with USDA Service Centers located in your state (Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development).

The maximum amount of requested federal funding for projects shall not exceed $750,000 over the 3-year period.

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NIFA requests applications for the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems program. Areas of potential research include increasing yield and quality; improving harvest and storage systems; developing methods to estimate forage yield and quality to support marketing and reduce producer risks; exploring new and novel uses for alfalfa; improving production and quality of alfalfa seed; and documenting the contribution of alfalfa production systems to climate-smart agriculture, including the sequestration of carbon. This is an integrated research and extension program.

 Limit: 1 //  A. Ganchorre (Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Students Affairs) 

The purpose of the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) is to provide scholarships to support recruiting, engaging, retaining, mentoring, and training committed multicultural scholars, resulting in either baccalaureate degrees within the food and agricultural science disciplines. The goals and objectives of the scholarships are to encourage outstanding students from groups that are historically underrepresented and underserved to pursue and complete baccalaureate degrees in food and agricultural sciences, that would lead to a diverse and highly skilled work force. This may include the teaching and preservation of traditional ecological knowledge.

Underrepresented/underserved groups are those whose representation among food and agricultural professionals is disproportionately less than their proportion in the general population as indicated in standard statistical references, or as documented on a case-by-case basis by national survey data (e.g., the U.S. Department of Education's Digest of Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Agricultural Education Information Systems, etc.).

The need for this program is supported by the USDA 2020-2025 Employment Opportunities in Food, Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources, and the Environment. The report indicates shortages of graduates in the food and agricultural disciplines, and a corresponding need to fill an estimated 57,400 annual openings for individuals with baccalaureate or higher degrees in food, renewable energy, and environmental specialties between 2020 and 2025.

Through scholarships, MSP aims to increase the participation of any group historically underrepresented in USDA mission areas and prepare them for the professional and scientific workforce in the food and agricultural sciences.

USDA/NIFA is soliciting applications for student education that will:

1. Prepare graduates to meet the demand for highly qualified personnel entering the workforce related to the food and agricultural sciences;

2. Support more undergraduates in transitioning to graduate education in USDA mission sciences;

3. Contribute to the reduction of the disparity among underrepresented and underserved populations entering graduate schools to better reflect the demographics of the U.S. and enable higher education to remain globally competitive;

4. Promote student success within food and agricultural disciplines at the undergraduate level; and

5. Focus on social support structure, and professional mentoring to ensure entry into food and agricultural science areas and completion of graduate education or high level of competitiveness for the workforce.