USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

H. Wilson


NIFA requests applications for the FSOP for fiscal year (FY) 2023 to develop and implement food safety training, education, extension, outreach and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers (7 CFR § 760.107) small processors, veteran farmers or ranchers, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers.

This RFA will solicit proposals for three project types:

1) Community Outreach Projects (award request: $80,000 - $150,000) - An additional $150,000 may be requested for Collaborative Engagement Supplements, for a total budget request of up to $300,000.

2) Collaborative Education and Training Projects (award request: $200,000 - $400,000) - An additional $150,000 may be requested for Collaborative Engagement Supplements, for a total budget request of up to $550,000.

3) Technical Assistance – Grant Writing Skills Projects (award request: $75,000 - $150,000) – An additional $150,000 may be requested for Collaborative Engagement Supplement, for a total budget request of up to $300,000.

Ticket #1: T. Hodges
Ticket #2: A. Dhar
Ticket #3: A. Lesenne

UArizona may submit three applications. The primary goal of the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) is to enable 1890 institutions, 1994 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions (specifically, the certified Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (HSACUs)), and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce including the future USDA workforce primarily through providing student scholarship support, meaningful paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunity matching, and also facilitating opportunities to learn the processes and pathways leading to training and employment in the federal sector.

R. Tronstad

G. Davidowitz

UArizona may submit two proposals total, regardless of type.

The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside the proposing organization.

Proposals to the EGP must involve acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument. Well-integrated means that the ensemble of equipment that defines the instrument enables specific fundamental or applied research experiments in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems; separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude that research from occurring or succeeding. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project.

G. Lopez

R. Tronstad

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The primary goal of American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program is to ensure improved understanding of and equitable participation in the full range of USDA programs and services among underserved farmers, ranchers, forest land owners and operators through supporting the organizational delivery of technical assistance projects and establishment of technical assistance networks. USDA is authorized to support and facilitate the establishment of technical assistance projects toward this goal. Projects must provide a range of technical assistance services to underserved agricultural producers. The term “agricultural producer” is used to refer to agricultural farmers, ranchers, and private forest land owners and operators.

Limited Submission language from the solicitation: Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. Only one submission is allowed per eligible organization. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an organization submits duplicate or multiple submissions.

C. Stuth

UArizona may submit one application.

The RHSE program proposals are expected to be community-based outreach education programs, such as those conducted through Human Science extension outreach that provide individuals and families with: information as to the value of good health at any age; information to increase individual or family’s motivation to take more responsibility for their own health; information regarding rural environmental health issues that directly impact human health; information about and access to health promotion and educational activities; and training for volunteers and health services providers concerning health promotion and health care services for individuals and families in cooperation with state, local, and community partners.

D. Sanyal