Funding Wizard

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. Research-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education and/or extension projects are solicited in this Request for Applications (RFA). See Foundational and Applied Science RFA for specific detail.

Applications to the 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. NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach for projects are expected to significantly improve the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible agricultural products, while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America. These approaches must demonstrate current needs and anticipate future social, cultural, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts. Additionally, the outcomes of the work being proposed should result in societal benefits, including promotion of rural prosperity and enhancement of quality of life for all those involved in food and agricultural value chains from production to utilization and consumption. See AFRI SAS RFA for details.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility then is responsible for repayment to USDA. USDA provides grants to local utility organizations which use the funding to establish Revolving Loan Funds (RLF). Loans are made from the revolving loan funds to projects that will create or retain rural jobs. When the revolving loan fund is terminated, the grant is repaid to USDA.The Agency anticipates the following maximum amounts per award: Loans - $2,000,000; Grants - $300,000.

The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), in coordination with 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), will provide opportunities to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. The IAEFP’s purpose is to connect United States agriculturalists to the demand for experiential, school-based agricultural education in developing countries. The IAEFP was first implemented in Ghana during calendar year 2021-2022. The IAEFP allows United States agriculturalists the opportunity to develop a global mindset, help collaboratively meet the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries, and help strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry.The IAEFP emphasizes positive youth development and agricultural skill transfer to youth in beneficiary country secondary schools. It also encourages community-based agricultural extension and teacher training as well as development of 4-H clubs for strong sustainability of the program. Application submission should include, but is not limited to, program outlines that involve classroom instruction, field demonstrations, entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development. The application should address the identified country’s receptiveness of the IAEFP and what, if any, country policies and procedures will be necessary to incorporate into the project work plan for strong program implementation and sustainability. The country’s government, agriculture community, and local authorities should demonstrate support and commitment to collaborate on the implementation and execution of the IAEFP.FAS will consider applications from all eligible organizations, including current recipients and new organizations.

Overview:The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), in coordination with 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), will provide opportunities to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. The IAEFP’s purpose is to connect United States agriculturalists to the demand for experiential, school-based agricultural education in developing countries. The IAEFP was first implemented in Ghana during calendar year 2021-2022. The IAEFP allows United States agriculturalists the opportunity to develop a global mindset, help collaboratively meet the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries, and help strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry.The IAEFP emphasizes positive youth development and agricultural skill transfer to youth in beneficiary country secondary schools. It also encourages community-based agricultural extension and teacher training as well as development of 4-H clubs for strong sustainability of the program. Application submission should include, but is not limited to, program outlines that involve classroom instruction, field demonstrations, entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development. The application should address the identified country’s receptiveness of the IAEFP and what, if any, country policies and procedures will be necessary to incorporate into the project work plan for strong program implementation and sustainability. The country’s government, agriculture community, and local authorities should demonstrate support and commitment to collaborate on the implementation and execution of the IAEFP.FAS will consider applications from all eligible organizations, including current recipients and new organizations.Objectives:For this opportunity, the IAEFP will focus on any low to middle income country as defined by The World Bank. The USDA anticipates issuing up to 2 awards in this program cycle. Each award is expected to support up to nine (9) Fellows. The Fellowship is expected to last 8-9 months in concurrence with the priority country’s secondary school academic year. Fellows participating in the IAEFP are required to hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field and be U.S. Citizens.Although each Fellow should be assigned to a specific site within the proposed country, they are expected to participate as a cohesive cohort. All applications must demonstrate that security considerations have been assessed and address all measures that would be implemented to ensure the safety and security of participating U.S. Fellows.Award recipients should coordinate with the USDA/FAS IAEFP Team, and relevant FAS overseas offices and/or appropriate U.S. Embassy personnel on programmatic issues, such as priority country partnerships, site selection and Fellow placement, and security measures. Additionally, a strong social media presence displaying the ongoing activities of the IAEFP is encouraged. Finally, regular updates on program implementation should also be provided to USDA/FAS Washington, D.C. and FAS overseas office representatives as requested.Place of Performance:Applicants may submit multiple applications for different countries; and all will be considered. All applications must address the safety and security situation in proposed country and the regions within the country where Fellows will be placed. All applications should address where the IAEFP can work in conjunction with the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program, the Cochran Fellowship Program, the Food for Progress Program, the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, the Local and Regional Procurement Program, and with Peace Corps, USAID, and/or other USG programming.All applications should recognize and demonstrate incorporation of any priority country government requirements to allow for smooth implementation of this program. Program implementation must be focused on program sustainability and collaboration with the host government to help build/enhance the country’s agricultural education curriculum. This may include formal registration with the government in the country. Applicants should determine if the proposed country requires registration to work there. If registration is required, applicants must clearly state their registration status in the proposed country or detail plans for the registration process should they be selected. The timeline for any registration processes will be considered in the proposed timeline of the IAEFP.Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the United States Government (USG) to make awards, nor does it commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a concept note or full application.Each application must be country-specific and tailored to the context of that country. Depending on ever-changing security situations in eligible low to middle income countries, the USDA selecting official may elect not to award or fund applications for certain proposed locations. In addition, the USDA may elect to negotiate applications. The USDA selecting official may also select applications out of rank order in consideration of strategic program priorities, such as geographical distribution, incorporation of minority-serving institutions, congressional directive, or other documented considerations. These determinations are final and cannot be appealed.Lastly, the implementing institution is expected to conduct a post-program visit for the Fellows to Washington, DC to be greeted at USDA’s Washington, DC headquarters, participate in meetings organized by the FAS Fellowship Programs team, and provide a debriefing of their Fellowship experiences to USDA/FAS leadership.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP), is soliciting proposals in fiscal year (FY) 2023 from eligible applicants to host a Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot project. The purpose of the CFWR program is to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. Proposed projects can be located in all community types including rural, urban and suburban. For further details about this opportunity and information about how to prepare and submit an application, see the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) located under the Related Documents tab near the top of this page.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary NRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the state of Missouri. A total of up to $500,000 is available for the Missouri CIG competition in FY 2023. All non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2023 is $300,000.00. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 7, 2023. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for April 11, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the Missouri NRCS web site at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/nrcs/missouri. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Brad McCord or Amanda Zapien at 573-876-0901 or brad.mccord@usda.gov, or Amanda.zapien@usda.gov The agency anticipates making selections by June 25, 2023, and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

To support the efforts of States, Tribal governments, and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry through the following activities:Promotion of research and education related to maple syrup production.Promotion of natural resource sustainability in the maple syrup industry.Market promotion for maple syrup and maple-sap products.Encouragement of owners and operators of privately held land containing species of trees in the genus Acer:to initiate or expand maple-sugaring activities on the land; orto voluntarily make the land available, including by lease or other means, for access by the public for maple-sugaring activities.

A. Program DescriptionThis program will support the design and delivery of training activities for university professors in Veterinary Science from the Philippines and Vietnam. Veterinary training design and training under the FEP must include a curriculum that addresses science based Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) issues that connect to international trade.Training programs are designed and organized in conjunction with U.S. universities, USDA, and other government agencies. The FEP emphasizes the development of improved and updated courses and curricula, teaching and student assessment methods, exposure to current research techniques, and practical field experiences while the Fellows study in the United States. In addition, the FEP includes follow-up visits by U.S. host professors (the Mentors) to their Fellow’s home country. While visiting the participants' universities, U.S. faculty members are expected to assess progress on the implementation of courses developed during the U.S. based portion of the program and should continue to encourage collaboration between U.S. and participating universities.BackgroundFEP began in 1995 to bring junior or mid-level university professors from countries in the Former Soviet Union to the United States for one semester to increase their knowledge of, and ability to, teach agricultural economics, marketing, and agribusiness management at their home institutions. Between 2002-2012, the program evolved to also include an Agricultural Science area, which focused on subjects such as animal health, food quality, food inspection, phytosanitary measures, and grades and standards, and involved scientists from Africa and Central America in addition to Eastern Europe and Eurasian countries. Starting in 2016, the FEP narrowed its geographic focus solely to Africa, and to the area of Veterinary Science. Since 2016, this Veterinary Science area of the program has hosted 71 early to mid-career instructors at Colleges of Veterinary Science and Medicine from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.FEP further expanded in 2021 to host early to mid-career instructors at Colleges of Veterinary Science and Medicine from all of Africa, including new participant countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Morocco. For the 2022 program, the FEP shifted focus to veterinary medicine in Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam and the Philippines. In 2023 the FEP will continue to program in Southeast Asia, again with a specific focus on Vietnam and the Philippines.ObjectivesThe purpose of the FEP is to assist developing countries with improvements to their university agricultural education, research, and extension programs by providing a one-semester training program at U.S. Land Grant Agricultural Universities. Participants upgrade their technical knowledge in their subject area, learn new teaching methods through class observation, and new research methods through experience in the lab, short courses, and/or one-on-one instruction. Lastly, assist Fellows in researching additional public/private grants/funding opportunities as well as proposal writing.During this FY 2023 FEP programming cycle, it is expected that each participant from the Philippines and Vietnam revise and modernize their class outlines for introduction at their home university after they return. Participants should travel to laboratories, farms, agribusinesses, and government offices to gain an understanding of how the veterinary science and animal health systems operate in the United States. Faculty Mentors should visit each participant in their home country 3-9 months after the conclusion of the U.S based program to provide follow-on support and advice. USDA/FAS will select Fellows based on their experiences and expertise in their field and will place them in two groups of up to ten Fellows. Each group will be hosted by a selected Land Grant University for the program.ExpectationsDuration:The U.S.-based training will be 4-5 months within the full period of performance (one semester). All Fellows from the Philippines and Vietnam should participate in the program at the same time as a cohort. Ideally, this period would align with the Fall session of classes at the respective host university.Location:The implementing institution is expected to host the Fellows at a research facility on their campus in the United States. The Mentors are expected to make reciprocal visits of up to 2 weeks to the Fellows’ home institutions in the Philippines and Vietnam. In addition, the implementing institution is expected to conduct pre and post visits for the Fellows to Washington, DC to be greeted at USDA’s Washington, DC headquarters and participate in meetings and presentations organized by the USDA/FAS Fellowship Programs team.Funding Opportunity NumberUSDA-FAS-10613-0700-10.-23-0001Assistance Listing Number10.613 Faculty Exchange ProgramAuthorizing LegislationNational Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, PL 95-113, as amended, 7 USC §§ 3291 and 3319a

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2022. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. NRCS Vermont is seeking support from and opportunities to partner with like-minded natural resource conservation partners. The overall intent of this solicitation is to seek conservation partners to provide technical services for activities related to conservation delivery assistance identified in Section A of this announcement. NRCS anticipates the amount of funding available for support of this program in FY2023 will be up to $1,500,000. Agreements awarded pursuant to this NFO may be 1-5 years in duration. This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with provisions of this notice. The Vermont State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications. NRCS will accept applications under this notice for single or multi-year applications submitted by eligible entities. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 27th, 2023. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by June 15th, 2023, and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.