AFRI is America’s flagship competitive grants program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. In this RFA, NIFA requests applications for the six AFRI priority areas through the FAS Program for FY 2026. The goal of this program is to invest in agricultural production research, education, and extension projects for more sustainable, productive, and economically-viable plant and animal production systems. It is imperative to develop innovative, safe, and sustainable management strategies for livestock (including poultry and aquaculture species), crops, and critical underlying resources.
In 2026, applications are sought in the following priority areas:
1. Plant health and production and plant products;
2. Animal health and production and animal products;
3. Food safety, nutrition, and health;
4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
5. Agriculture systems and technology; and
6. Agriculture economics and rural communities
LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE: Varies by Program Area
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Varies by Program Area
Plant Health and Production and Plant Products
- 1a. Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems Deadline – Oct. 1, 2025
- 1b. Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products Application Deadline – Oct. 16, 2025
- 1c. Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
- 1d. Physiology of Agricultural Plants Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
- 1e. Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
- 1f. Pollinator Health: Research and Application Application Deadline – Oct 9, 2025
- 1g. Conventional Plant Breeding for Cultivar Development Deadline -- Oct 9, 2025
Animal Health and Production and Animal Products
- 2a. Animal Reproduction Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
- 2b. Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
- 2c. Welfare of Agricultural Animals Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
- 2d. Diseases of Agricultural Animals Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
- 2e. Animal Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics Application Deadline – Nov 6, 2025
Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health
- 3a. Food Safety and Defense Application Deadline – Oct 16, 2025
- 3b. Innovations in Food Manufacturing Technologies Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
- 3c. Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
- 3d. Food and Human Health Application Deadline – Oct 30, 2025
- 3e. Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Food Chain Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment (BNRE)
- 4a. Soil Health Application Deadline – Oct 16, 2025
- 4b. Water Quantity and Quality Application Deadline – Oct 23, 2025
- 4c. Bioeconomy and Biobased Products Application Deadline – Oct 9, 2025
- 4d. Landscape-Scale Production Systems Deadline – Oct 16, 2025
Agriculture Systems and Technology (AST)
- 5a. Engineering for Agricultural Production and Processing Deadline – Oct 2, 2025
- 5b. Biorefining and Biomanufacturing Deadline – Oct 9, 2025
- 5c. Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems Deadline – Oct 30, 2025
- 5d. Engineering for Precision Crop and Water Management Deadline -- Oct 9, 2025
Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities (AERC)
- 6a. Small and Medium-Sized Farms Deadline – Oct 9, 2025
- 6b. Economics, Markets and Trade Deadline – Oct 2, 2025
- 6c. Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies Deadline – Oct 30, 2025
- 6d. Rural Economic Development Deadline – Oct 30, 2025
- 6e. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Deadline -- Oct 16, 2025
Crosscutting Programs
- 7a. Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources Deadline – Oct 30, 2025
- 7b. Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE) Deadline – Nov 13, 2025
- 7c. Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS) Deadline – Nov 13, 2025
- 7d. Agricultural Biosecurity Deadline -- Sep 18, 2025
- 7e. Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems -- Accepted on a continuous basis after this RFA is published
- 7f. AFRI Commodity Board Co-funding Topics -- Oct 2, 2025
- 7g. Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems Deadline -- Accepted on a continuous basis after this RFA is published
Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include: a) State Agricultural Experiment Station; b) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); c) university research foundations; d) other research institutions and organizations; e) Federal agencies; f) national laboratories; g) private organizations or corporations; h) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents; and i) any group consisting of two or more entities identified in a) through h)
Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – submission of duplicate or predominantly overlapping applications is not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits multiple applications that are duplicative or substantially overlapping to NIFA programs within the same fiscal year.