Deadline: 07-Aug-2025
The AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program supports research, education, and extension projects that address key problems of local, regional, national, and global importance in sustaining conventional, organic, urban, food and agricultural, and natural systems.
These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; bioenergy and bio-based products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition; mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; mitigating food loss and waste; physical and social sciences; rural human ecology; development of circular/regenerative economies, and genetic improvement of plants and animals.
In addition, the economic sustainability of food systems is an overarching priority for the projects funded in response to this RFA; therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to underserved communities, farmers, ranchers, or small- or medium-sized farms or ranches are also welcome.
Priority Areas
- Applications are sought in the following priority areas:
- Plant health and production and plant products:
- The goal of the Plant Health and Production and Plant Products (PHPPP) program area is to ensure continued production gains are achieved through break-through discoveries and the translation of these into plant production and protection practices.
- Total Program Funds: Approximately $61 million
- Program Area Priorities –
- Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems
- Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products
- Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems
- Physiology of Agricultural Plants
- Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production
- Pollinator Health: Research and Application
- Conventional Plant Breeding for Cultivar Development
- Animal health and production and animal products:
- Animal health and production play critical roles in the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture. Livestock, poultry, equine, and aquaculture species contribute significantly to the nation’s economy, global food production, and food security.
- Total program funds – Approximately $56 million
- Program Area Priorities:
- Animal Reproduction
- Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation
- Welfare of Agricultural Animals
- Diseases of Agricultural Animals
- Animal Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics
- Food safety, nutrition, and health:
- The Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health (FSHN) program area seeks to provide the scientific foundation for addressing equitable public demands for safe, high quality, accessible and nutritious foods throughout the lifecycle, using a transdisciplinary approach, and to explore previously unrealized opportunities for improving food safety, quality and nutrition along the value chain.
- Total Program Funds – Approximately $38 million
- Program Area Priorities:
- Food Safety and Defense
- Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies
- Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases
- Food and Human Health
- Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance across the Food Chain
- Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment:
- The Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment (BNRE) program area supports foundational and applied research and integrated projects to promote, improve, and maintain healthy agroecosystems and the natural resources that are essential to the sustained long-term production of agricultural and forestry goods and services.
- Total Program Funds – Approximately $33 million
- Program Area Priorities:
- Soil Health
- Water Quantity and Quality
- Sustainable Bioeconomy through Biobased Products
- Sustainable Agroecosystems
- Environmental Justice for Agriculture and Food Security
- Agriculture systems and technology:
- The Agriculture Systems and Technology (AST) program area emphasizes the interrelationships between agricultural systems components to develop the next generation of engineered systems, products, processes, and technologies.
- Total Program Funds – Approximately $36 million
- Program Area Priorities:
- Engineering for Agricultural Production and Processing
- Biorefining and Biomanufacturing
- Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems
- Engineering for Precision Crop and Water Management
- Agriculture economics and rural communities:
- The Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities (AERC) program area supports rigorous economic and social science research that informs decision making, policy design, and implementation to enhance the sustainability of agricultural production systems and natural resources, promote rural economic development and prosperity, enhance quality of life, and alleviate poverty.
- Total Program Funds: Approximately $30 million for each review cycle
- Program Area Priorities:
- Small and Medium-sized Farms
- Economics, Markets and Trade
- Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies
- Rural Economic Development
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
- Plant health and production and plant products:
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 300,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $15,000,000
- Award Floor: $1,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is linked to the project type as specified below.
- Research, Education or Extension Projects
- Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:
- State Agricultural Experiment Station;
- colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher);
- university research foundations;
- other research institutions and organizations;
- Federal agencies;
- national laboratories;
- private organizations or corporations;
- individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.
- Eligible applicants for single-function Research, Education or Extension Projects include:
- Integrated Projects
- Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include:
- colleges and universities;
- 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and
- Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities
- Research, Education or Extension Projects
Deadlines
- Plant health and production and plant products:
- Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems: September 11, 2025
- Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products: August 7, 2025
- Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems: September 18, 2025
- Physiology of Agricultural Plants: August 14, 2025
- Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production: September 4, 2025
- Pollinator Health: Research and Application: August 21, 2025
- Conventional Plant Breeding for Cultivar Development: August 28, 2025
- Animal health and production and animal products:
- Animal Reproduction: August 7, 2025
- Animal Nutrition, Growth and Lactation: August 7, 2025
- Welfare of Agricultural Animals: August 7, 2025
- Diseases of Agricultural Animals: August 7, 2025
- Animal Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics: August 7, 2025
- Food safety, nutrition, and health:
- Food Safety and Defense: August 21, 2025
- Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies: September 11, 2025
- Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases: August 7, 2025
- Food and Human Health: August 7, 2025
- Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance across the Food Chain: September 18, 2025
- Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment:
- Soil Health: September 11, 2025
- Water Quantity and Quality: September 4, 2025
- Sustainable Bioeconomy through Biobased Products: September 4, 2025
- Sustainable Agroecosystems: September 11, 2025
- Environmental Justice for Agriculture and Food Security: September 18, 2025
- Agriculture systems and technology:
- Engineering for Agricultural Production and Processing: October 2, 2025
- Biorefining and Biomanufacturing: October 9, 2025
- Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems: August 21, 2025
- Engineering for Precision Crop and Water Management: October 9, 2025
- Agriculture economics and rural communities:
- Small and Medium-sized Farms: September 4, 2025
- Economics, Markets and Trade: October 2, 2025
- Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies: October 30, 2025
- Rural Economic Development: September 11, 2025
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: September 11, 2025
For more information, visit Grants.gov.