Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006553
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) grant opportunity, offered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), funds large, systems-oriented research projects aimed at driving transformational change across the U.S. food and agriculture system over roughly the next 25 years. The program is designed for proposals that go beyond incremental improvements and instead lay out creative, visionary approaches that rethink how agricultural and food systems function from production through processing, distribution, and consumption. The central expectation is that funded projects will meaningfully strengthen the nation s ability to provide food that is abundant, affordable, safe, nutritious, and broadly accessible, while also improving the long-term sustainability and resilience of the system.
A defining feature of the SAS program is its emphasis on a systems approach. Applicants are expected to connect multiple parts of the food and agriculture value chain and show how interventions interact across biological, technological, economic, and social dimensions. This includes addressing not only immediate technical outcomes but also how those outcomes translate into real-world impacts over time. Proposals are expected to explicitly consider current and future effects across social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental domains, reflecting the idea that sustainable agricultural systems depend on people, markets, policies, communities, and ecosystems working together rather than in isolation.
The opportunity also places a strong focus on expanding the bioeconomy in sustainable ways. NIFA is looking for projects that support growth through novel or improved animal, crop, and forest products, along with enabling technologies that help bring those products to market or improve their performance and sustainability. In practice, this could involve innovations that add value to agricultural and forestry outputs, develop new supply chains, or create technologies that increase efficiency, reduce waste, or lower environmental footprints, while still supporting food security and public well-being.
Societal benefit is not treated as a secondary consideration; it is a required outcome. The program expects funded work to produce tangible public value, including promoting rural prosperity and improving quality of life for people working throughout food and agricultural value chains, from growers and processors to retailers and consumers. That framing signals a priority for projects that can demonstrate broad-based benefits, such as stronger rural economies, better health outcomes, improved environmental conditions, and more equitable access to nutritious food, rather than benefits limited to a narrow set of stakeholders.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 10.310, listed as USDA NIFA AFRI 006553. The original application closing date for the FY 2018 competition was October 10, 2018, and the award ceiling was set at up to 10,000,000 dollars, indicating support for large-scale, potentially multi-institutional efforts. Eligibility is not universal and is tied to the project type as detailed in the SAS Request for Applications; applicants must consult the RFA to confirm whether their organization and proposed project structure meet the requirements.Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006553
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-04-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-10-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA AFRI 006553) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Food and Agricultural Education Information System Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006554 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006554 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $220,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006555 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 006555 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Feed the Future Innovation Lab For Food Safety Apply for 7200AA18RFA00024 Funding Number: 7200AA18RFA00024 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $30,000,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006609 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 006609 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program Apply for USDA NIFA FASLP 006610 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FASLP 006610 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| RREA - National Focus Funds Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006611 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006611 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Air Force Personal Financial Readiness Program Evaluation Development Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 006631 Funding Number: USDA NIFA EXCA 006631 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative - Extension Disaster Education Network Apply for USDA NIFA ES 006632 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ES 006632 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Tribal College Research Area of Expertise Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 006634 Funding Number: USDA NIFA TCRGP 006634 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006669 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006669 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Pre-applications Apply for USDA NIFA SCRI 006671 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SCRI 006671 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| 1994 Tribal College Extension Special Emphasis Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 006670 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 006670 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA HEP 006673 Funding Number: USDA NIFA HEP 006673 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $262,500 |
| Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program Apply for USDA AMS TM FSMIP G 19 0004 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM FSMIP G 19 0004 Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006691 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 006691 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 006693 Funding Number: USDA NIFA RIGP 006693 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| IR-4 Minor Crop Pest Management Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 006701 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 006701 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Policy Analysis and Capacity APS Apply for 7200AA19APS00003 Funding Number: 7200AA19APS00003 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $150,000,000 |
| Methyl Bromide Transition Program Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 006690 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ICGP 006690 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program (ANNH) Apply for USDA NIFA AHSI 006709 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AHSI 006709 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,475,000 |
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