NOTICE OF

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Strengthening Agricultural Systems

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) FY 2025 and FY 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINES: March 26, 2026

April 23, 2026

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: $140,000,000

AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL AWARD

RANGE:

$1,000,000 – 10,000,0000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011677

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.310

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE:

February 26, 2026

ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): The Agriculture and Food and Research Initiative (AFRI) Strengthening Agricultural Systems (SAS) is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.310.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Task Description Deadline

Letter of Intent: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, February 26, 2026 Application Deadlines: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, March 26, 2026

5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, April 23, 2026 Applicant Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice

(NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to the extent permitted by law, will no longer make grants or otherwise fund programs or activities that improperly discriminate on the basis of race or sex, including discrimination in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Instead, USDA will prioritize merit and efficiency. USDA recognizes programs and initiatives will have the greatest impact when these programs and initiatives put American farmers, ranchers, and foresters first by:

• Solving the most pressing challenges they face.

• Protecting America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply to enhance national security.

• Supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers.

• Expanding and developing domestic markets.

• Training the next generation of agriculturalists.; and

• Fueling innovation to keep American farmers at the forefront of productivity.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to advancing these principles and encourages applicants to actively engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters when applying for funding opportunities to ensure relevancy and adherence to them. NIFA also encourages agricultural leaders to engage in the peer review panel process to ensure American producers are better served through research, education, and extension activities.

Projects submitted under this NOFO should align with USDA Secretary’s Memorandum 1078- 020 Directive on Departmental Research and Development Priorities:

1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers

2. Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products

3. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species

4. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land

5. Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality

Stakeholder Input. NIFA seeks comments on all Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf service. NIFA considers comments to the extent possible when developing NOFOs and uses comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov. Please use the following subject line: Response to the

AFRI SAS NOFO.

Centers of Excellence. Applicants are encouraged to visit the NIFA’s Centers of Excellence (COE) webpage for information on the COE designation process, including COE criteria, and a list of programs offering COE opportunities.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7613%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7613)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true mailto:Policy@usda.gov https://nifa.usda.gov/centers-excellence https://nifa.usda.gov/centers-excellence

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This notice identifies the objectives for the AFRI SAS program projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

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.

Within AFRI, the long-term purpose of the SAS Program is to help transform the U.S. food and agricultural system to increase agricultural production while enhancing farmer prosperity.

Achieving this goal will require transdisciplinary approaches to address current and future food and agricultural challenges within the context of the economic viability of farm operations, quality of life for farmers and society as a whole, and the most efficient use of resources.

The amount available for programs included in the FY 2026 AFRI SAS NOFO is approximately $140 million for awards ranging from a minimum request of $1 million to a maximum of $10 million each.

In FY 2026, this NOFO solicits proposals for Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Strengthening Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) Grants. See Part I § C for grant and project types solicited and Part II § C for a detailed description of each individual grant type and project type.

Applications from and collaborations with institutions eligible for Strengthening Grants are welcome. More information is available on the AFRI FASE and Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) page.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-fase-epscor-program https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-fase-epscor-program

New Information

1. Prospective applicants are requested to email a Letter of Intent to submit an application by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 26, 2026, to “AFRI- SAS@usda.gov.” This notification is optional and will be used to plan for the expertise required for the review process. The information provided will not be used to screen for project appropriateness, applicant eligibility, or in review of a subsequent application.

NIFA will not provide feedback on the letter. (See Part IV for additional details).

2. Previous AFRI award outcomes are required if the Project Director (PD) on the current application has previously received an AFRI award from NIFA (e.g., AFRI Challenge Area Grant, National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes Grant, AFRI SAS Grant, etc. excluding Conference and Equipment Grants) and is listed as the PD on the prior award(s) with start date(s) within five years prior to the submission deadline for this program. Provide the following in the Project Narrative: 1) award number(s) and 2) significant outcome(s) from each award addressing stakeholder needs beyond the life of the project (maximum of 300 words per award).

3. Mentoring plan instructions have been revised and important details can be found at “FY 2026 Strengthening Agricultural Systems NOFO Additional Information for Part IV, C” on the AFRI Resources webpage.

mailto:AFRI-SAS@usda.gov https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-request-applications-resources

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority B. Purpose and Priorities C. Program Area Description

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Application Restrictions C. Project and Grant Types D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Request for Determination of Status C. Cost Sharing or Matching D. Centers of Excellence

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Letter of Intent to Submit an Application B. Method of Application C. Content and Form of the Application D. Funding Restrictions

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. SAS Evaluation Criteria C. Organizational Management Information D. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements C. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information D. Language Access Services

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX IV: OTHER AFRI RESOURCES

KEY INFORMATION

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: Strengthening Agricultural Systems Key Information Table 3: Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences Key Information Table 4: Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 5: Help and Resources Table 6: Key Application Instructions

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority Section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (hereafter referred to as the Act) (7 U.S.C. 3157), as amended, authorizes the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), a competitive grant program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and extension to address food and agricultural sciences in the following six 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.

To the maximum extent practicable, NIFA, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE), will make grants for high priority research, education, and extension, taking into consideration, when available, the determinations made by the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB) pursuant to the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C.

3157). The Secretary delegates the authority to the Under Secretary in 7 CFR 2.21, and the Under Secretary delegates that authority to NIFA.

B. Purpose and Priorities The purpose of AFRI is to invest in research, education, and extension projects that will help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other agricultural producers address key problems of local, regional, and national importance in sustaining food and agricultural systems. These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; domestic biofuels and bio-based products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition;

mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; physical and social sciences; prevention of agricultural pests and diseases; 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 NOFO; therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to small- or medium-sized farms or ranches are also welcome. Through this support, AFRI advances knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. Additionally, AFRI supports work in education and extension activities that deliver science-based knowledge to end users, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions. The AFRI SAS NOFO provides funding for fully integrated extension, education, and research projects through a CAP grant type. CAP grants support large-scale projects and coordinate activities among academic, government, state, regional, nongovernmental, and private sector institutions. The long-term goal of the SAS program is to transform the U.S. food and agricultural systems by increasing agricultural production and optimizing its financial and human capital gains. Achieving this goal requires systems and transdisciplinary approaches to address current and future challenges in food and agriculture.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3157%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3157)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3157%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3157)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3157%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3157)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-A/part-2/subpart-C/section-2.21

Background AFRI is NIFA’s flagship competitive grants portfolio for food and agricultural sciences, and funding is offered through the Foundational and Applied Science, Strengthening Agricultural Systems, and Education and Workforce Development NOFOs for addressing critical societal issues.

For a program informational webinar please visit the NIFA calendar for dates, event registration, and link. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the informational webinars listed, please contact the event host listed no later than 10 days prior to the event.

C. Program Area Description NIFA is soliciting applications under two Program Area Priorities:

1. Program Code: A9201 - Strengthening Agricultural Systems

2. Program Code: A9231 - Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences

Applicants must explicitly identify and specify the Program Code and the SAS Program Area Priority they intend to address within the summary/abstract and project narrative. All projects must demonstrate direct and/or indirect benefit to farmers, ranchers, producers, and forest landowners.

1. Strengthening Agricultural Systems (Program Code A9201)

The SAS program is seeking projects that support at least one of the following sub-priorities:

• New Uses and Expanding Markets for Agriculture and Forestry Products

• Solutions to Pests and Diseases of Plants or Animals

• Combating Food and Diet-Related Chronic Diseases

Applicants to this program area priority must address one or more sub-priorities aligned with USDA priorities in putting American farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters first.

Projects responding to these areas, as well as developing and implementing advanced solutions in Artificial Intelligence (AI), mechanization, or automation for use in food and agriculture systems are encouraged.

https://nifa.usda.gov/calendar

Figure 1: A visual illustration of how applications must identify a priority topic and utilize four pillars to enable project success. These four pillars are planning for longevity, full integration (extension, education, and research functions of agriculture), systems science approach, and transdisciplinary approach.

Planning for Longevity: The long-term benefit, enhancement, or achievement of a solution to a food and agricultural systems issue must be addressed. Applicants must design projects with producers, end-users, and consumers in mind. This includes use of project outcomes to stabilize plant and animal production capability, guarantee or improve yield and quality, and implement tailored site-specific strategies that ensure an abundant, healthy, and safe food supply. Longevity also encompasses the use of tools, products, and capabilities to train the next generation of agriculturalists and enhance the quality of life for farmers, ranchers, foresters, and society.

Systems Approach: This requires tackling an issue and examining and understanding its complex and interacting parts rather than just a specific part in isolation. Applicants must design projects that use systems thinking that apply and study the interaction of rapidly advancing science and technologies to leverage the economic benefits. Agricultural systems are inclusive of local and regional supply chains; food production to consumption; human and community health;

and from traditional open-field farms, ranches, and managed forests to controlled production in built environments.

Full Integration: This program solicits creative visionary projects that seamlessly combine the three components of the agricultural knowledge system -- research, education, and extension --to function as a unified whole to solve challenges to current and future food and agricultural systems. Applicants must include all three components. Applicants must carefully review the general characteristics of all grant types and project types. Applicants must also review the NIFA definitions of extension, education, and research found in the documents labeled “AFRI Grant Types” and “AFRI Project Types” in the "Related Documents” list on AFRI Notice of Funding Opportunities Resources page.

Transdisciplinary Approach: Intentional teamwork, coordination, and interaction between multiple scientific disciplines, stakeholders, and end-users is essential to addressing complex challenges.

Applicants must clearly describe how transdisciplinary approaches will be deployed to achieve the goals of the project. Applicants must demonstrate the transdisciplinary linkages necessary to address the complex challenge or issue. A high degree of engagement must occur between the applicants and farmers, ranchers, producers, landowners, and communities who will be impacted by project outcomes for critical leadership and co-production of knowledge, behavior, or condition. All relevant stakeholders must be engaged from inception through implementation of the project.

Metrics: Projects must plan to employ meaningful performance metrics that measure progress during the grant period. These metrics must be aligned with key indicators of scientific, agricultural, and economic impact. Metrics can include how the proposed system and its components contribute to productivity and profitability, reliable natural resources, food safety, food quality, processing quality, food and nutrition science, human health and well-being, a skilled workforce, educational opportunities and curricula, regional or national market share, students and professionals trained, more sustainable jobs in the food and agricultural sector, consumer adoption and participation, or discernable benefits to consumers, families, or communities. Metrics must capture how outcomes will address stakeholder needs beyond the life of the project.

Table 2: Strengthening Agricultural Systems Program Key Information

Title Description Program Codes: A9201

Program Code Name: Strengthening Agricultural Systems

ALN: 10.310

Project Type: Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Only

Grant Type: CAP and Strengthening CAP Grants Only

Letter of Intent Deadline February 26, 2026 Application Deadline March 26, 2026

Grant Duration: Up to 60 Months Anticipated # of Awards: 10-12

Minimum Award Amount: $2,500,000 Maximum Award Amount: $10,000,000 https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources

New Uses and Expanding Markets for Agriculture and Forestry Products Sub-priority:

Proposals should focus on the most pressing challenges faced by agricultural producers, farmers, ranchers, and foresters with a focus on creating new and expanding existing markets for agriculture and forestry products to ensure a strong U.S. economy and protect the fuel and fiber supply. Proposals responding to this sub-priority must address items a) and b). Proposals may also address item c) below:

a) Work with established U.S. commodity crops, specialty crops, or forest products that develop new uses for crop residues for meal, feed, or oils will be considered. Pursuit of this goal depends on the development of new innovative solutions and initiatives that bring more jobs, economic opportunities, and expand existing markets to new regions particularly to rural communities. The focus should be on equipping and empowering current and next generations of American farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters; and

b) Address the long-term efforts necessary for growth of agriculture and/or forestry products markets while preserving our nation’s natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

c) May also address: Develop or enhance systems to produce reliable sources of biofuels, biomaterials, or biobased chemical intermediates, including emphasis on high-value or value-added products from agricultural and/or forestry products to foster rural prosperity and enhance national security.

Solutions to Pests and Diseases of Plants or Animals Sub-priority:

Proposals responding to this sub-priority must address at least two (2) of the following:

a) Protect the food, fuel, and/or fiber supply as well as enhance national security by developing innovative solutions to combat pests, diseases, or weeds (invasive/established species) negatively affecting plant and/or animal agricultural systems.

b) Address important crop, livestock, or forest losses due to pest and/or pathogen damage.

c) Develop effective disease or pest solutions, including weed management solutions in grasslands/rangelands, as they occupy a substantial portion of the United States and impact both plant and animal production and are critical to the nation’s economy.

d) Drive innovation, promote proven agricultural or forest production practices, reduce input costs, and increase outputs that result in maximizing productivity of American farmers, ranchers, and foresters.

Combating Food and Diet-Related Chronic Diseases Sub-priority:

Proposals responding to this sub-priority must address item a) or item b). Proposals must also address at least two (2) of the following items: c), d), and/or e):

a) Address factors linked to achieving healthy diets from sustainable food production systems with the goal of increasing nutrient content and bioavailability of nutrients from plant and/or animal food products to improve human health.

b) Identify and implement innovative solutions that result in healthy dietary patterns, support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and lead to long-term large population-level reductions of diet-related chronic diseases.

c) Upscale or maximize impacts of existing scientifically proven interventions/solutions.

d) Incorporate stakeholders’ perspectives, particularly American farmers’ or ranchers’ voices as they play a critical role in ensuring an abundant, healthy and safe food supply.

e) Explore value-add solutions that benefit agricultural producers, farmers, ranchers, or foresters.

Note: Applications focused on solutions to combat childhood chronic diseases are encouraged.

Proposed dietary solutions must utilize agricultural foods, preferably healthy whole foods. This sub-priority does not support the development of pharmaceutical therapies or products.

2. Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences (Program Code A9231)

Table 3: Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences Key Information

Title Description Program Code: A9231

Program Code Name: Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences

ALN: 10.310

Project Type: Integrated Extension, Education and

Research Only Grant Type: CAP and Strengthening CAP Grants

Only Letter of Intent Deadline February 26, 2026

Application Deadline April 23, 2026 Grant Duration: Up to 60 Months

Anticipated # of Awards: 6 Minimum Award Amount: $1,000,000 Maximum Award Amount: $2,000,000

Applicants to this program area priority must explicitly specify the A9231 Program Code and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for K12 Food and Agricultural Sciences within the summary/abstract and project narrative.

AI continues to be an important component of Strengthening Agriculture Systems. AI-powered technologies, including but not limited to automation and mechanization, in food, agricultural, and forest production are already in use, boosting productivity and efficiency in a variety of ways. These technologies address labor shortages, pest management, animal diseases, crop and forest quality, soil health, weather pattern prediction, irrigation system precision, food safety, and personalized nutritional strategies, among other applications.

NIFA’s vision is to support proposals in all six AFRI priority areas (see Part I.A.). Therefore, applicants to this program area priority must identify and state a primary AFRI priority area in the abstract. While one AFRI priority area will be the primary or focus, projects are welcome to develop activities and materials supportive of as many priority areas as desired and justified with the team’s expertise. NIFA will make funding decisions based on project merit and alignment to create a portfolio with broad representation of these priority areas.

This priority is for kindergarten through 12th grade education, but resources developed are to be made available for post-secondary and lifelong learners to develop new skills for a changing workforce.

Proposals responding to this priority must address at least four (4) of the following:

a) Develop and/or strengthen the pipeline of AI-literate and skilled next-generation agriculturalists, with special emphasis in K-12 youth, to support the advancements in food, agricultural, and forest sciences.

b) Adapt or develop AI-based tools and modalities that can be effectively integrated into classrooms, non-formal educational experiences, and/or curriculums to support the understanding and training of the next generation of agriculturalists and foresters.

c) Build and expand comprehensive teacher and non-formal educator training in AI in food, agricultural, and/or forest sciences to equip them with knowledge to train students about AI and to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes.

d) Support AI resource sharing mechanisms that make curriculum, training materials and courses, and resources accessible for the nation’s K-12 teachers and Cooperative Extension educators in food and agricultural sciences.

e) Equip learners to become future innovators of agricultural AI.

f) Advance the scientific, economic, environmental, social, and/or workforce training innovations in food, agriculture, and/or forestry to keep U.S. farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters at the forefront of productivity by leveraging AI.

g) Use AI to help strengthen youth’s understanding of the importance of America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply and its role in national security.

Important Note: AI for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences projects must be led by the education and/or extension component in the project. Research for this goal must be limited to one or more of the following components: (i) exploring pedagogical and student development impacts of AI delivery methods; (ii) economic analysis of identified solutions; (iii) impacts of identified solutions on youth and agricultural communities; and/or (iv) evaluation of long-term impacts of identified solutions on the development or strengthening of the next generation of agriculturalists.

Projects supporting research in AI innovation and data systems for agricultural systems are not appropriate for A9231 and should be submitted to Program Area Priority A1541 of the AFRI Foundational and Applied Sciences Program. Projects developing degree and training programs for undergraduate and graduate students are not appropriate for A9231 and should be submitted to the appropriate Program Area Priority in the AFRI Education and Workforce Development Program.

Program Area Additional Information

1. Requests exceeding budgetary guidelines will not be reviewed.

2. Unless otherwise stated, grants are issued for a period of up to five years and are not renewable after completion of the performance period.

3. Review additional application requirements from the document titled FY 2026 AFRI

Strengthening Agricultural Systems NOFO Additional Information for Part IV, C on the AFRI Resources page.

4. Projects must provide evidence that the project is aligned with a program area priority in this NOFO and with the AFRI priority areas, as listed in Part I § A of this NOFO.

8. NIFA welcomes applicants that leverage public-private partnerships.

9. A Data Management Plan is required and must include making data publicly available with persistent identifiers or compatible with other open databases and sources. A reasonable budget allocation for data management is allowed as a direct cost.

10. Proposals addressing A9201 Combating Food and Diet-Related Chronic Diseases sub-priority may consider evidence-based approaches such as policy, systems, and/or built environment (PSE) change interventions, nutrition education, precision/personalized nutrition, etc.

11. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the youth voice in stimulating and championing solutions and actions at household, local, and national levels as evidenced through 4-H, National Future Farmers of America Organization, and other youth organizations.

12. Projects selected under the sub-priority area “New Uses and Expanding Markets for Agriculture and Forestry Products” may have the opportunity to partner with U.S.

Department of Energy’s Regional Biomass Hubs Initiative (RBRH). Applicants interested in learning more may email: rbrh@inl.gov for more information.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources mailto:rbrh@inl.gov

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for the AFRI SAS NOFO is approximately $140,000,000. USDA is not committed to funding any application or to making a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this

NOFO.

B. Application Restrictions NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO. Application for FY 2026 is limited to the following application types:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

2. Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include a response to the previous review and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein. Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

C. Project and Grant Types The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:

1. Project Types. Applicants must propose Integrated Projects only (must include Research, Education, and Extension components within project) as described in PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION of this NOFO. A detailed description of the project types available across AFRI is located on the AFRI Resources page (“AFRI Project Types” in the attachments list).

2. Grant Types. Applicants must select the appropriate AFRI grant type. For this NOFO, the grant types are Coordinated Agricultural Project and FASE (Strengthening Coordinated Agricultural Project) Grants only. This is specified within the relevant Program Area Descriptions in Part I § C of this NOFO. A detailed description of the grant types (Standard Grants, Coordinated Agricultural Projects, Workshop Grants, and FASE Grants) available across AFRI is located on the AFRI Resources page (“AFRI Grant Types” in the "Related Documents” list).

D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award, that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See NIFA’s guidelines on Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for further information.

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3f96ab05cf1fc2d2713e5e46755e7696&mc=true&node=pt2.1.422&rgn=div5#se2.1.422_12 https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements Applicants for the AFRI must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

1. Integrated Projects Eligible applicants for Integrated Projects include:

a) Colleges and universities;

b) 1994 Land-grant Institutions; and

c) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (see NIFA's Hispanic-Serving

Agricultural Colleges and Universities page).

For item a) under Integrated Projects, the terms "college" and "university" means an educational institution in any state which

i) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;

ii) is legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

iii) provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded;

iv) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

v) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.

A research foundation maintained by a college or university is eligible to receive an award under this program.

2. Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement Grants

Part II § C.2 of this NOFO contains the eligibility details for FASE Grants. Note that under FASE program, Strengthening Coordinated Agricultural Project Grants are solicited in this

NOFO.

Applicants must respond to the program area priorities and deadlines found in Part I § C. Grant recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award (see Part III § B).

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. For those new to federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants https://nifa.usda.gov/hispanic-serving-agricultural-colleges-and-universities-hsacu https://nifa.usda.gov/hispanic-serving-agricultural-colleges-and-universities-hsacu https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants the federal awards process.

B. Request for Determination of Status

1. Strengthening Grant Eligibility If an institution is applying for a Strengthening Grant under the FASE program (see Part II § C. 2) refer to the AFRI Resources page.

2. Multi-Campus Institution All institutions grouped under one main campus as listed in “Table 1 Most Successful Institutions” in the "Related Documents” list on the AFRI Resources page, unless located in an Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) state (See “AFRI Grant Types” in the "Related Documents” list on the AFRI Resources page, are excluded from eligibility for all strengthening funds. However, if any campus within a multi-campus listing can provide information demonstrating that it is administratively independent or has an independent accreditation, then the institution may petition for an exemption to this rule and request eligibility for strengthening funds. The application must include a letter indicating how the institution is independent of the main campus, either through accreditation or administration, how the institution is eligible for a Strengthening Grant, and total federal funds received for science and engineering research and development. The letter must be signed by the Authorized Representative (AR).

C. Cost Sharing or Matching Applicants MUST provide matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all federal funds awarded under AFRI for applied research grants unless a waiver applies. Matching funds requirements for AFRI programs included in this NOFO may be found at 7 U.S.C. 3157 (b)(9) (C). For Applied Research Components:

1. Match is required – If an applied research (see Appendix III) or Integrated Project with an applied research component is commodity-specific and not of national scope, the grant recipient is required to match the USDA funds awarded on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources with cash and/or in-kind contributions .

2. Match is not required - If the applied research or integrated project with an applied research component is not commodity-specific or is national in scope, then no match is required.

D. Centers of Excellence Pursuant to Section 7214 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5926), NIFA will recognize and prioritize COE applicants that carry out research, extension, and education activities that relate to the food and agricultural sciences. A COE is composed of one or more of the following entities that provide financial or in-kind support to the COE:

1. State agricultural experiment stations

2. Colleges and universities

3. University research foundations

4. Other research institutions and organizations

5. Federal agencies

6. National laboratories

7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/afri-request-applications-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3157%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3157)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3157%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3157)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:5926%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section5926)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

8. Individuals; or

9. Any group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8).

COE recognition and priority is available only for the Standard Grant and the Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) Grant applications submitted to the program area priorities in the Education and Workforce Development, Foundational and Applied Science, and Strengthening Agricultural Systems NOFOs or RFAs. If applicable, Part IV C, of the NOFO contains additional requirements for COE consideration.

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Letter of Intent to Submit an Application

Prospective applicants are requested to email a Letter of Intent to submit an application by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 26, 2026, to “AFRI-SAS@usda.gov”. This notification is optional and will be used to plan for the expertise required for the review process. The information provided will not be used to screen for project appropriateness, applicant eligibility or used in review of a subsequent application. NIFA will not provide feedback for the notification of intent.

Letter of Intent email should include the following information:

1. Descriptive (draft) title

2. Name of the Project Director and Applicant Institution name

3. Names of other potential Co-Project Directors/Investigators and their affiliations, if applicable

4. Sub-priority/ies or Farm Bill Priority Area(s) addressed

5. Subject line of email should read: AFRI-SAS – Intent to Submit

6. E-mail should be sent to AFRI-SAS@usda.gov.

Notification of intent should be succinct. Please do not include abstract, bios, or information other than what is requested.

B. Method of Application

Applicants must apply to this NOFO electronically; no other method or response is accepted.

The electronic application for this NOFO and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application and Table 4 provides links to related support services. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

Table 4: Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action Step One: Register New Users to Grants.gov must register early with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application (Register Here).

Step Two:

Download Adobe

Download and Install Adobe Reader (see Adobe Software Compatibility for basic system requirements).

Step Three: Find Application

Using this funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011677 search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess Readiness

Contact an AR prior to starting an application to assess the organization’s readiness to submit an electronic application.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grants-101 https://www.grants.gov/ https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-grantsgov-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/register https://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://grants.gov/applicants/search-for-opportunity-package

Table 5: Help and Resources Grants.gov Support NIFA Support

Grants.gov Online Support Telephone support: 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035 Email support: support@grants.gov Self-service customer-based support:

Grants.gov iPortal Key Information: Customer service business Hours 24/7, except federal holidays.

Email: grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Key Information: Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, except federal holidays.

C. Content and Form of the Application

The NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this NOFO. The NOFO overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. Applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that meet the requirements of this NOFO. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 6 outlines key instructions for applicants.

Table 6: Key Application Instructions

Instruction References (All references are to the NIFA Grants

Application Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

Check the manifest of submitted files to verify attachments are in the correct format.

Part IV

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part IV

Follow the submission instructions. Part IV Provide an accurate email address, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R.

Part V

Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk for technical support and keep a record of the correspondence.

N/A

Contact NIFA if applicant does not received correspondence from NIFA regarding an application within 30 days of the application deadline.

N/A

AFRI Specific Application Instructions. Application and submission information including page limits and narrative font sizes for AFRI SAS applications are available in the “2026 https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.grants.gov/support mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/support

Strengthening Agricultural Systems NOFO Additional Information for Part IV § C” PDF in the attachment labelled “FY 2026 AFRI Strengthening Agricultural Systems NOFO Additional Information for Part IV, C" list on the AFRI Resources page.

We recommend that you conduct an administrative review of the application prior to submitting the package via Grants.gov to ensure that it complies with all preparation instructions. An application checklist is included in Part VII of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide to assist with this review.

You should check the application for completeness. The application must include:

1. Project Summary (PS)/Abstract. The PS must show how the project goals align with the AFRI-SAS Sub-priority/ies or AFRI Priority Area(s). See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

2. Project Narrative.

3. Bibliography & References Cited.

4. Logic Model. A logic model must include elements detailing the activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. The logic model planning process is a tool that should be used to develop a project before writing the application. This information may be provided as a narrative or formatted into a logic model chart. For more information and resources, see Logic Model Planning Process located on the NIFA website.

5. Management Plan. A Management Plan is required and must include project governance, a stakeholder advisory board, involvement of an evaluator, and progress reporting. The plan must clearly articulate, with an organizational chart, how the project will be governed. A clear strategy must be put in place to enhance coordination, collaboration, communication, data sharing and reporting among members of the project team and stakeholder groups. The management plan must include an advisory group of principal stakeholders, partners, evaluators and professionals to assess and evaluate the quality, expected measurable outcomes, and potential impacts for the proposed research, education and Extension.

6. Data Management Plan (DMP). A DMP is required. Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage and disseminate the data generated by the project. The DMP will be considered during the merit review process (see Part V, B of this NOFO). A Data Management Plan must include making data publicly available with persistent identifiers or compatible with other open databases and sources. Machine readable data management plans produced using tools such as the DMP Tool are strongly recommended. A reasonable budget allocation for data management is allowed as a direct cost.

7. Mentoring plan. A three-page limit mentoring plan is required for CAP Grants that involve any type of education, training or mentoring of students or other individuals including high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, professional degree students, postdoctoral scholars, other professionals or any other individual receiving any type of formal, or nonformal or vocational training on the project. Upload plan as a separate attachment into to Field 12 of the grant application. Include all student and/or other individual types in the same mentoring plan and describe: a) past or proposed training of individuals who will serve as mentors including equipping, https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/agriculture-food-research-initiative/afri-funding-opportunities-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/grant-training/logic-model-planning-process https://dmptool.org/ https://dmptool.org/ mentoring, or monitoring activities they have received or will receive to help them effectively mentor students and trainees during the project; b) the groups of students or individual trainees to be mentored on the project, including students grades 9-12, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, professionals and any other individuals to be trained or mentored on the project; c) detailed mentoring activities to be delivered throughout the project to each distinct category or group of students and/or trainee participants, including those activities provided through research, education, Extension or outreach efforts; and d) expected outcomes derived from the mentoring activities…