Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting applications to fund one Extension Project supporting the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network (FADI-EDEN) program, with an application deadline of September 21, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time. This is a single-award opportunity with no cost share requirement, though cost sharing is encouraged.

Eligible applicants include State Agricultural Experiment Stations, state Cooperative Extension services, colleges and universities, research or education institutions and organizations, Federal and private agencies and organizations, individuals, and any other contractor or recipient, either foreign or domestic, to further research, Extension, or teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences.

The award will provide approximately $382,400 through a 12-month Cooperative Agreement with a tentative project period of November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2027. Indirect costs are limited to 10 percent of total direct costs. Continuation funding is available for FY 2027 and FY 2028 if performance is satisfactory.

The program supports the Cooperative Extension System's ability to maximize resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector against biosecurity risks, weather disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks through coordination support and administrative leadership for EDEN, a national collaborative network of Extension professionals dedicated to all-hazards management of domestic disasters.

The Scope of Work encompasses 11 core elements with minimum allocations: Executive Committee support ($35,000 minimum), Advisory Boards and Liaisons support ($60,000 minimum), administrative logistics ($25,000 minimum), project management ($30,000 minimum), website administration ($15,000 minimum), communication platform and professional development ($15,000 minimum), annual meeting administration ($8,000 minimum for subaward to host institution), task force support, partnerships and public engagement, evaluation and assessment, and timely responsive support as needs emerge.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and include a 20-page project narrative addressing introduction, rationale and significance, scope of work, description of approaches, project management plan, fiscal oversight, project performance assessment, data management plan, and letters of commitment from key partner organizations.

The assistance listing is 10.304. Merit review will be conducted by a panel of qualified scientists and specialists in relevant fields in accordance with the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.