Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowships

The Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship program is administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Authorized under Section 1417 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, the program supports graduate degree programs and postgraduate training intended to strengthen the scientific and professional workforce in the food and agricultural sciences. For this competition, NIFA is using fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026 appropriations and expects approximately 14000000 in available program funding. The program is identified under Assistance Listing Number 10.210 and funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-HEP-011737. The purpose of the program is to support new graduate students pursuing masters, DVM, or doctoral degrees and to increase the pipeline of domestic agricultural students with expertise relevant to USDA's mission. Its objectives include training new students in nationally identified expertise shortage areas, increasing the number and quality of students completing graduate training in food, agricultural, and related sciences, and ensuring that fellows develop science competencies through research, extension, outreach, and other experiential learning. Applications must incorporate leadership development. Funding preference is given to proposals involving innovative and evidence-based graduate training frameworks, masters or doctoral programs, highly qualified DVM professionals willing to serve rural areas as food animal veterinarians, multidisciplinary programs, partnerships, leadership opportunities, and performance measures for evaluating graduate training effectiveness. Approximately 28 awards are anticipated. Standard Grants are available for Education Projects, with a minimum award amount of 78000 and a maximum of 705000 per application. Masters fellowships provide 78000 per fellow, consisting of annual amounts of 25000 for salary or stipend and 14000 for institutional allowance, with fellowship support for a maximum of two years. DVM or doctoral fellowships provide 141000 per fellow, consisting of annual amounts of 31000 for salary or stipend and 16000 for institutional allowance, with fellowship support for a maximum of three years. Institutional allowances are provided in lieu of indirect costs and are used, in order of precedence, for tuition and fees, fringe benefits, and supplies, travel, and publications directly allocable to training. Partial fellowships may not be requested, salary or stipend funds cannot be carried from one year to the next, and indirect costs are not permitted. The maximum grant duration is 60 months. No matching contribution is required. Eligible applicants are land-grant institutions and other colleges and universities that have a demonstrable capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences and confer a graduate degree in at least one food and agricultural science discipline or area. Degree-granting institutions should be accredited by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Research foundations maintained by eligible colleges or universities are also eligible. Individuals cannot apply for grants to support their own graduate education. Fellowship recipients must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, have a strong interest in an applicable food and agriculture discipline and related career, be registered full-time students, and not have completed more than one semester or equivalent hours of full-time study in the same academic program at the same degree level. Successful institutions must select fellows and award fellowships within 18 months after the award start date. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-HEP-011737. Required application materials include the SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet, Project Performance Site Location information, R&R Other Project Information Form, Project Summary or Abstract, Project Narrative, Senior or Key Person Profile, R&R Budget, Supplemental Information Form, Conflict of Interest List, a Mentoring Plan, and a Data Management Plan, together with other attachments applicable to the proposal. The Project Summary is limited to two pages and includes an abstract of no more than 250 words. The Project Narrative is generally limited to 20 pages of written text, including figures and tables, and must address institutional data and profile, proposed activities, institutional resources and commitment, and other supporting information. Resubmitted applications must also include a one-page Response to Previous Review. Applications are due by 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time on October 15, 2026. NIFA first screens applications for compliance with administrative requirements. Applications satisfying those requirements proceed to scientific peer review. Evaluation criteria are equally weighted and address potential for advancing the quality of education, the proposed approach, commensurate institutional commitment and resources, key personnel, and broader context impacts. Review considerations include innovation and quality of graduate training, demand for graduates, curriculum and competencies, recruitment and selection strategies, advising and mentoring, evaluation and dissemination, institutional resources, personnel qualifications, experiential learning, leadership development, and alignment with USDA research and development priorities. NIFA may negotiate revisions to project scope, funding level, period, or method of support before recommending an award. Programmatic questions may be directed to NNF@usda.gov. Other NOFO or application questions may be directed to grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov, while award questions may be directed to awards@usda.gov. Grants.gov technical support is available at support@grants.gov and by telephone at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035. NIFA states that the effective date of an awarded grant must be no later than September 30 of the Federal fiscal year in which the project is approved and funds are appropriated, unless otherwise permitted by law. No specific award notification date is provided. The notice does not state that the opportunity is recurring or provide a future-cycle schedule.

Follow all administrative requirements because applications must pass administrative screening before scientific peer review. Demonstrate novelty and quality of graduate training, demand for graduates, strong curriculum and core competencies, effective recruitment and selection, individualized advising and mentoring, experiential learning, leadership development, measurable performance outcomes, fellow tracking after graduation, broad dissemination, strong institutional resources and commitment, qualified key personnel, and alignment with USDA Research and Development Priorities. Observe all page limits and PDF requirements, use the required narrative organization, provide measurable objectives and targets, and substantiate claims with appropriate institutional data and evidence-based approaches.