NIFA Director Named to Lead UT Institute of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Dr. Carrie Castille has been selected to serve as the next senior vice chancellor/senior vice president for the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The senior vice chancellor/senior vice president oversees and leads the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension, while also serving as the university’s chief advocate on issues of agricultural policy in support of the state.
Dr. Castille will conclude her service at USDA in April and assume this new role July 1, 2022, pending approval of the UT Board of Trustees Executive Committee. In the interim, USDA and NIFA leaders are working closely together to plan for the agency’s leadership transition and ensure operations continue seamlessly to best serve the mission and stakeholders.
During her 14 months as NIFA Director, Dr. Castille hired and promoted 168 employees to build a strong, vibrant agency. Under her leadership, employee satisfaction measures dramatically increased, the agency resumed its national leadership role in 4-H, and the spirit of partnership with stakeholders across the nation soared.
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Elevating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge
To support the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s new memorandum aimed at elevating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK), NIFA is encouraging applicants to include ITEK in their grant proposals when appropriate.
Elevating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge graphic, courtesy of NIFA.
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GusNIP Projects Help Families Purchase Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) is increasing the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers, in turn improving the health and nutrition of participating households. Named in honor of the former USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (1997-2001), GusNIP funding opportunities come in three types.
National Nutrition Month graphic, courtesy of NIFA.
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Improving Spanish Language Access on NIFA Website
Enhancing accessibility is one of USDA’s key priorities for 2022, and NIFA is working diligently to accomplish this. One of NIFA’s goals for this effort focuses on reducing barriers to agency information and programs. By reducing barriers, we can improve underserved communities' access to NIFA funding opportunities. Our first step has been to add Spanish versions of critical agency information.
Improving Spanish Language Access graphic, courtesy of NIFA.
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NIFA Career Opportunities
We are hiring! NIFA recruits a diverse group of talented, creative, motivated professionals who are invested in shaping the future of food and agricultural science. We offer a variety of benefits and services to our employees that focus on work-life balance, career enhancement, and health and well-being.
NIFA has career opportunities in a variety of scientific disciplines covering engineering, food science, forestry, education, animal and crop sciences, and many other agriculture-related disciplines. NIFA job openings are listed on USAJobs.gov. Current NIFA job openings are for Kansas City, Missouri, or a location negotiable after selection, unless otherwise noted below.
Senior Policy Advisor (Legislative and Policy Officer) (GS-15)
This position will be located in the District of Columbia metro area.
Closing Date: March 17 or when we have received 100 applications.
View the job announcement.
Equal Opportunity Specialist (GS 11/12) (two vacancies)
Closing Date: March 18.
View the job announcement.
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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Resources Available from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
As of March 8, the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in 14 states: South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, Delaware, Michigan, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Maryland, and South Dakota. Commercial poultry and backyard flock owners should review their biosecurity practices and be on high alert for signs of HPAI in their birds.
Through the Defend the Flock campaign, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has an extensive number of resources for our partners at Cooperative Extension to share. Materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists and a toolkit are available. A complete list of confirmed cases in commercial and backyard flocks is available from APHIS online. Please contact Mike Stepien for more information on HPAI. Learn more about how NIFA supports researchers as they work to find ways to battle HPAI.
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Managing Mosquitoes and Ticks, and the Pathogens They Transmit
Dr. Dina Fonseca is a molecular ecologist at Rutgers University and director of the Center for Vector Biology. She is also part of Multistate Research Project NE-1443, a collaborative group working to manage mosquitoes and ticks, and the pathogens they transmit. Dr. Fonseca's work focuses on understanding how populations of invasive mosquitoes differ across space and time. She also works closely with professional mosquito control programs and the public to develop effective strategies for control. In this Researcher Spotlight, Dr. Fonseca shares why ticks and mosquitoes are a threat, some of the ways the multistate group is addressing these threats, and her personal journey with insect research.
Dr. Dina Fonseca is working to manage mosquitoes and ticks, and the pathogens they transmit. Photo courtesy of Rutgers University.
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Research in Plant Genomics is Answering Big Biological Questions
Since Robin Buell joined the University of Georgia faculty in fall 2021, there’s been a flurry of activity in her lab. Buell and her researchers have nine projects underway in plant genomics — and Buell has already secured millions of dollars in federal funding. This complex, very exacting work — begun in 1999 when Buell began sequencing plant genomes — has led to wide-ranging breakthroughs across a variety of fields, including medicine, farming and energy production. Her research has laid the foundation to boost worldwide food supplies through improving crop yields and plant hardiness, increase the biofuel potential of bioenergy crops, and harness the inherent power of plants to produce healing substances.
Robin Buell, whose research focuses on plant genomics and bioinformatics, working in a plant growth chamber. Photo courtesy of Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA.
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Bringing Out the Best in Wild Birds on Farms
A supportive environment can bring out the best in an individual — even for a bird. After an E.coli outbreak in 2006 devastated the spinach industry, farmers were pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry — from visiting crops. A study from the University of California, Davis, shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.
Barn swallows were considered a "gold star" bird for benefiting farms in a study from UC Davis. Photo courtesy of Elissa Olimpi/UC Davis.
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March 10: Live FAQ Session: Veterinary Services Grant Program Join us for a live FAQ session for applicants interested in the Veterinary Services Grant Program. Program staff with the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program will be available to answer your questions.
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March 11: Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Informational Webinar. The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program seeks to promote and strengthen synergistic linkages among secondary education, two-year postsecondary education, and higher education to advance excellence in education in the food and agricultural sciences; and encourage more young Americans to pursue and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in these disciplines. Program staff will provide an overview of the FY2022 RFA SPECA program to interested applicants and be available to answer any questions.
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March 24: Live FAQ Session: Veterinary Services Grant Program. Join us for a live FAQ session for applicants interested in the Veterinary Services Grant Program. Program staff will be available to answer your questions.
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March 28: Live FAQ Session: Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. Join us for a live FAQ session for applicants interested in the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. Program staff will be available to answer your questions.
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March 30: Economic Research Service Agricultural Trade Multipliers. Join us for the first webinar in our 2022 series as we explore the Agricultural Trade Multipliers (ATM) data. Economic Research Service economist Wendy Zeng will present the highlights and potential takeaways from the ATM data product, an overview of what ATM is used for and walk participants through how to use the online calculator.
Webinar graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Southeast AgNet: Multi-Million Dollar Gift for Students from Diverse Backgrounds
NIFA has announced a $16 million dollar investment in agricultural education and workforce development for students from diverse backgrounds. This will ensure that all students, including underrepresented and underserved students, in community colleges and universities are prepared and have a fair opportunity to compete for professional jobs in science and agricultural fields.
Students engage in agricultural education, courtesy of Southeast AgNet.
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NIFA Invests Nearly $9M in Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment: Agroecosystem Management
NIFA has invested nearly $9 million in 20 agroecosystem management projects as part of the Renewable Energy, Natural Resources and Environment section of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Agroecosystems are threatened by climate change, pests, pathogens, invasive species, and increased environmental pressures. Sustainable management of these systems requires the maintenance and improvement of associated ecosystem services without sacrificing the production or natural resources these lands provide. Agroecosystem Management supports research that aims to advance scientific understanding of processes and interactions in agroecosystems as well as the development of new management or conservation practices with a focus on ecosystem services.
NIFA Invests Nearly $9M in Water Quantity and Quality
NIFA has invested nearly $9 million in 14 water quantity and quality projects as part of the Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment section of AFRI. The program seeks to improve water science, management and technologies, water conservation and water use efficiency; promote common data exchange formats and access to data for decision-making, improve forecasting and model water related systems.
NIFA Invests Nearly $8M in Microbiome Research to Improve Agricultural Productivity
NIFA has invested nearly $8 million in 13 microbiome research projects to improve agricultural productivity. Microbiome research is critical for improving agricultural productivity, sustainability of agricultural ecosystems, safety of the food supply, carbon sequestration in agricultural systems, and meeting the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing world population. Research supported by this AFRI program area, Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources, will help fill major knowledge gaps in characterizing agricultural microbiomes and microbiome functions across agricultural production systems, and natural resources through crosscutting projects.
Organic Transitions Program
Assortment of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, courtesy of Getty Images.
The Organic Transitions Program (ORG) supports the development and implementation of research, Extension, and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices. Application deadline: April 21. For more information, see the Organic Transitions Program funding announcement.
American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program
Farmer uses a digital tablet in a corn field, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
The primary goal of the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program is to ensure improved understanding of and equitable participation in the full range of USDA programs and services among underserved farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and operators through supporting the organizational delivery of technical assistance projects and establishment of technical assistance networks. USDA is authorized to support and facilitate the establishment of technical assistance projects toward this goal. Projects must provide a range of technical assistance services to underserved agricultural producers. The term “agricultural producer” is used to refer to agricultural farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners and operators. Application deadline: June 1. For more information, see the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program funding announcement.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Aerial view of a Pennsylvania countryside arm, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems supports approaches that promote transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system. NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach for projects are expected to significantly improve the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible agricultural products while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America. Application deadline: July 28. For more information, see the Sustainable Agricultural Systems funding announcement.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational and Applied Science Program
Scientist looking through a microscope, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational and Applied Science Program supports six priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The six priority areas are: plant health and production, and plant products; animal health and production, and animal products; food safety, nutrition, and health; bioenergy, natural resources, and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities. Application deadline: Dates vary by program area priority. See Program Area Descriptions for additional information. For more information, see Foundational and Applied Science funding announcement.
A team of University of Missouri Extension ag business specialists developed a short-term operating planning tool. The plan is free to any farmer regardless of location and was designed for most types of farms and ranches. NIFA funded.
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Meet Pete Nieto, Jr.!
Pete serves as NIFA’s Senior Diversity Manager in the Office of the Director; Equal Opportunity Staff.
“Over the past 10 years with USDA-NIFA, I have had the privilege to serve alongside some great people who have strengthened and broadened relationships with 1890 Scholars, 1994 Tribal Scholars, Hispanic and Minority-Serving Institutions and other underserved populations.”
Interested in joining NIFA’s team? Check out our Career Opportunities page for current openings.
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