Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich traditions, diverse cultures and important contributions of Native Americans. At NIFA, we fund programs to promote learning, opportunity and health in tribal communities – programs in which we expect to invest approximately $74 million between 2022 and 2026 into tribal colleges and reservations. These funds will help increase education, agriculture production, nutrition, food sovereignty and security and increase the tribal workforce in agriculture.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the First Americans Land-Grant Consortium (FALCON) Conference. I was especially thrilled to see such a strong student focus at FALCON this year. As we all know, the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Now is the time to prepare our students to become the agricultural workforce of the future.
The work that we do and the support we provide to stakeholders like our 1994 Land-grant Universities is in service to this vitally important goal. NIFA is determined to strengthen our support to partners in addressing critical needs such as workforce development. And make no mistake about it – our tribal colleges are a key partner.
We have five programs that specifically target Native Americans.
- New Beginning for Tribal Students Program
- Tribal Equity Grants Program
- Tribal Extension Grant Program
- Tribal College Research Grant
- Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program
Each of these programs is designed to promote learning, opportunity and health in tribal communities. I am pleased to also share that NIFA is working to expand the reach of our programs by partnering with the Native American Agriculture Fund. This partnership will allow for more funding on reservations and for tribal communities.
With honor and respect, we recognize Native Americans and their cultures during Native American Heritage Month.
Dr. Dionne Toombs Acting Director,
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
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NEXTGEN RFA Updated
NIFA has announced an update to the NEXTGEN RFA that includes adjustments to indirect cost (IDC) guidance and an extension of the proposal due date to December 14. Download the most recent RFA here.
Additionally, NIFA has entered into an agreement with The Extension Foundation to provide technical service for this opportunity. Applicants do not need to be members of The Extension Foundation to access these resources. Visit NextGen.extension.org for proposal and budget development consultations, copy-editing support, and other resources.
RFA Calendar NIFA graphic.
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National 4-H Conference Information Session
Join USDA NIFA for a virtual information session December 7 at 4 p.m. EST to learn more about the 2023 National 4-H Conference, being held in April 2023, including the registration process, schedule and key events, chaperone roles and travel logistics. For more information about National 4-H Conference, visit our website. Registration is required. Register Now.
NIFA 2023 National 4-H Conference Save the Date graphic
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In Case You Missed It
Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants FY 2023 RFA Technical Assistance Webinar | Watch online.
NIFA Invests $21.7M in Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension
NIFA has invested $21.7 million in 13 projects as part of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program. This program brings the nation's top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions that combat and prevent citrus greening (HLB) at the farm level. For the first time in the program’s history, NIFA is supporting an HLB-focused Coordination Network (CN) Project led by an interdisciplinary team of scientists representing all three major citrus producing states. This CN project will benefit the U.S. citrus industry by providing a much-needed synthesis of existing HLB research in an easily accessible online database as well as developing region-specific decision support tools for citrus industry stakeholders, the HLB research community and research organization administrators.
FY 2022 awardees: USDA-ARS, Glenside, PA; University of California, Davis; University of Connecticut; Florida International University; University of Florida (7 awards); University of Maryland, College Park; and Purdue University.
NIFA Invests $3.4M in Food and Ag Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgrad Fellowship Grants Program
NIFA has invested $3.4 million to support the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program. NNF trains students for masters and/or doctoral degrees. Fellowships and Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in areas where there is an identified national need for the development of scientific and professional personnel. Funds from the fellowships and IRTA awards are invested in graduate training and relevant international experiential learning. The NNF program provides funding to support graduate training through a student stipend and a cost-of-education allowance to the institution.
FY22 Awardees: ABOR for and on behalf of Northern Arizona University, Cornell University (2 awards), Kansas State University, Michigan State University (2 awards), Oregon State University, University of Arkansas, University of Connecticut (2 awards), University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Tennessee and West Virginia University.
NIFA Invests $2.5M to Support Military Veteran Agriculture Training Programs
NIFA has invested $2.5 million to support military veteran agriculture training programs. This program encourages the development of training opportunities specifically designed for military veterans. AgVets projects will offer onsite, hands-on training and classroom education leading to a comprehensive understanding of successful farm and ranch operations and management practices. Projects may also offer workforce readiness and employment prospects for service-disabled veterans. Ensuring there are pathways for military veterans interested in pursuing careers in agriculture — regardless of age or production choice — strengthens agricultural production and rural economies across the United States. This year 4 projects were awarded.
FY 2022 Awardees: Greensky Gives Inc., Millbrook, Alabama; Ho’ola Veteran Services, Hilo, Hawaii; In Her Shoes Inc., Douglasville, Georgia; and Sprout, MN, Little Falls, Minnesota.
NIFA Supports Veterans as They Explore Agriculture, Farming and Ranching
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has a proud history of supporting military members, Veterans, and military families both in and out of the agency through numerous programs and services.
Veterans Day NIFA graphic.
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Read More
Impacts of NIFA-funded research and Extension programs on our blogs page.
NIFA Nutrition Security Webinar Series Prioritizing Nutrition Security: The Role of 1890 Land-grant Institutions Programs
This month’s webinar will be Tuesday, November 15 at 11 a.m. EST. NIFA’s Acting Director Dr. Dionne Toombs will share her vision for the role of 1890 Land-grant Institutions Programs in helping to prioritize nutrition security. Dr. Toombs will also provide an overview of the recent White House Conference for Hunger, Nutrition and Health and share how NIFA is working to implement the National Strategy with the goal of ending hunger, improving nutrition and physical activity, and reducing diet-related diseases and disparities. Dr. Manoharan Muthusamy will provide an overview of the 1890 Centers of Excellence Program, followed by featured panelists highlighting work being done through the Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness and Quality of Life. Click here to register.
NIFA webinar graphic.
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FY23 FASLP RFA Webinar
Join staff members with the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP) for a webinar November 15 at 12:30 p.m. EST for applicants interested in applying to the FASLP competitive program. The webinar will focus on the FASLP Request for Applications (RFA) and general program guidelines for FY 2023.
AFRI Food and Agriculture Nonformal Education Webinar
Join NIFA staff for an information webinar November 29 at 4 p.m. EST regarding the AFRI Food and Agriculture Nonformal Education program. This program area priority will support content development and activities for non-formal education to foster development of technology-savvy youths. Projects must develop activities that cultivate interest and competencies in STEM and in food and agricultural sciences supported by the six Farm Bill AFRI priority areas. Data science, including artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics as well as gene editing, and biotechnology will be supported in this program area priority.
Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems
NIFA will hold an FAQ session December 8 at 3 p.m. EST for those interested in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority. This priority area is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events.
Infants Less Likely to Contract COVID, Develop Severe Symptoms Than Other Household Caregivers
Infants whose mothers test positive for COVID-19 tend to develop less-severe symptoms than their parents, if they become infected with the virus at all. In one of the first studies to explore how COVID-19 specifically affects older infants, researchers from the University of Washington and at institutions at four other locations in the Western and Southern United States found that the number of infected people in a household was the factor most closely linked with the infant’s likelihood of being infected.
A photo of an infant, courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Forever Chemicals’ Persist Through Wastewater Treatment, May Enter Crops
PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of more than 4,700 fully synthetic compounds that are widely used in industrial and manufacturing processes and found in many consumer products, persist through wastewater treatment at levels that may impact the long-term feasibility of "beneficial reuse of treated wastewater," according to a study conducted by researchers at Penn State.
Beneficial reuse of treated wastewater is an increasingly common practice in which treated wastewater is used for irrigation and other non-potable purposes,
photo courtesy of Penn State’s Heather Preisendan.
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3,300 Hidden Fungi Coat Soybean Plants: New Research Explains Significance
Septoria brown spot may be the common cold of soybean diseases, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely benign. The ubiquitous fungal disease can cause 10 to 27% yield loss, according to University of Illinois (U of I) research. For many farmers, the obvious response is to fight back with fungicide, but a new U of I study shows Septoria can actually increase after fungicide application. The study was designed to identify and track the soybean mycobiome – the collection of fungi living on soybean plants – in real-world field conditions. The researchers hoped to learn how Septoria interacts with other plant-associated fungi and how fungicide affects them all.
Study author Heng-An Lin studying fungi in soybean field,
photo courtesy University of Illinois.
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Read More
Learn more about the impacts of NIFA-funded research and Extension programs on our blogs page.
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.
Social Science Specialist (National Program Leader) (GS 13-14)
Closing Date: November 15 or when 150 applications are received.
View the job announcement for more information.
Biological Science Specialist (National Program Leader) (GS 13-14)
Closing Date: November 15 or when 150 applications are received.
View the job announcement for more information.
NIFA Career Opportunities graphic.
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Biden-Harris Administration Expands Rural Partners Network to Four More States and Puerto Rico
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor announced the expansion of the Rural Partners Network (RPN) to 17 communities in four more states and Puerto Rico. RPN is an all-of-government program that partners with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability on their own terms.
USDA graphic symbol.
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces First Round of Historic Investments to Increase Competition and Expand Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $73 million in 21 grant projects through the first round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). MPPEP delivers on President Biden‘s call to increase competition across the economy to help lower costs for American families. Today’s announcement will expand meat and poultry processing capacity, which in turn increases competition, supports producer income, and strengthens the food supply chain to lower costs for working families and create jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas.
Visit USDA for additional USDA news.
Through NIFA funding, @UVMMedCenter is working to enhance the readiness of the dairy industry within the New England milkshed to step up biosecurity to mitigate the impacts of foot-and-mouth disease if detected anywhere in the U.S.
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It's National Sandwich Day! NIFA’s robust portfolio of programs touches just about any ingredient you could put on a sandwich, from grains to meats to dairy to fruits and vegetables.
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