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Making a Difference
Calculating Best Management Practices
Rising production costs have farmers working to maximize yields while keeping costs as low as possible.
To assist them, the Crop Protection Network, supported in part by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, offers tools to help producers weigh the economic benefits of applying fungicide to crops, including corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
Drawing on data from multiyear, university-conducted fungicide research trials across the U.S. and Canada, these Return on Investment Calculators estimate net benefits and breakeven probabilities based on user inputs. Read more about these tools.
Farmer spraying a cover crop. Image courtesy of USDA
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Grants Modernization Update: Upcoming Training Opportunity and Key Updates for Applicants
NIFA is hosting training sessions in preparation for the transition to the eRA grants management system.
Upcoming Training Opportunity – eRA Commons Account Management Webinar
In the first training, NIFA’s Grant Modernization Initiative (GMI) team and the National Institutes of Health eRA team will review eRA Commons account management. These sessions will cover account setup, user roles and system navigation.
Important: Choose the appropriate session for your role. If you are a Principal Investigator (PD/PI), register for the “All Users” session. The Administrative Staff session is specifically designed for staff responsible for managing user accounts within their organizations.
Programs Transitioning to eRA in Q1 2026
These programs will transition to eRA with new Notices of Funding Opportunity being published starting in Q1 2026.
- Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI)
- Equipment Grants Program (EGP)
- Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program (FBMB)
- Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP)
- Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grants Program (FSOP)
- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative (OREI)
- Renewable Resource Extension Act National Focus Fund Program (REEA-NFF)
- Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA)
- Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP)
Transition Timeline
- Q1 2026: Notices of Funding Opportunity published for selected programs.
- Q2 2026: Application reviews conducted.
- Q3: 2026: Awards issued; grants managed and tracked on eRA.
- FY 2027-2028: Remaining NIFA programs transition to eRA.
What Does This Mean for You?
- If you are planning on applying for one of the above opportunities, register for eRA Commons as soon as possible. See this announcement for more information on how to create an eRA Commons account.
- Only new applications will use eRA. Prior awards will use previous systems and processes.
Stay Updated
NIFA plans to onboard additional programs throughout FY26 and beyond. Monitor NIFA Update for new information about the grants management system.
For live updates and announcements on NIFA's GMI and eRA migration, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/gmi.
Questions?
If you have questions, visit GMI Resources: eRA Grants Management System Reference Center or reach out to the GMI team at NIFAGrantsMod@usda.gov.
2026 National 4-H Conference Information Session
NIFA will host the 2026 National 4-H Conference on April 10-15, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Known as “the Secretary’s Conference,” this Conference is the flagship youth development opportunity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Visit the National 4-H Conference webpage to learn more. Join us for an Information Session about 2026 National 4-H Conference on Nov. 20 at 4:00 p.m. EST. Register Online.
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UK Study Suggests Children’s Cereal Is Trending Towards Lower Nutritional Quality
U.S. children favor ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals when choosing what to eat for breakfast. Although RTE cereals are often marketed as a healthy option, a University of Kentucky researcher is investigating the changing nutritional profiles of children’s cereals and their potential impact on childhood nutrition and public health.
Led by Shuoli Zhao, the research examined packaging and trends in the nutritional composition of new RTE children’s cereals introduced in the U.S. market from 2010 to 2023. He found a significant increase in fat, sodium and sugar, as well as a large decrease in protein and dietary fiber per serving. Zhao said this shift in nutritional quality potentially contributes to an increased risk of childhood obesity and decreased long-term cardiovascular health. Read more about this NIFA supported research.
Shuoli Zhao looking at cereals in a local grocery store. Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky.
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USDA To Hold Listening Sessions on Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
USDA is holding two listening sessions to hear from key partners to determine what additional actions can be taken to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians and recruit veterinarians to USDA and rural areas. USDA agencies represented will include:
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Economic Research Service
- Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Rural Development
Participants must register for the virtual listening session(s) in advance and indicate if they would like to verbally provide comments. Learn more about the Listening Sessions.
Monday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m. EDT
Topic: Barriers to Entry and Increased Recruitment for Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
Register for Sept. 29 Veterinary Workforce Listening Session
Tuesday, Sept. 30 3 p.m. EDT
Topic: Barriers to Entry and Increased Recruitment for Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
Register for Sept. 30 Veterinary Workforce Listening Session
Public Comment on USDA Reorganization Plan
The public comment period has been extended for stakeholders to provide feedback on USDA’s reorganization plan. All stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov. The comment period closes Sept. 30.
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National Land-grant Impacts Database Training set for Oct. 15
The National Land-grant Impacts Database (NIDB) Communications Team will host a virtual NIDB training at 2 p.m. EDT, Oct. 15. It will cover the basics of the NIDB, how submitted statements are used, and how to write effective impact statements. Register now for the training.
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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request.
If you need interpretation or translation services, please visit NIFA language services or contact Gabriel de Zayas, Equal Opportunity Specialist, at Gabriel.DeZayasrodriguez@usda.gov or (202) 655-7842 no later than 10 days prior to the event.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension that solves societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our Land-grant and non-Land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.
If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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