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Maggie Lawrence, Editor

March 11, 2026

Making a Difference

Collegiate Facilitators Gear Up for the National 4-H Conference 

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is looking forward to the 2026 National 4-H Conference April 10-15. Central to the National 4-H Conference is the roundtable experience, which utilizes a peer leadership model for youth to practice citizenship skills through roundtable discussions and Youth Perspective Briefings to Federal agencies. This experience would not be possible without the Collegiate Facilitators who support youth roundtable groups. 

Learn more about the college students who are vital to the success of USDA’s flagship youth development program.

National 4-H Conference delegates at the 4-H Ceremony at USDA's Whitten Building in 2023. USDA photo by Tom Witham.

NIFA Grant Lifecycle

NIFA, USDA’s primary extramural research funding agency, supports research, Extension and education through multiple funding programs, including competitive grants. NIFA has awarded almost $1.7 billion dollars to more than 2,900 competitive grant projects since FY 2024. Competitive grants move through a four-phase process. Find more about this process as well as regulations and guidelines here.

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• NIFA Awards $7.9 Million in Animal Reproduction Grants
• NIFA Invests $6.5 Million to Advance Agricultural Literacy Among K-14 Education Professionals
• NIFA Invests Additional $297K in Response to Central Texas Floods

Information about the following program area priorities—including program contacts, types of projects allowed, and more—can be found in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development NOFO.

• Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (A7501) March 19

• Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (A7601) March 19
• Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education (A7801) March 19
• Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (A7401) March 19
• Predoctoral Fellowships (A7101) April 16
• Postdoctoral Fellowships (A7201) April 30
• Education and Workforce Development Workshop Grants (A7001) Continuous throughout the year but at least 210 days before the start of the workshop and upon invitation after submission of a Letter of Intent at least 255 days before the workshop begins. 

Deadline March 26

• Strengthening Agricultural Systems

Deadline April 23

• Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences

Accepted on a Continuous Basis

• AFRI Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
• AFRI Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems

• Veterinary Services Grant Program—April 16

• Technical Assistance Webinar: Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences Program (A9231)—Thursday, March 12, 1 p.m., EDT

ARS Scientists’ Work Improving Poultry House Air Quality

Researchers from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are helping poultry farmers protect their flocks and their employees, while improving poultry production. ARS researchers recently developed an indoor air scrubber that purifies the air in chicken houses and reduces ammonia levels by 87 to 99%. Read more about the work being done at ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit in Fayetteville, AR.

Upcoming Reporting Deadlines

Annual Reports of Accomplishments for FY 2025 must be submitted through the NIFA Reporting System (NRS) by May 1.  Additionally, the Plans of Work for FY 2027 must be submitted via NRS by June 1.

Find more information about the reporting cycle, NRS Resources and NRS FAQs here.

• Bioengineer.org: Revolutionary AI Model Enhances Precision in Detecting Food Contamination
• Morning AgClips: Breeding a Better Cucumber

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.

USDA NIFA invests in and advances high-impact agricultural research, education, and Extension to solve the Nation’s pressing challenges, grow U.S. agricultural innovation and competitiveness, fuel rural prosperity, and develop the future agricultural workforce. 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.