Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Maggie Lawrence, Editor

April 8, 2026

Making an Impact

Celebrating Extension Risk Management Education Program’s 25^th Anniversary

Farmers face risks every day, but today’s challenges are very different from those of the19th and early 20th centuries. Modern producers manage risks that go well beyond crop disease, insects and weather. These include market, financial, legal and human risks, in addition to traditional production concerns. For 25 years, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) Centers have helped farmers address these challenges and strengthen their operations. Learn how ERME projects equip producers to boost the economic resilience of their operations and support rural communities.

A tractor turns the cover crop into the soil in preparation for planting. Image courtesy of USDA.

Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Now Open

USDA NIFA’s Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program enables the Cooperative Extension Service to develop, implement and support innovative, education-based approaches that address disaster preparedness and specific responses related to disasters or disaster threats.  Learn more about this funding opportunity.

Renewable Resources Extension Act–National Focus Fund Projects Program Accepting Applications

The Renewable Resources Extension Act–National Focus Fund Projects Program (RREA-NFF) supports Extension projects with national or regional relevance that advance adoption of best management practices for forests and rangelands. RREA-NFF promotes maximizing reach and impacts of the Cooperative Extension System to ensure effective forest and rangeland systems management. Interested applicants can find more information here.

April 15 Webinar on Recent Terms and Conditions Changes

Join NIFA staff on Wednesday, April 15 at 1 p.m. CDT for an important webinar introducing the newly established USDA General Terms and Conditions and highlighting key updates to NIFA’s agency specific requirements. This session will also offer practical guidance on using SciENcv—equipping applicants, awardees and research administrators with the tools they need to confidently navigate these changes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed and prepared. Register at USDA’s New General Terms and Conditions and NIFA’s Updated Requirements: A Comprehensive Overview.

2026 Knapp Lecture Nominations Close June 5

Nominations for the Seaman A. Knapp Lecture will close on Friday, June 5. The Knapp Lecture is part of a Memorial Lecture series sponsored by NIFA and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Given at the APLU Annual Meeting, the lecture honors one of three important historical figures of the Land-grant University System: William Henry Hatch, Seaman A. Knapp and Justin Smith Morrill. 

This year's lecture commemorates the efforts of Seaman A. Knapp, considered by many to be the founder of the Cooperative Extension System. He pioneered a demonstration system for teaching farmers about modern, research-based agricultural techniques, laying the groundwork for Extension as we know it today. 

Submit nominations no later than June 5 using this form.

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.

• 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 April 23

• Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences

Continuously Accepted

• 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
• OREI Planning Projects for Assistance in Development of Future OREI Proposals Requiring Multiregional or Regional Coordination–May 14
• OREI Research Projects with Extension and/or Education Components–May 14
• OREI Workshop Projects–May 14
• Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program–June 1
• Renewable Resources Extension Act – National Focus Funds Projects–June 8

• Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Technical Assistance Webinar—Monday, April 13 at noon CDT
• USDA’s New General Terms and Conditions and NIFA’s Updated Requirements: A Comprehensive Overview—Wednesday, April 15 at 1 p.m. CDT

USDA Announces Creation of National Proving Grounds Network to Strengthen U.S. Farm and Ranch Profitability

USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics Under Secretary Dr. Scott Hutchins has announced the launch of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech, a nationwide initiative designed to rigorously evaluate agricultural technologies under real-world U.S. farming and ranching conditions. The initiative has been designed to thoroughly test and validate both existing and emerging tools under real-world production conditions, ultimately providing farmers and ranchers with trusted, practical insights that they can rely upon when making technology-investment decisions. Read more about the initiative here.

Webinar Recording Available

The Technical Assistance Webinar: Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences Program is now available to watch. All NIFA webinars include closed captioning.

• Grain Journal: Clemson Scientist Receives USDA Grant to Improve Sorghum for Southeastern Farmers
• National Hog Farmer: USDA Partnership Tackles ASF Risks in Global Feed Supply Chain

USDA NIFA invests in research, education, and outreach that keeps American agriculture productive, profitable, and at the forefront of innovation. Through partnerships with the Land-grant University System, NIFA leverages more than 10,000 scientists, educators, and Extension professionals to turn discovery into real-world solutions for farmers, ranchers, families, and communities.

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 contact sm.nifa.eeo@usda.gov no later than 10 days prior to the event.

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.