The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of more than $160 million in funding for research, education and extension projects that address challenges affecting U.S. agriculture production. NIFA funds these awards through Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
This year, NIFA released six separate requests for applications (RFA) in priority areas through the AFRI program. Five of these concern food security, water, childhood obesity prevention, food safety, and climate. The sixth RFA, for the AFRI Foundational Program, is open to applications in the following areas: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition and health; 4) bioenergy, natural resources and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities. The Foundational Program RFA has the most relevance to animal agriculture, including horses.
Additional information and a complete description of the Foundational RFA, program area requirements, Letter of Intent deadlines, program funds allocated, and the appropriate contact person for each program area can be found on the NIFA website: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/afri.html.
Please contact the American Horse Council if you have any questions.
