The AFRI Education and Workforce Development Program focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The program educates professionals to lead agriculture into the future by solving current and future challenges facing our society.
The AFRI Education and Workforce Development Program (EWD) addresses projected shortfalls of qualified graduates in the agricultural, food, and renewable natural resources sectors of the U.S. economy. Thus, the AFRI EWD has three overarching goals:
- Enhancing Agricultural Literacy and Workforce Training offers institutional grants for in-service training, in order to provide K-14 educators increased knowledge of food and agricultural science disciplines and career opportunities, and help them develop improved curricula to train agricultural workforce for the future.
- Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (formerly Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers and Educational Professionals)
- Agricultural Workforce Training Grants
- Developing Pathways via grant mechanism that provide formal or non-formal education experiential learning for students to enter or gain skills applicable to the food and agriculture fields. This goal offers undergraduates in food, agriculture, or allied disciplines, the technical and leadership skills required for employment in the food and agricultural sectors or in graduate programs. NIFA will award institutional grants that offer experiential learning opportunities, beyond traditional classroom experience or course work that include but are not limited to internships, externships, practicums, global leadership, and study abroad, in research and extension. These opportunities must be designed to help students develop the critical thinking, problem solving, digital competency, international experiences, and communication skills needed for future employment and/or higher education.
- Food and Agricultural Non-formal Education
- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates
- Special Workforce Development Topics
- Advancing Science supports graduate and post-graduate education in agriculture and related disciplines. NIFA Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship program areas will continue to support predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral trainees respectively. These Fellowship awards can also enable interested predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral trainees to obtain training in industry and international research on issues relevant to U.S. agriculture.
- Predoctoral Fellowships
- Postdoctoral Fellowships
Webinar Recordings
November 29, 2022: AFRI Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education (FANE) (A7801)
October 5, 2022: AFRI EWD Webinar: Predoctoral Fellowships (A7101)
August 4, 2022: AFRI EWD Webinar: Agricultural Workforce Training grant program (AWT) (A7601)
July 28, 2022: AFRI EWD Webinar: Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL) (A7501)
July 21, 2022: AFRI Special Topics: Meat and Poultry Processing - Agricultural Workforce Training (MPP-AWT) (A7602)
June 3, 2022: AFRI Special Topics: Youth Innovators Empowering Agriculture Across America (YEA) (A7703) Program Priority Area webinar:
April 6, 2021: AFRI Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy Program Area Priority webinar:
April 5, 2021: AFRI Agricultural Workforce Training Program Area Priority webinar:
March 8, 2021: Agricultural Literacy and Workforce Development Evaluation (ALE) and Outcomes in Participant Career Development (OPCD) Priority Areas webinar:
February 26, 2021: Food and Agriculture Non-Formal Education (FANE) and Civic Engagement Experiences for Youth (CEEY) webinar:
August 19, 2020: Agricultural Workforce Training Priority Area held on August 19, 2020:
July 28, 2020: Rapid Response Formal and Nonformal Education During Times of Social Distancing Priority Area held on July 28, 2020:
Request for Applications Links
Current AFRI Education and Workforce Development RFA
AFRI RFA Resources (Part IV, C Content and Form of Application Submission; EWD Review Criteria; etc.)