In addition to the regular priority areas, the AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Request for Application has crosscutting program area priorities that address two or more of the AFRI priority areas.
Deadlines, project periods, maximum budgets, project and grant types, and other information will vary by program area priority, please see the descriptions in Part I, C of the RFA for specifics.
The crosscutting program area priorities are described briefly below, but applicants should see the RFA for full information on each:
The A1541 program area priority focuses on intersections between data science/artificial intelligence (AI) and agricultural areas in order to enable systems and communities to effectively utilize data, improve resource management, and integrate new technologies and approaches.
The A1712 program area priority is designed to rapidly deploy strategies and fill knowledge and information gaps to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains, from production through consumption, during and after extreme weather and disasters.
The A1811 program area priority solicits topics from eligible commodity boards for co-funded research. These topics advance discovery within AFRI's six priority areas while making a strong economic impact on commodity boards’ respective industries and U.S. agriculture as a whole.
Agricultural Microbiomes in Plant Systems and Natural Resources | A1402
Microbiome research is critical for improving agricultural productivity, sustainability of agricultural ecosystems, and safety of the food supply. Understanding the multipartite interactions among the host, environment, and the microbiome is critical for improving and sustaining agricultural productivity and quality in plant systems, associated natural resources, and human nutrition and health. Plant productivity includes biotic factors affecting plant health such as either pests, diseases, or vectors as well as abiotic factors. The goal is to help fill major knowledge gaps in characterizing agricultural microbiomes and microbiome functions across agricultural production systems, and natural resources through crosscutting projects.
Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE) | A1701
Despite prior investments in basic and applied research, critical problems continue to impede the efficient production and protection of agriculturally-important plants and animals. These problems may be local, regional, or national; often call for work in one or more scientific disciplines; and need immediate attention to meet producer needs. Finding solutions to these critical problems requires partnership and close coordination among researchers, extension experts, and producers. CARE projects are designed to yield solutions or practices that can be rapidly implemented to meet pressing needs limiting agricultural production.
Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS) | A1261
Given the complexity of social, cultural, environmental, economic, and technologic challenges facing the food and agriculture system in the United States, broader views at the intersection among multiple disciplines are essential. This will spur creativity, inspire innovation, and develop solutions. The goal is to bridge traditional disciplinary divides and address complex issues in animal agriculture. This will require new interdisciplinary work anchored in animal and veterinary medical sciences to support food and agriculture production.
Agricultural Biosecurity | A1181
The goal is to increase our national capacity to prevent, rapidly detect, and respond to biological threats to the U.S. agriculture and food supply. The projects aimed at increasing agricultural biosecurity at the regional and national levels, and across the public and private sectors will be supported. Addressing the vulnerabilities of our nation’s food and agricultural system requires a concerted effort, sustained investment, and a coordinated strategy that protects the U.S. food and agriculture system against threats from pests, diseases, contaminants, and disasters.
Regional Partnerships for Extension & Education | A1721
This program area priority will support projects that provide effective, translatable, and scalable approaches to address climate issues through relevant regional partnerships. This goal of this program area priority is to connect the Cooperative Extension System or other relevant organizations conducting outreach at a community level with federally supported regional organizations facilitating the translation of science-based information to build resilience. This program area priority stimulates and catalyzes cross-cutting, and interdisciplinary work among scientists and stakeholders to accelerate innovating technologies and practices, drive climate-smart solutions, bolster nutrition security and health, cultivate resilient ecosystems, and translate research into actions through partnerships that will generate lasting and profound outcomes across all communities.
USDA Nutrition Hubs | A1722
Rates of diet-related chronic diseases are on the rise in the United States, even though these diseases are largely preventable through equitable access to foods that promote optimal health and well-being. Certain population subgroups are disproportionately affected by these chronic diseases; while current research in precision nutrition is being conducted to understand the factors that influence diet-related health disparities, more effort is needed to translate these findings into culturally acceptable guidance for specific population subgroups.
To meet these challenges, this program area priority supports projects that provide effective, translatable, and scalable approaches to advance food and nutrition security and reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases — especially in underserved, at-risk communities — through a coordinated approach involving Extension, education, and research activities.
Reducing Food Loss and Waste across the Supply Chain | A1741
NIFA requests proposals for research or integrated (research, education, and/or Extension) projects that investigate drivers of food loss and waste (FLW), provide insights and data on amounts and locations of FLW, and trial or iterate on methods and practices that prevent and reduce food loss and waste from occurring.
In June 2024, the White House released the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, laying out a path for the United States to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste 50% by 2030. Research or integrated projects under this program area priority should work toward the national goal of reducing food loss and waste 50% by 2030, in line with the objectives set in the National Strategy.
Food loss and waste, definitionally, depends on the location within the supply chain. Food loss is food produced for human consumption that leaves the human food supply chain for any reason (and is not ultimately consumed by humans) between production up to, but not including, the retail sector. Food waste is food produced for human consumption that leaves the human food supply chain for any reason (and is not ultimately consumed by humans) at the retail, food service or household sectors.