The Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program (NNF) is a competitive grant program. These grants support new masters and doctoral students in graduate training. The training programs develop the next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the food and agricultural sciences.
The NNF grant program is an opportunity for colleges and universities to support outstanding graduate students in their masters or doctoral degree studies. These training programs are in identified national need subject areas for scientific and professional personnel. Colleges and universities use NNF funds to support eligible students with stipends and travel opportunities.
Students apply through the colleges and universities. Individual students cannot apply directly to the NIFA NNF program.
At this time, NNF does not support Postdoctoral Fellowships. Please consider instead the Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunity in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Education and Workforce Development request for applications.
Student Fellows who were supported by the NNF program are employed in academia and in USDA agencies such as the Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. They are also working in private sector entities such as CH2M HILL, ConAgra Foods, FMC FoodTech, Kraft Foods, National Dairy Council, Institute of Food Technologies, M&M Mars, and Wal-Mart.
Technical Assistance Webinars
NNF Request for Applications and Funding Opportunity
Legislative Authority
Legislative authority for this program, begun in 1984, is contained in section 1412. [Amendments to section 1417 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (99 Stat. 1548; 7 U.S.C. 3152)]. This program is subject to administrative provisions that can be found at 7 CFR 3402.