The Research Facilities Act Program (RFAP) is designed to assist in the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of an agricultural research facility to enhance the institution’s long-term impact on food and agricultural research.
The proposed agricultural research facility must expand the institution's capacity for long-term impactful research and must be the result of thorough strategic planning. Awards may be used to fund the construction of buildings or sites for agricultural research facilities or other facilities that store agricultural research experimental samples or specimens, as well as the purchase of real estate or durable equipment.
Activities funded by this program might include, but are not limited to:
- Evaluating infrastructure and sites
- Conceptual planning and design for a newly constructed, restored, or rebuilt structure or place
- Creating construction plans and schematics for the facility or site that is being built, restored, or rebuilt.
- Building, restoring, or remodeling a facility or location.
- Investing in and putting in permanent equipment for research monitoring and safeguarding samples and specimens.
- Investing in and putting in essential building systems like electricity, climate control, security, life safety, lighting, utilities, telecommunications, and energy management.
The Research Facilities Act Program (RFAP) is designed to assist in the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of an agricultural research facility to enhance the institution’s long-term impact on food and agricultural research.
Priority may be placed on projects that are located at or primarily benefit minority-serving institutions (MSI).
7 USC Section 390 et seq. of the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill provided $2,000,000 to NIFA to support the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of an agricultural research facility.
Solomon Haile, National Program Leader | Solomon.Haile@usda.gov
Cierra Campbell, Program Specialist | Cierra.Campbell@usda.gov