Developing and maintaining a resilient, diverse, and capable agriculture and food science workforce is the most fundamental element for securing a productive and responsive food system along with a healthy population and robust rural economy. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) education programs are designed to enhance the agricultural and food workforce pipeline through programs that support agricultural workforce development, increase agricultural literacy, strengthen student recruitment and retention, and build educational capacity.
Workforce Development
NIFA supports agricultural workforce development by offering fellowship and training opportunities that prepare students, teachers/faculty, and researchers for a variety of careers in the food and agriculture pipeline.
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Education and Workforce Development (AFRI EWD) Program provides funding to support multiple training opportunities:
The Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education (FANE) program area priority supports content development and activities for non-formal education that foster the development of technology-savvy youth.
The Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy (PDAL) program area priority provides K-14 education professionals (teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.) and post-baccalaureate pre-service teachers increased knowledge of food and agricultural sciences to train the agricultural workforce for the future.
The Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT) program area priority provides opportunities for the development of workforce training programs that result in students obtaining a 2-year associates degree, technical certificate, or other industry-accepted credential at Community, Junior, or Technical Colleges or Institutes.
The Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) program area priority provides practical experience for undergraduates in agricultural research, education, or extension.
The Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships program area priorities provide stipends and research funds to Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers to complete agricultural research, education, or extension projects. Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers apply directly for these grants via their institution or by their own.
The Special Topics program area priority addresses critical challenges and opportunities in education and/or extension. Investments made through this priority area are intended to catalyze innovations or address priority issues involving education and workforce development. For example, in FY2022, NIFA offered special topics in the following areas:
- National Extension Clearinghouse for Industry and the Workforce (NECIW) to develop and deliver a national framework and clearinghouse for non-formal education workforce training opportunities for jobs within and supportive of the food and agricultural sector.
Meat and Poultry Processing Agricultural Workforce Training (MPP-AWT) addresses the development, expansion, and/or improvement of workforce training programs or stackable-credential frameworks at community, junior, and technical colleges supportive of workforce development for the meat and poultry processing sector.
The purpose of this competitive undergraduate scholarship grant program is to increase the multicultural diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce, and advance the educational achievement of all Americans by providing competitive grants to colleges and universities...
This grant program supports: (1) training students for master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences; and (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended...
Learning and Engagement
NIFA aims to increase the recruitment and retention of students in the pipeline through programs that promote learning and engagement. Many of these programs fund projects that develop curriculum and instructional materials and support teacher training that will ultimately strengthen students’ critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills. NIFA also offers professional development opportunities to secondary school teachers so they may incorporate agricultural STEM education into their classrooms.
The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program seeks to: (a) promote and strengthen secondary education and two-year postsecondary education in the food and agriculture sciences in order to help ensure the existence...
The purpose of this program is to support research, education/teaching, and extension projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs within broadly defined areas of food and agricultural...
Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a state, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate...
The disciplines of agriculture and education have been related for much of our nation's history. When most Americans lived on farms or in small towns, students often did farm chores before and after school. Old schoolbooks have numerous agricultural references. As the farming population began to...
Capacity Building
NIFA broadens representation within the agricultural pipeline through its capacity building programs. These programs facilitate access to higher education and support research, teaching, and extension activities at minority-serving institutions and institutions outside of the land-grant university system.
Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-grant Colleges of Agriculture Program (NLGCA) Institutions may use the funds: (a) to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, and outreach activities that address priority concerns of national...
This competitive grants program is intended to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Programs aim to attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of enhancing the Nation's food...
NIFA funds programs that promote learning, opportunity and health in Indian Country. The agency has five grants that specifically target Indian Country. Four of the grants support learning at the 1994 Land-Grants, also known as federally recognized tribal colleges. In addition, the Federally...
The 1890 land-grant institutions are historically black universities that were established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. NIFA's 1890 land-grant institutions programs are intended to strengthen research, Extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the...
The purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs, as...
Insular Area programs focus on improving formal, postsecondary agricultural sciences education in the insular areas. Funded projects address the national challenge area of increasing the number and diversity of students entering agriculture-related STEM disciplines.
Supporting the Next Generation
Announced in 2023, NIFA's NextGen program enables 33 Minority-Serving Institutions and over 60 partners to build, train, and sustain the next generation of Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (FANH) professionals.
Explore NextGen Projects