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USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) / National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA funds AI research, education, and extension activities in various areas including agricultural systems and engineering, and the contributions and impact of AI on agricultural market structure, food safety, food waste and loss, and more.
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Artificial Intelligence | NIFA The lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements consists of four phases: Pre-Award, Award, Post-Award, and Close Out. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is committed to serving its stakeholders, Congress, and the public by using new technologies to advance greater openness.
The Data Gateway enables users to find funding data, metrics, and information about research, education, and Extension projects that have received grant awards from NIFA. This website houses a large volume of supporting materials. In this section, you can search the wide range of documents, videos, and other resources.
Veterinary Services Grant Program Technical Assistance Webinar NIFA staff will hold a Technical Assistance Webinar to discuss the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) Notice of Funding Opportunity. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.
Building on a long history of artificial intelligence (AI) activities that span a realm of disciplines and program areas, NIFA seeks to catalyze efforts that harness the power of AI in applications throughout agriculture and the food supply chain.
The AI activities supported through a variety of NIFA programs advance the ability of computer systems to perform tasks that have traditionally required human intelligence, including machine learning, data visualization, natural language processing and interpretation, intelligent decision support systems, autonomous systems, and novel applications of these techniques to agriculture and food production.
Areas that NIFA currently funds AI research, education, and extension activities Agricultural systems and engineering: Systems for crop and soil monitoring are leveraging machine learning, remote sensing, satellite imagery, drones, and precision technologies for informed production and management.
Autonomous robots are being developed to perform previously labor-intensive tasks like harvesting crops in greater volumes and faster than traditional human laborers. Nano-based sensing mechanisms and smart sensors are being developed and evaluated for accurate, reliable and cost-effective early and rapid detection of pathogens, allergens, chemicals and contaminants in foods, plant and animal production systems, water and soil.
Natural resources and environment: Decision support tools and models are increasingly used in the assessment and development of new management practices and processes leading to substantial improvements in soil health (e.g., microbiome, water, nutrients, carbon, chemicals of environmental concern) and improved ecosystem services from agricultural production.
Economics and rural communities: Applications of AI are expanding in development of new models to assist farm, forest, and ranch managers in decision-making with appropriate scale management strategies and technologies to enhance economic efficiency and sustainability.
The contributions and impact of AI are being examined to understand agricultural market structure and performance; international trade; agricultural production and resource use; consumer behavior; food safety; food waste and loss; and farm labor and immigration and policy; agricultural policy design and impacts; technology development and adoption; and science and innovation policy.
Efforts are supported by AI to create and examine innovative approaches for advancing economic opportunities for rural entrepreneurs and communities. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications .
The subsections of the AFRI Foundational and Applied Science program that provide funding in AI are Agriculture Systems and Technology; Bioenergy, Natural Resources and Environment; Agricultural Economics and Rural Community program areas.
Page last updated: June 30, 2025 Supplemental and Alternative Crops Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative NIFA Invests $300K in Response to Ice Storm in the Upper Midwest NIFA Awards $2. 4M Through the Rural Health and Safety Education (RHSE) Program NIFA Awards $19.
8 Million Through the 2501 Program for Outreach and Assistance to Farmers and Ranchers Celebrating Extension Risk Management Education Program’s 25th Anniversary Strengthening Swine Safety: Federal and Industry Partners Take Action UGA's AgrAbility Delivers Adaptive Tools and Hope for Georgia Farmers Your feedback is important to us.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: NIFA supports research, educational, and Extension efforts in a wide range of scientific fields related to agricultural and behavioral sciences. Specific eligibility may vary by program. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research is funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) / National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
USDA NIFA's Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program offers $4.8M in FY2026 with a July 16 deadline — planning grants to $50K and project grants to $400K over four years. The catch is a 1:1 match that screens out most applicants. Here is how to build the match, choose your track, and write a self-reliance story that scores.
Read articleWhile headlines chase AI and defense money, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture runs a tight summer competitive cycle — Equipment Grants (June 25), Agricultural Genome to Phenome (June 29), New Beginning for Tribal Students (July 2), and Crop Protection and Pest Management (July 6). Here is how the four programs fit together, who is eligible, and why the land-grant system has a structural edge.
Read articleSecretary Rollins and NIFA opened the FY26 Research Facilities Act Program on June 15 with a four-tier award structure scaling from $100K planning grants to $30M facility complexes. The dollar-for-dollar cash match, the one-project-per-institution rule, and the 32-day application window are reshaping how land-grants will prioritize their long-deferred capital backlog.
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