USDA Opens $140M in Agricultural Research Grants — Due March 26
March 2, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has opened one of the largest agricultural research competitions of the year. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative — Strengthening Agricultural Systems (AFRI SAS) program is making approximately $140 million available for FY 2026, with individual grants ranging from $2.5 million to $10 million.
Full applications are due March 26, 2026.
Two Tracks, Different Scales
The program funds two distinct tracks. The Strengthening Agricultural Systems track (A9201) will award 10 to 12 grants of $2.5 million to $10 million each for projects lasting up to 60 months. These large-scale awards target transdisciplinary teams tackling systemic challenges in food and agriculture — from new product markets to pest and disease solutions to diet-related chronic diseases.
A second track, Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences (A9231), will fund six grants of $1 million to $2 million each. These awards target AI integration into agricultural education, with each project required to address at least four of NIFA's seven priority areas, including developing AI-literate agriculturalists and leveraging AI tools for productivity.
Who Can Apply
Eligibility is restricted to colleges and universities, including traditional institutions, 1994 Land-grant institutions, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. All proposals must be integrated projects combining research, education, and extension components.
Cost-sharing is only required for commodity-specific applied research projects that lack national scope, where applicants must provide a dollar-for-dollar match from non-federal sources.
A Closing Window for Large-Scale Ag Research Funding
The AFRI SAS program represents one of the few federal mechanisms still funding agricultural research at the $5M-$10M scale. With letters of intent already past their February 26 deadline, teams that submitted LOIs should be finalizing proposals now.
The competition typically draws proposals from land-grant universities and multi-institution consortia. Researchers looking to track this and similar federal agricultural funding opportunities can monitor deadlines through Granted, which indexes USDA and NIFA programs alongside other federal sources.