USDA's Largest Ag Research Grants Close March 26 — Up to $10M Per Award
March 6, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
The USDA's most competitive agricultural research program has a deadline approaching fast: applications for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative's Strengthening Agricultural Systems (SAS) program close at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on March 26, 2026.
The SAS program awards grants ranging from $2.5 million to $10 million for projects that transform U.S. food and agricultural systems by increasing production, optimizing financial and human capital, and addressing systemic challenges across the value chain.
Two Tracks, Two Deadlines
The SAS Notice of Funding Opportunity actually contains two programs. The main SAS grants ($2.5-10 million) are due March 26. A second track — Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences — offers $1 million to $2 million grants with a later deadline of April 23, 2026.
A separate AFRI program, Education and Workforce Development (EWD), closed its deadline on March 19. But the SAS program remains open for three more weeks.
What Makes a Competitive Proposal
NIFA is looking for systems-level thinking. Proposals that address a single crop or production method without connecting to broader agricultural transformation will score lower than those demonstrating cross-cutting impact. The strongest applications will show how increased production, reduced waste, improved nutrition, or workforce development compound into measurable system-wide change.
Letters of intent were requested by February 26, but submitting one was not mandatory. Teams that missed the LOI window can still apply — though NIFA uses LOIs to plan reviewer assignments, so late entrants should ensure their proposals are exceptionally clear about their fit.
Researchers in agricultural economics, food systems engineering, precision agriculture, and rural workforce development should review the full NOFO on NIFA's website. The AI-focused K-12 track is particularly worth noting for education researchers.
For more on agricultural grant strategy, visit the Granted blog.