Washington, DC
March 16, 20090
USDA’s Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
announced the availability of approximately $200 million in
funds available through the Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative (AFRI).
AFRI is the new core competitive grant program to provide
funding for fundamental and applied research, extension, and
education to address food and agricultural sciences. As mandated
in the 2008 Farm Bill, AFRI replaces the former National
Research Initiative and the Initiative for Future Agriculture
and Food Systems programs and addresses six priority areas:
1) plant health and
production and plant products;
2) animal health and production and animal products;
3) food safety, nutrition and health;
4) renewable energy, natural resources and environment;
5) agriculture systems and technology; and
6) agriculture economics and rural communities.
CSREES published a Program
Announcement on December 17, 2008, providing an initial
announcement about the administration of AFRI for FY 2009. The
individual opportunity descriptions in the AFRI RFAs are
consistent with those in the AFRI Program Announcement. Although
no Letter of Intent deadlines have changed, some application
deadlines have been modified to allow for the preparation and
submission of applications. Additional AFRI information is
available at
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/afri/afri.html.
Applicants and other parties interested in the AFRI funding
opportunity are encouraged to contact CSREES at (202) 401-5022
or AFRI@csrees.usda.gov.
Specific program information and application deadlines are
available at
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/afri_rfa.html.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education
and extension programs, CSREES focuses on investing in science
and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and
the nation's future. For more information, visit
www.csrees.usda.gov. |
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