USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Funds food, agriculture, and rural innovation by supporting research programs for universities, farmers, and small businesses.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or USDA NIFA, is USDA's extramural research-grant agency. It sits within the Research, Education, and Economics mission area and provides leadership and funding for agriculture-related science, food systems, rural communities, and environmental stewardship. NIFA was established by the 2008 Farm Bill and began operating in October 2009, and its FY2024 net total spending reached $1.89 billion.

NIFA funds competitive and capacity programs, but the competitive side is the one most relevant to innovators. The portfolio includes AFRI, SBIR/STTR, Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, and education and workforce programs. The portfolio sets award ceilings of $175,000 for USDA SBIR Phase I, $600,000 for Phase II, $10 million for AFRI Foundational and Applied Science, and $3.5 million for OREI, with AFRI alone funded at $445.2 million in FY2024.

The agency is strongest for universities, small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals whose work advances agriculture, food, climate, materials, robotics, or bioscience applications tied to the farm and food economy. Its awards are typically peer-reviewed and often span applied science, extension, and workforce development, which makes NIFA a useful federal home for translational agricultural research rather than a general science funder.