Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006739
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) grant opportunity (USDA NIFA AFRI 006739) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). In FY 2019, this opportunity was designed to fund large, ambitious research efforts that aim to drive transformational change across the U.S. food and agriculture system over roughly the next 25 years. The core expectation is that proposals will be creative, visionary, and grounded in a true systems approach, meaning applicants should address interconnected parts of agriculture and food systems rather than treating problems in isolation.
The program is centered on improving the nation’s ability to produce and deliver food that is abundant, affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible. NIFA is looking for projects that can meaningfully move the needle on real-world outcomes, not just generate incremental scientific advances. A key emphasis is that funded work should consider the entire food and agricultural value chain, from production through processing, distribution, utilization, and consumption, and show how proposed innovations would influence those linked stages over time.
Another major priority is sustainability paired with growth in the bioeconomy. The SAS program encourages work that supports sustainable opportunities to expand bio-based products and industries, including novel animal, crop, and forest products and the enabling technologies that make those products viable. In practice, this points to integrated projects that can boost productivity and resilience while also reducing negative environmental impacts and opening new economic pathways built on renewable biological resources.
A distinguishing feature of this opportunity is the requirement to address impacts beyond traditional agricultural metrics. Proposed approaches are expected to demonstrate current and future social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts. That means applicants should not only describe what will change in fields, farms, forests, supply chains, or technologies, but also explain how those changes affect people, communities, markets, diets, public health, workforce needs, and environmental outcomes such as soil, water, biodiversity, and climate-related factors. The emphasis on both near-term and long-term impacts reflects the program’s focus on durable, system-level transformation rather than short-lived improvements.
NIFA also frames the purpose of SAS around broad societal benefits. Projects should be positioned to promote rural prosperity and enhance quality of life for individuals and communities involved in food and agricultural value chains. This includes producers and workers, but also the many groups involved in processing, transportation, retail, and consumption. Competitive proposals would therefore be expected to connect innovations to tangible benefits like stronger rural economies, more resilient businesses, better livelihoods, improved access to healthy foods, and reduced burdens on communities and ecosystems.
From the funding details provided, this FY 2019 opportunity anticipated making about nine awards, with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000 per grant, indicating support for large-scale, multi-disciplinary, and often multi-institutional efforts. The program falls under CFDA 10.310 and uses the grant funding instrument type. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full RFA, signaling that applicants needed to consult the official solicitation for precise eligibility rules and any requirements related to partnerships, leadership structure, or institutional types.
Key administrative details include a creation date of March 29, 2019, and an original application closing date of September 26, 2019. Overall, the AFRI SAS opportunity is best understood as a flagship NIFA investment aimed at integrated, high-impact projects that combine science, technology, and human dimensions to reshape U.S. agriculture and food systems toward greater sustainability, resilience, equity of access, and long-term national benefit.Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 006739
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 29, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Grant (USDA NIFA AFRI 006739) FAQs
1) What is the AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) grant opportunity?
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) opportunity is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is identified as USDA NIFA AFRI 006739 and is designed to support large, ambitious efforts that can drive transformational change in the U.S. food and agriculture system.
2) What is the main purpose of the SAS program?
The program is focused on strengthening the nation’s ability to produce and deliver food that is abundant, affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible. The intent is to fund projects that create meaningful real-world outcomes across the food and agricultural system rather than only producing incremental scientific progress.
3) What does NIFA mean by a "systems approach" in this opportunity?
A systems approach means proposals should address interconnected parts of agriculture and food systems instead of treating challenges in isolation. The expectation is that applicants will show how interventions and innovations affect multiple linked components of the system and how those linkages produce lasting change.
4) What parts of the food and agriculture system are expected to be addressed?
NIFA emphasizes considering the entire food and agricultural value chain, including production, processing, distribution, utilization, and consumption. Competitive proposals are expected to explain how proposed innovations influence these stages over time and how changes in one stage affect others.
5) What kind of projects is SAS intended to fund?
In FY 2019, SAS was designed to fund large, ambitious research efforts that are creative, visionary, and grounded in a true systems approach. The program points toward integrated projects that can deliver durable, system-level transformation over the long term.
6) How large and long-term is the change SAS is trying to achieve?
The FY 2019 framing describes SAS as supporting efforts intended to drive transformational change across the U.S. food and agriculture system over roughly the next 25 years. This reflects a focus on long-term, durable improvements rather than short-lived gains.
7) Does the program prioritize only scientific and technical outcomes?
No. A distinguishing feature is the requirement to address impacts beyond traditional agricultural metrics. Proposals are expected to demonstrate current and future social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts, connecting system changes to people and communities as well as to technical performance.
8) What types of impacts are applicants expected to address?
Applicants are expected to explain both near-term and long-term impacts across multiple dimensions, including social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental outcomes. Environmental examples referenced include soil, water, biodiversity, and climate-related factors, along with broader community and public health considerations such as diets, workforce needs, and access to healthy foods.
9) How does the SAS opportunity relate to sustainability?
Sustainability is a central priority. The opportunity encourages projects that boost productivity and resilience while reducing negative environmental impacts, aiming for system-level changes that can be maintained over time.
10) What is the bioeconomy emphasis in this opportunity?
The program pairs sustainability with growth in the bioeconomy. It encourages work that supports sustainable expansion of bio-based products and industries, including novel animal, crop, and forest products and the enabling technologies that make these products viable.
11) Does SAS encourage economic and community benefits?
Yes. NIFA frames SAS around broad societal benefits, including promoting rural prosperity and enhancing quality of life for individuals and communities involved in food and agricultural value chains. Proposals are expected to connect innovations to tangible benefits such as stronger rural economies, resilient businesses, improved livelihoods, improved access to healthy foods, and reduced burdens on communities and ecosystems.
12) Is this opportunity aimed at incremental improvements or transformational change?
The opportunity is positioned as a flagship investment aimed at transformational, system-level change. NIFA indicates it is looking for projects that can meaningfully move real-world outcomes rather than projects focused mainly on incremental advances.
13) How many awards were anticipated under the FY 2019 SAS opportunity?
The FY 2019 funding details anticipated making about nine awards.
14) What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for this opportunity?
The award ceiling was listed as up to $10,000,000 per grant, indicating support for large-scale efforts that are often multi-disciplinary and potentially multi-institutional.
15) What type of funding instrument is used?
The opportunity uses the grant funding instrument type.
16) What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 10.310.
17) Who administers and runs the SAS program?
The program is run by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the broader AFRI framework.
18) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full Request for Applications (RFA). Applicants would need to consult the official solicitation for precise eligibility rules and any requirements tied to partnerships, leadership structure, or institutional types.
19) Where should applicants look for exact eligibility and administrative requirements?
The summary indicates that the full RFA contains additional clarification. For exact requirements related to eligibility, partnerships, leadership structure, and applicant institutional types, the official solicitation would be the controlling source.
20) When was this opportunity created and what was the application deadline?
The opportunity has a creation date of March 29, 2019, and the original application closing date was September 26, 2019.
21) Why does SAS emphasize the value chain from production through consumption?
The stated emphasis is on integrated, real-world outcomes. By requiring consideration of production, processing, distribution, utilization, and consumption, the program signals that successful projects should explain how innovations propagate through the system and influence food availability, affordability, safety, nutrition, and accessibility over time.
22) What makes a proposal competitive based on this description?
Based on the description provided, competitive proposals would be expected to be creative and visionary, grounded in a systems approach, consider the full value chain, and clearly connect proposed innovations to measurable social, economic, health, and environmental impacts. They would also be positioned to promote rural prosperity and quality of life while advancing sustainability and the bioeconomy.
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