NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

BASIC INFORMATION

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to the extent permitted by law, will no longer make grants or otherwise fund programs or activities that improperly discriminate on the basis of race or sex, including discrimination in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Instead, USDA will prioritize merit and efficiency. USDA recognizes programs and initiatives will have the greatest impact when these programs and initiatives put American farmers, ranchers, and foresters first by:

• solving the most pressing challenges they face;
• protecting America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply to enhance national security;
• supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers;
• expanding and developing domestic markets; 
• training the next generation of agriculturalists; and
• fueling innovation to keep American farmers at the forefront of productivity.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to advancing these principles and encourages applicants to actively engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters when applying for funding opportunities to ensure relevancy and adherence to them. NIFA also encourages agricultural leaders to engage in the peer review panel process to ensure American producers are better served through research, education, and extension activities.

Projects submitted under this NOFO should align with USDA Secretary’s Memorandum 1078-020 Directive on Departmental Research and Development Priorities:

1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers
2. Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products
3. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species
4. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land
5. Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality

NIFA seeks comments on all Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)  and uses comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov.

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority

The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 5924.

B. Purpose and Priorities

 The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative, under assistance listing number 10.332, will fund research that will:

1. Study agriculturally significant crops and animals in production environments to achieve sustainable and secure agricultural production.
2. Ensure that current gaps in existing knowledge of agricultural crop and animal genetics and phenomics are filled.
3. Identify and develop a functional understanding of relevant genes from animals and agronomically relevant genes from crops that are of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States.
4. Ensure future genetic improvement of crops and animals of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States.
5. Study the relevance of diverse germplasm as a source of unique genes that may be of importance in the future.
6. Enhance genetics to reduce the economic impact of pathogens on crops and animals of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States.
7. Disseminate findings to relevant audiences.

The priorities of this program are to:

1. Promote effective collaborations across academic disciplines by integrating perspectives and expertise through team science and communication.
2. Develop models combining fields such as genetics, genomics, plant physiology, animal physiology, meat science, animal nutrition, veterinary science, agronomy, abiotic and biotic factors, and crop modeling with computation and informatics, statistics, and engineering to focus on needs such as yield, feed conversion efficiency, production efficiency, and nutritional quality with incorporation of genetics.
3. Employ common data architectures across crop and animal systems consistent with FAIR data principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/).
4. Engineer novel hardware, computing, and information systems to improve and democratize the acquisition, interpretation, and analysis of large datasets of high periodicity imagery, spectra, phenotypes, genotypes, and accompanying metadata.   
5. Study the potential relevance of germplasm as a source of unique genes that may be of importance in the future genetic improvement of crops and animals of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States.
6. Improve the quality and availability of crop and animal genetic resources for use in the agricultural sector.  

All applications are encouraged to address at least two of the five goals listed below through a research-focused approach:

1. Develop new or augment existing benchmark datasets comprised of genetic, phenotypic, abiotic and biotic factors, and physiological data on crops or livestock, poultry, and aquaculture of importance to U.S. agriculture for the purpose of testing, training, and comparing predictive analytic tools by the data science community with potential wide application in agricultural fields. 
2. Combine plant and/or animal genomic information with phenotypic and environmental data through an interdisciplinary framework, leading to a novel understanding of plant and/or animal processes that affect growth, productivity, and the ability to predict performance, which will result in the deployment of superior varieties or individuals to producers and improved management recommendations for farmers and ranchers. 
3. Development of high-throughput methods for on-farm recording of traits for improving selection criteria in plants and/or animals. This may include artificial intelligence, machine learning, and phenomics methodologies.
4. Improve national agricultural data infrastructure to facilitate storage and programmatic access to very large datasets and to allow for improved data description, harmonization, and system interoperability.
5. Incorporate workforce development through support and training at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate level with a sound mentorship plan that incorporates creative, meaningful contributions by project participants to research design, interpretation, and scientific inquiry. Workforce development efforts that include a partnership with private for-profit entities are welcome.  

Other Program Information

1. Applications must include a budgeted plan for data management that includes making data publicly available and adhering to FAIR data principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/).
2. Applications must provide a compelling case for why it is essential to bring together substantially different science and engineering disciplines to address a specific genome-to-phenome need.
3. Applications that demonstrate coordination and collaboration with international partners, especially public-private partnerships, and other genome-to-phenome projects worldwide are allowed, excluding partnerships with Countries of Particular Concern as determined by the U.S. Department of State. However, applications must be submitted by eligible U.S. institutions.
4. Consortia of eligible entities are encouraged to apply for this funding opportunity. 

For a program informational webinar, please visit the NIFA calendar for dates, event registration, and link. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the informational webinars listed, please contact the event host listed no later than 10 days prior to the event. 

C. Program Key Information

The following key program information only pertains to the funding year for FY 2026.

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The amount available for the AG2PI in FY 2026 is approximately $1,827,495. The research grant component has approximately $1,777,495, with the remaining funds available in a separate NOFO for workshop projects. USDA is not committed to funding any application or to making a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this NOFO.

B. Application Restrictions

NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO. Application for FY 2026 is limited to the following application types: 

New Application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

Resubmitted Application: Resubmitted applications must include the response to the previous review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein. Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).  

C. Project and Grant Types

The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding: Standard Research Projects Only.

D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award, that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for further information.

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA's About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

The following entity(ies) may apply to this NOFO: Individuals and Organizations.

In accordance with 7 USC 3157(b)(7), the Secretary may make grants under this subsection to:

1. State agricultural experiment stations;

2. Colleges and universities;

3. University research foundations;

4. Other research institutions and organizations;

5. Federal agencies;

6. National laboratories;

7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations;

8. Individuals; or

9. Any group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8). 

A consortium of eligible entities is encouraged to apply under this NOFO. 

USDA will not accept applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.

Submission of duplicate or predominantly overlapping applications is not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits multiple applications that are duplicative or substantially overlapping with NIFA programs within the same NOFO fiscal year.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Applicants MUST provide 100% matching contributions for all Federal funds awarded under this funding opportunity announcement.

None

 NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a grant if one of the following applies:

1. The results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or
2. The project involves a minor commodity, the project deals with scientifically important research, and the grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement. 

C. Centers of Excellence

Pursuant to Section 7214 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5926), NIFA will recognize and prioritize COE applicants that carry out research, extension, and education activities that relate to the food and agricultural sciences. A COE is composed of one or more of the following entities that provide financial or in-kind support to the COE. A full explanation, including the process for requesting Center of Excellence designation can be found here: Centers of Excellence (COE) or in Part IV, B of this NOFO. 

1. State agricultural experiment stations
2. Colleges and universities
3. University research foundations
4. Other research institutions and organizations
5. Federal agencies
6. National laboratories
7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations
8. Individuals
9. Any group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8).

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application

Applicants must apply to this NOFO electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this NOFO and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Steps to Obtain Application Materials provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

Steps to Obtain Application Materials:

Help and Resources:

B. Content and Form of Application

The NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this NOFO. The NOFO overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. Applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that meet the requirements of this NOFO. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Key Application Instructions outlines key instructions for applicants.  

Key Application Instructions:

C. Funding Restrictions

Indirect Cost (IDC) is not to exceed 30 percent of the recipient's Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA)

7 U.S.C. 3310 limits the recovery of IDC for the overall award to 30 percent of the TFFA under a research, education, or extension grant. The maximum allowable IDC amount recoverable under the award, including the IDC charged by the subawardee(s), if any, is the lesser of the following and is determined by calculating the amount of IDC using:

1. the sum of an institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate and the indirect cost rate charged by subawardees, if any; or
2. 30 percent of TFFA.

If the result of number one is the lesser of the two amounts, the grant recipient is allowed to charge the negotiated IDC rate on the prime award and the subaward(s), if any. Any subawards would be subject to the subawardee’s negotiated IDC rate. The subawardee may charge its negotiated IDC rate on its portion of the award, provided the sum of the IDC amount charged under the award by the prime awardee and the subawardee(s) does not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

If the result of number two is the lesser of the two amounts, then the maximum IDC allowed for the overall award, including any subaward(s), is limited to 30 percent of the TFFA. That is, the IDC of the prime awardee plus the sum of the IDC charged by the subawardee(s), if any, may not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

In the event of an award, the prime awardee is responsible for ensuring the maximum indirect cost allowed for the award is not exceeded when combining IDC for the Federal portion (i.e., prime and subawardee(s)) and any applicable cost-sharing. Amounts exceeding the maximum allowable IDC are considered unallowable. See sections 408 and 410 of 2 CFR 200.

If the applicant does not have a negotiated rate and NIFA is the cognizant agency, the applicant may request an IDC rate. Applicants are not required to complete the IDC package during the application process and need only to calculate a rate to serve as a basis for requesting IDC. If awarded, the applicant will be required to submit a complete IDC proposal package to obtain a negotiated rate.

Organizations that do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may elect the de minimis rate (2 CFR 200.414(f)). The Uniform Guidance offers the option of electing to charge a de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC), which may be used indefinitely. As described above and in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be charged consistently as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double-charged or inconsistently charged as both. If elected, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which it may do at any time.

See NIFA Indirect Costs for information including additional resources and NIFA Indirect Cost Guidance Chart.

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA's Evaluation Process

NIFA evaluates each application in a two-part process. First, we screen each application to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in this NOFO. All administrative requirements must be met in order for the application to proceed to the next level of review. Second, a scientific peer-review process will be used to technically evaluate applications that have met the administrative requirements using a review panel (see NIFA Peer Review Process).

NIFA selects reviewers for the review panel based upon their training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors:

1. The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities.
2. The need to include experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields.
3. The need to include other experts (e.g., agricultural producers, range or forest managers/operators, researchers, educators, evaluators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs.
4. The need to include experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, and private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations.
5. The need to maintain a balanced composition with regard to the reviewer's area of expertise, geographic area, and entity type, as appropriate.
6. The need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness of each application to producers and the general public.

After each peer review panel has completed its deliberations, the responsible program staff of NIFA will recommend that your project is either approved for support from currently available funds or declined due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.

NIFA reserves the right to negotiate with the PD/PI and/or the submitting organization or institution regarding project revisions (e.g., reductions in the scope of work, funding level, period, or method of support) prior to recommending any project for funding.

After the review process has been completed, NIFA sends copies of reviews, not including the identity of reviewers, and a summary (if applicable) of the review panel comments to the PD.
 

NIFA takes extreme care to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence the review or evaluation (see NIFA Peer Review Process for Competitive Grant Applications).

B. Evaluation Criteria

NIFA will use the following criteria to evaluate and score applications to this funding opportunity.

C. Organizational Management Information

Applicants must submit specific management information prior to an award and update the information as needed. Applicants may only need to provide an update if there was a change in previously provided information under this or another NIFA program. NIFA provides the requisite forms during the pre-award process. Although an applicant may be eligible for award under this program, there are factors that may exclude an applicant from receiving Federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or suspension of an individual, or a determination that an applicant is not responsible).

D. Application Disposition

Applicants may withdraw at any time before NIFA makes a final funding decision. NIFA will retain all applications, including withdrawn applications and unfunded applications.

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General

Within the limit of funds authorized, the NIFA awarding official will make grants to responsible and eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this NOFO. The date specified by the NIFA awarding official as the effective date of the grant must be no later than September 30 of the federal fiscal year in which the project is approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless otherwise permitted by law. The project need not be initiated on the grant effective date, but as soon thereafter as practical so that project goals may be attained within the funded project period. All funds granted by NIFA under this NOFO may be used only for the purpose for which they are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, regulations, terms and conditions of the award, applicable federal cost principles, USDA assistance regulations, and NIFA General Awards Administration Provisions, 7 CFR Part 3430, subparts A through E.

The award document will provide pertinent instructions and information as described in 2 CFR 200.211 (see NIFA’s Terms and Conditions).

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 

Several federal statutes and regulations apply to grant applications and the projects outlined in this NOFO (some are listed here: Federal Regulations). Unless specifically noted by statute or award-specific requirements, NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide applies to all NIFA awards.

C. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

Output and reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions. If there are any program or award-specific award terms, they will be identified in the Award Notice.

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget

Unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise, awardees may not in whole or in part delegate or transfer to another person, institution, or organization the responsibility for use or expenditure of award funds.

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.308, awardees must request prior approval from NIFA for the following program or budget-related reasons (the awardee is subject to the terms and conditions identified in the award):

1. Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program without prior written approval (even if there is no associated budget revision required);
2. Change in a key person specified in the application or the federal award;
3. Disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project;
4. Inclusion of costs that require prior approval in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E (Cost Principles), or 2 CFR Part 300 Appendix IX, or 48 CFR, unless waived by the Federal awarding agency, 48 CFR Part 31, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures;
5. Transfer of funds budgeted for participant support costs to other categories of expense (2 CFR 200.456 Participant support costs);
6. Subawarding, transferring or contracting out of any work under a federal award, including fixed amount subawards (see 2 CFR 200.333, Fixed Amount Subawards), unless described in the application and funded in the approved federal awards. This provision does not apply to the acquisition of supplies, material, equipment, or general support services;
7. Changes in the approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the non-federal entity;
8. The need for additional federal funds to complete the project;
9. Salary rates of pay exceeding an Executive Level IV salary range (see “Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule” under the “Executive & Senior Level Employee Pay Tables” header at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/) require prior NIFA approval. This rate does not include any fringe benefits, general and administrative (G&A), overhead, or other expenses. Requests for approval must include the salary rate of pay and a justification for the rate and be sent to the Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) to awards@usda.gov;
10. No more than 50 percent of the total dollars of this award may be subcontracted to another party(ies) without prior written approval of the ADO, except subcontracts to Federal agencies.
11. Transferring funds between the construction and non-construction work under a Federal award; and
12. A no-cost extension (meaning, an extension of time that does not require the obligation of additional Federal funds) of the period of performance, other than any one-time extension authorized by the Federal agency in accordance with paragraph 2 CFR 200.308(g)(2). All requests for no-cost extensions should be submitted at least 10 calendar days before the conclusion of the period of performance. The Federal agency may approve multiple no-cost extensions under a Federal award if not prohibited by Federal statute or regulation.

B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of NIFA transaction records, which are available to the public. Information that the Secretary of Agriculture determines to be confidential, privileged, or proprietary in nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, applicants should clearly mark any information within the application they wish to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary. NIFA will retain a copy of an application that does not result in an award for three years. Such an application will be released only with the consent of the applicant or to the extent required by law. An applicant may withdraw at any time prior to the final action thereon.

C. Regulatory Information

This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with state and local officials. Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the collection of information requirements contained in this notice have been approved under OMB Document No. 0524- 0039.

D. Language Access Services

NIFA offers language access services, such as interpretation and translation of vital information, free of charge. If you need interpretation or translation services, please visit NIFA Language Access Services.

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

• Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – AFRI
• Assistance Listing Number – ALN
• Authorized Departmental Officer – ADO
• Authorized Representative – AR
• Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 – AREERA
• Coordinated Agricultural Project – CAP
• Centers of Excellence – COE
• Data Management Plan – DMP
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture – NIFA
• Notice of Funding Opportunity - NOFO
• Request for Application – RFA
• Research, Education, and Economics – REE
• United States Department of Agriculture – USDA

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

(Refer to 7 CFR 3430 Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Federal Assistance Programs – General Award Administrative Provisions for additional definitions) 

• Continuation Award: An award instrument by which NIFA agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined period of time with a statement of intention to provide additional support at a future date, provided that performance has been satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and continued support would be in the best interest of the Federal Government and the public.
• Matching: The process through which a grant recipient matches awarded USDA funds with cash and in-kind contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The matching funds must derive from non-Federal sources.
• New Application: An application not previously submitted to a program.
• Renewal Application: A project application that seeks additional funding for a project beyond the period that was approved in an original or amended award.