Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006285
The Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). For fiscal year 2017, the program is designed to fund practical, agriculture-focused work that strengthens the alfalfa and broader forage sector by improving productivity, quality, and marketability while reducing risk for producers. The opportunity is framed as an integrated research and extension program, meaning funded projects are expected to generate usable research results and also translate those results into outreach, education, or technology transfer activities that help farmers, industry stakeholders, and other end users put the work into practice.
The core goals of AFRP center on several priority areas. One major emphasis is increasing forage and seed yields, along with improving forage quality, which directly affects livestock nutrition and farm profitability. Another focus is improving forage and seed harvest and storage systems, targeting the real-world challenges that arise after the crop is grown, such as harvest efficiency, handling losses, preservation of nutritional value, and storage-related quality degradation. The program also supports the development of methods to estimate forage yield and quality, which can help producers make better marketing decisions, negotiate fair pricing, plan feeding programs, and reduce uncertainty and financial risk. In addition, AFRP encourages work that explores new and novel uses for alfalfa, supporting innovation and potentially expanding markets beyond traditional forage uses.
In terms of who can apply, AFRP has a broad eligibility scope but restricts submissions to specific categories of applicants. Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations; colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations or corporations; and individual applicants who are U.S. citizens or nationals. Applications may also be submitted by groups or partnerships made up of two or more of these eligible entity types, which leaves room for collaborative projects that combine academic research capacity, industry expertise, and extension or outreach reach.
Key administrative details reflect a typical federal competitive grant structure. The funding opportunity title is "Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP)," with the opportunity number USDA NIFA OP 006285. The funding instrument is a grant, the funding activity category is agriculture, and the CFDA number associated with the program is 10.330. The original closing date for applications was May 1, 2017, and the opportunity record shows a maximum award amount (award ceiling) of $250,000. The listing indicates that awards were expected, although the specific number of expected awards is not provided in the source data. The opportunity was created on March 30, 2017, which suggests a relatively short application window between posting and the deadline.
Overall, AFRP is aimed at advancing both the science and the on-the-ground adoption of better alfalfa and forage practices, with funded projects expected to improve yield and quality outcomes, strengthen harvest and storage performance, provide better measurement and estimation tools for marketing and risk management, and stimulate new uses that can diversify and expand the value of alfalfa.Apply for USDA NIFA OP 006285
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.330.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-01. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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| Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 006391 Funding Number: USDA NIFA HEMS 006391 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Competitive Grant Program Apply for USDA NIFA FINI 006393 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FINI 006393 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Specialty Crop Research Initiative Request for Pre-Applications Apply for USDA NIFA SCRI 006394 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SCRI 006394 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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