Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowships
🏛 National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 3, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for colleges and universities offering graduate degrees in food and agricultural sciences. Applicants must be land-grant institutions or other accredited colleges/universities demonstrating capacity in food and agricultural sciences education. Research foundations maintained by eligible institutions also qualify.
Student recipients must be new graduate students pursuing master's, DVM, or doctoral degrees. Fellows must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Individual students cannot apply directly; institutions apply on behalf of students.
Institutions select fellows based on superior academic standing and criteria they establish. The program funds full-time graduate study completion in food and agricultural sciences disciplines aligned with USDA mission.
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Program description
The purpose of the NNF program, Assistance Listing 10.210, is to provide funding to support new graduate (master’s, DVM, or doctoral) student training and completion of degree programs to develop human capital to participate in meeting the mission of the USDA to increase the pipeline of domestic agricultural students. The NNF program offers funding for eligible full-time students pursuing graduate studies at the master’s, DVM, or doctoral levels within the food and agricultural sciences. The NNF program awards institutional grants to offer funding for eligible full-time students pursuing graduate studies at the master’s, DVM, and/or doctoral levels within the food and agricultural sciences. Fellows must be new graduate students (‘new’ is defined in Part III A); and citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Awards made by the NNF program are specifically intended to support graduate programs that engage outstanding students who are citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States of America to pursue and complete their degrees in areas where there is a need for the development of scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences. NNF awards invest in graduate training and relevant experiential learning for individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the USDA.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Institutional Capacity Statement
- Student Selection Criteria Documentation
- Evidence of Institutional Accreditation
- Letters of Support (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Yamilis Ocasio Grantor
- 📧 grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov
- 📞 6892630095
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 10.210 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$971,531
-
$262,500
-
$262,500
-
$262,500
-
$262,500
-
$262,500
-
$262,344
-
$261,961
-
$261,889
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$261,500
Top States by Funding
- VA 5 awards $1.7M
- NC 5 awards $1.2M
- OH 5 awards $1.1M
- PA 4 awards $1.0M
- CO 4 awards $1.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 10.210). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $2,880,814 | |
| 2025 | $2,952,686 | |
| 2026 est. | $3,200,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Accredited colleges, universities, and land-grant institutions with capacity in food and agricultural sciences. Research foundations maintained by eligible institutions also qualify. Individual students cannot apply directly.
What types of students are supported?
New graduate students pursuing master's degrees, DVM, or doctorates in food and agricultural sciences. Students must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.
What does the award fund?
Graduate student fellowships for degree completion. Awards support training and experiential learning in food and agricultural science disciplines relevant to USDA mission.
How much funding is available?
Individual awards range from $78,000 to $705,000. Total program funding is $14,000,000 available annually.
When is the deadline?
The application deadline is October 15, 2026. This is a fixed annual deadline.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize capacity: Document your institution's strength in food and agricultural sciences graduate programs. Show accreditation and faculty expertise in relevant disciplines.
- Highlight student quality: Demonstrate how your selection process identifies top academic performers. Include data on past graduate completion rates and career outcomes.
- Address USDA mission: Show how your supported disciplines meet identified workforce needs in agriculture. Connect to USDA priorities and agricultural industry demands.
- Plan fellowship allocation: Detail how you'll distribute awards across graduate disciplines. Justify awards based on student quality and program needs.
- Include institutional commitment: Show sustained institutional support for graduate education. Demonstrate multi-year funding commitment beyond the federal award.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak institutional capacity documentation. Vague selection criteria for fellows or failure to show genuine new graduate student status as defined in NOFO. Insufficient connection between supported disciplines and demonstrable workforce needs or USDA mission areas.
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