# Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)  (10.310)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/programs/10-310-agriculture-and-food-research-initiative-afri/  
Publisher: Well Told Grants. Data: USAspending.gov and Grants.gov, updated November 7, 2026.

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)  is run by Department of Agriculture. From fiscal 2021 to 2025 it awarded $2.1 billion in 3,639 grants, about $580,234 per award.

## Objectives

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) awards Research, Education, Extension, and Integrated grants to improve rural economies, alleviate the impacts of pests and diseases, increase food and agriculture profitability, stimulate the bioeconomy, maintain long-term production capability, increase water efficiency, ensure food safety and nutritional quality, enhance human nutrition, and train the next generation of the food and agricultural workforce.
AFRI funds both single- and multifunction research, education, and extension grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multistate importance. AFRI-funded projects sustain all components of agriculture, including farm efficiency and profitability, ranching, bioenergy, forestry, aquaculture, rural communities and entrepreneurship, human nutrition, food safety, biotechnology, and conventional breeding. These projects also create jobs and help develop the next generation of agriculture and food scientists.
AFRI-funded integrated projects must include at least two of the three functions of agriculture knowledge – research, education, and extension/outreach – to ensure delivery of science-based knowledge to people, allowing them to make informed practical decisions.

## Funding by fiscal year

| Year | Amount | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $471 million | 797 |
| 2022 | $400 million | 796 |
| 2023 | $586 million | 1,008 |
| 2024 | $478 million | 814 |
| 2025 | $177 million | 275 |

## Largest recipients

| Recipient | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of California, Davis | California | $85.6 million |
| Purdue University | Indiana | $76.8 million |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | Iowa | $76.4 million |
| Texas A&m Agrilife Research | Texas | $76.1 million |
| The Ohio State University | Ohio | $70.1 million |
| Oregon State University | Oregon | $66.0 million |
| University of Wisconsin System | Wisconsin | $62.9 million |
| Washington State University | Washington | $61.5 million |
| University of Florida | Florida | $59.9 million |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | $57.9 million |
| Michigan State University Foundation | Michigan | $50.0 million |
| Cornell University | New York | $46.3 million |
| North Carolina State University | North Carolina | $44.1 million |
| The Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania | $43.0 million |
| University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. | Georgia | $41.9 million |
| Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska | Nebraska | $39.9 million |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minnesota | $39.0 million |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | Virginia | $37.9 million |
| Kansas State University | Kansas | $37.1 million |
| University of Missouri System | Missouri | $36.3 million |

## Open opportunities

- [Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/usda-nifa-afri-011134-agriculture-and-food-research-initiative-competitive-grants/), closes December 31, 2026
- [Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/usda-nifa-afri-011596-agriculture-and-food-research-initiative-competitive-grants/), closes December 31, 2026