Funding-USDA Seeks Fellowship Applications for Future
Agricultural Scientists, Science Educators; February 11, 2016
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Contact: Amanda Hils (202) 720-3359 USDA Seeks Fellowship
Applications for Future Agricultural Scientists, Science Educators Nearly $19 Million Available to
Students and Educators for Fellowships to Address Challenges in Nutrition,
Food Security, Climate Change, and Other Agricultural Areas WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced the availability of $18.9 million in competitive grants to support
fellowships and other higher education training projects in food, nutrition,
natural resources and agriculture fields. These fellowships are administered
through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and will
support pre- and post-doctoral fellowships, undergraduate fellowships, and
professional development for secondary school teachers and educational
professionals. “Highly motivated, talented and creative workers in the food, agriculture
and natural resources fields will only become more valuable on a global scale
as we face a growing population and tougher climate obstacles in the next few
decades,” said Vilsack. “Investing in innovation and growing a strong
knowledge base now is critical to bolstering food security, health, and
economic viability for the next generation.” Grants are available through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
(AFRI) Education and Literacy Initiative. Past AFRI Education and Literacy
Initiative fellowships include an assessment by Virginia Commonwealth
University of how climate change influences population dynamics of
agricultural and forest insect pests; research at the University of Wisconsin
to identify traits governing bacterial population in freshwater lakes; work
by the University of California-Berkeley to give farmers and land managers a
framework for restoring hedgerows to stabilize pollinator communities; and
more. Funded fellowships will span the six challenge areas identified by AFRI:
childhood obesity prevention, climate change, food safety, food security,
sustainable bioenergy and water. The fellowship program also will fund
projects that contain well-developed and highly-engaged mentoring and
training activities. NIFA will fund single-function and multi-function
research, education or extension projects. Webinars for more information
about these grants are available on the NIFA
website. Pre- and post-doctoral fellowships will serve as a conduit for new
scientists and professionals to enter research, education and extension
fields within the food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences. Applications for
pre- and post-doctoral fellowships are due February 11, 2016. Undergraduate fellows will obtain hands-on experience and training and
receive strong mentoring to assist them in joining the workforce or for
pursuing graduate studies. Additionally, the undergraduate fellowships will
provide opportunities for students from underrepresented and economically
disadvantaged groups at minority-serving institutions, community colleges,
and four-year colleges and universities to partner with larger universities
and USDA laboratories. Applications for
undergraduate fellowships are due March 24, 2016. Grants for colleges and universities to develop training programs for
secondary school teachers and education professionals, such as counselors and
administrators, aim to provide immersive learning experiences for the
grantees to create and replicate best practices to improve student success
within the food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences. Applications for
these professional development grants are due March 18, 2016. AFRI is NIFA’s flagship competitive grant program and was established
under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant
health and production and plant products; animal health and production and
animal products; food safety, nutrition and health; bioenergy, natural
resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and
agriculture economics and rural communities. Since 2009, NIFA has invested in and advanced innovative and
transformative initiatives to solve societal challenges and ensure the
long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA’s integrated research, education,
and extension programs, supporting the best and brightest scientists and
extension personnel, have resulted user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries
that are combating childhood obesity, improving and sustaining rural economic
growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food production,
finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate variability, and ensuring
food safety. To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit
www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts,
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updates, or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA,
#NIFAimpacts. # USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC
20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339
(TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish
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