The application deadline for this opportunity has passed. You can still review the details, but the listing is no longer presented as open for applications.
Fellowship, Grant, PhD & Research
Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Program
Offered by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). The programme provides funding to eligible institutions to support the training and completion of graduate degree programmes for students in areas of food and agricultural sciences where there is an identified national need for scientific and professional expertise.
The current programme supports new graduate students pursuing master's, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), or doctoral degrees in the food and agricultural sciences. NNF awards are designed to strengthen the pipeline of highly trained professionals who can contribute to the USDA mission through research, education and professional practice.
The programme is therefore different from an ordinary individual scholarship. USDA-NIFA awards grants to eligible institutions, which then use the funding to support eligible students participating in their graduate training programmes.
The current NNF programme specifically defines eligible fellows as new graduate students who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents of the United States. International students who do not hold one of these statuses should not assume that they are eligible for an NNF-supported fellowship. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Purpose of the Program
The programme is intended to address areas where additional scientific and professional expertise is needed within the food and agricultural sciences.
Supported graduate training can contribute to the development of specialists who will work in areas connected with:
Food and agricultural sciences
Agricultural research
Natural resources
Food systems
Environmental and agricultural sciences
Veterinary medicine
Related scientific and professional fields within the USDA mission
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The programme also places emphasis on relevant experiential learning that can help students develop the knowledge and professional capabilities needed for careers in the food and agricultural sciences. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Who Can Apply?
The NNF Grants Program is an institutional funding opportunity. Individual students cannot submit an application directly to USDA-NIFA for an NNF institutional grant.
Eligible applicants include:
1862 Land-grant Institutions
1890 Land-grant Institutions
1994 Land-grant Institutions
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
State-controlled institutions of higher education
Other colleges and universities with demonstrated capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences
Research foundations maintained by eligible colleges or universities, where permitted under the programme requirements. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Institutions must have the appropriate academic and research capacity to conduct graduate training in relevant food and agricultural science areas.
Who Can Be Supported as a Fellow?
The current FY2026 programme is designed to support new graduate students pursuing eligible graduate education.
Eligible fellows must be:
U.S. citizens
U.S. nationals
Permanent residents of the United States
The current programme covers students entering eligible master's, DVM or doctoral-level programmes in the food and agricultural sciences. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Students should therefore first determine whether their university has an NNF-supported programme or intends to recruit fellows under an NNF award.
Areas of Study
The programme covers graduate education within the food and agricultural sciences and related areas that correspond to identified national needs.
Potential areas can include disciplines such as:
Agricultural sciences
Food science
Plant sciences
Animal sciences
Natural resources
Environmental sciences
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural economics
Veterinary medicine
Other food and agricultural science disciplines relevant to the USDA mission
The exact national-need areas and eligible training activities should be checked against the current FY2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity before an institution develops its proposal.
Fellowship Benefits
NNF funding is provided through institutional grants to support eligible graduate trainees.
Depending on the approved institutional project and applicable award conditions, the funding can support graduate training and related experiential learning for eligible fellows.
The current FY2026 funding opportunity provides:
US$78,000 to US$705,000 per institutional award
Approximately US$14 million in total programme funding
No cost-sharing or matching requirement
Support for eligible new master's, DVM and doctoral students
Graduate training in areas where there is an identified national need
Relevant experiential learning opportunities associated with the approved training programme. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
The award amount is an institutional grant amount, not a guaranteed amount paid directly to an individual student.
Graduate Training and Experiential Learning
The programme is intended to develop human capital in areas important to food and agricultural science.
Participating students may receive training through their institution's approved graduate programme and may participate in relevant experiential learning designed to complement their academic preparation.
The objective is to help students develop the scientific and professional expertise required to contribute to research, education, policy, professional practice and other activities related to the food and agricultural sciences.
Eligibility for Institutions
An applying institution must satisfy the institutional eligibility requirements established by USDA-NIFA.
The institution should have:
Appropriate graduate education capacity.
Demonstrable teaching and research competence in food and agricultural sciences.
Eligible graduate programmes relevant to the proposed national-need area.
Personnel capable of administering and delivering the proposed training.
Appropriate academic and research infrastructure.
The administrative capacity required to manage a federal grant.
The proposed project must also comply with the requirements of the current NNF Notice of Funding Opportunity and applicable federal regulations. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Application Requirements
Institutions preparing an NNF application should develop a graduate training programme that clearly addresses the objectives of the current funding opportunity.
The application should demonstrate:
The national need being addressed.
The food and agricultural science area in which training will occur.
The proposed graduate training programme.
The qualifications and capacity of participating faculty.
How eligible students will be recruited and supported.
The educational and experiential learning activities to be provided.
Expected outcomes of the training programme.
The institution's capacity to successfully administer the award.
Applicants should consult the complete FY2026 NOFO for the required application components, forms and evaluation criteria.
Application Process
Eligible institutions should first review the current USDA-NIFA NNF funding opportunity and confirm that they satisfy the institutional eligibility requirements.
The institution should then identify the relevant national-need area, develop the proposed graduate training programme and prepare the required application materials.
The application must be submitted through the federal grant application system specified by USDA-NIFA.
Institutions should allow adequate time for proposal development, internal review, required registrations and electronic submission.
The current funding opportunity identifies 15 October 2026 as the application deadline. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Important Information for Students
This opportunity should not be treated as a general scholarship open to international students.
The current FY2026 NNF programme provides institutional grants that support eligible new graduate students, and those fellows must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
International applicants who do not meet these citizenship or residency requirements are not eligible to be supported as NNF fellows under the current programme.
Students interested in NNF-supported graduate training should therefore check participating institutions and their specific recruitment arrangements rather than attempting to submit an individual NNF grant application.
Current Funding Information
Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-HEP-011737 Assistance Listing Number: 10.210 Posted Date: 13 August 2026 Application Deadline: 15 October 2026 Estimated Total Program Funding: US$14,000,000 Award Range: US$78,000–US$705,000 Matching Requirement: No Match Required Program Contact:NNF@usda.gov :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
How to Apply
Eligible institutions should review the official USDA-NIFA NNF funding opportunity, the FY2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity and the associated application instructions before preparing a submission.
Students should contact eligible universities or graduate programmes directly to determine whether they are recruiting students through an NNF-supported training programme.
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