Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowships

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.

Applicants for the NNF program must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA's About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

1. Applicant Eligibility

Land-grant Institutions and other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences and confer a graduate degree in at least one discipline or area of food and agricultural sciences are eligible to apply. Institutions offering degrees should be accredited by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university are eligible.

Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

Individuals are not eligible to apply for these grants to support their own graduate education.

2. Student Eligibility

The awarded institutions develop selection criteria for graduate students in the NNF application, and it is the awarded institution's responsibility to provide fellowships to high-caliber students in superior academic standing according to the developed criteria.

For individuals to receive fellowship stipend support through the NNF Program, they must:

i. Be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States of America as determined in accordance with Federal law;

ii. Have strong interest, as judged by the institution, in pursuing a degree in food and agriculture-relevant disciplines; are preparing for a career as a food or agricultural or natural resources scientist or professional; and are registered as full-time students; and

iii. Not have completed more than one semester or equivalent hours of full-time study as defined by the institution in the same academic program at the same degree level.

Successful applicants must select and identify fellows and award fellowships within 18 months of the start date of the award. Institutions that fail to meet this deadline will be required to refund monies associated with unawarded fellowships to NIFA. Graduate fellowship appointments must be awarded only to registered students who are pursuing full-time study in graduate programs of the area of focus and at the degree level supported by the award.

A Fellow at the master's degree level who maintains satisfactory progress is eligible to receive fellowship support for a maximum of 24 months during a 30-month period. A Fellow at the DVM/doctoral degree level who maintains satisfactory progress is eligible to receive grant support for a maximum of 36 months within a 42-month period.

The intent of this program is that graduate fellows pursue full-time uninterrupted study. Graduate fellows are entitled to the normal student holidays observed by the institution. The time between academic semesters or quarters is to be utilized as an active part of the award period. During the period of support, Fellows, at the discretion of their institutions, may accept additional supplemental employment that would positively contribute to their training or research and would make them eligible for tuition waivers (e.g., full or partial tuition waivers with research or teaching assignments).

A Fellow who finds it necessary to interrupt his/her program of study because of health, personal, or other reasonable non-academic and non-disciplinary cause(s) must be allowed to resume funded study at any time within six months of the interruption, provided there is adequate time remaining before the award expires (i.e., within the 30-month total funding period for a master's fellow, and 42-month total funding period for a