Food And Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants

The fellowships supported through the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program (NNF) are intended to encourage outstanding and committed students to pursue and complete graduate degrees in critical areas of national need, through graduate programs at eligible institutions. The support provided through this NNF program, is a student stipend for the Fellow and a cost-of-education allowance to the institution. The typical period of performance for an award is five years, although a few programs may specify shorter (maximum of five years) periods. For the FY 2010 award cycle, NIFA intends to support graduate Fellowship training grants for both Master’s and doctoral levels of study. Also, Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) awards will provide support for eligible USDA Fellows to conduct thesis/dissertation research or to undertake studies at sites outside of the United States. IRTA awards for eligible USDA Fellows will only be available as provided for within this announcement. IRTA for current, eligible NNF Fellows must be requested as a stand-alone application. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission science, NIFA priorities and recommendations presented by the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, projected work force needs from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Science Foundation, Survey of Earned Doctorates. Each funded proposal is expected to increase the understanding, development of 21st Century skills, research-based knowledge, assessment, and utilization of technology and resources to advance a first class next-generation, diverse work force in USDA mission sciences. Post-doctoral Fellowships will not be awarded, under this grant announcement. Further, NIFA supports Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral fellowships in the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (see, http://nifa.usda.gov/funding/afri/afri.html).