WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture(NIFA) has announced $18 million in education funding to train the next generation of agricultural science professionals.

 

Applications are being accepted through the end of June for hundreds of students and education professionals across the country, for a wide range of education opportunities authorized through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in the 2014 farm bill. “There is a significant shortfall in the number of qualified applicants for jobs in agriculture-related fields,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “NIFA investments are strengthening the pathways to these jobs, from engaging more primary school students in STEM education all the way to fellowships for new students in farm and agricultural research, extension and the education arena.”

 Through the new funding, AFRI’s Food, Agricultural, Natural Resources and Human sciences Education and Literacy Initiative seeks to boost the number of qualified graduates in those programs.

 Teacher applicants are sought for professional development opportunities in grades kindergarten through mid-college, specifically for undergraduate students in food and farm research and agricultural extension programs; and fellowships for advanced pre- and postdoctoral candidates. Deadlines for secondary school teachers and others educators is June 28. Undergraduates for research and extension experiences also face a June 28 deadline. The deadline for doctoral programs is June 21.

 

An undergraduate fellowship program has also been created at the University of Santa Cruz for underrepresented students in agriculture-related fields.

 For details, contact National Program Leader Ray A. Ali, at the Division of Community and Education. His email is rali@nifa.usda.gov or call 202-720-2727. The program number is: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-006354, CFDA No. 10.310, and the website is https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity

 To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts or follow NIFA on Twitter

via @USDA_NIFA and #NIFAimpacts