New NIFA Programs: AFRI (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) Foundational Program

The Foundational Program is part of AFRI (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) that supports primarily basic, investigator-initiated research projects that address one of the following areas:

1. Plant health and production and plant products;

2. Animal health and production and animal products;

3. Food safety, nutrition, and health;

4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;

5. Agriculture systems and technology; and

6. Agriculture economics and rural communities

In FY 2016, the Plant Health and Production and Plant Products Program Area contains the following three new or restructured program area priorities:

Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems

Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems

Physiology of Agricultural Plants

 There is also a joint program with NSF called Plant Biotic Interactions that covers the area of plant-microbe interactions previously supported through this program area.