USDA Fellowships

The USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program for 2015 will support three fellowship types under the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences Education and Literacy Initiative (ELI). The guidelines for these fellowships was recently announced by the USDA, with the following AFRI foundational priority 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. Six challenge areas for this RFP have also been identified: 1) Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change; 2) Childhood Obesity Prevention; 3) Food Safety; 4) Food Security; 5) Sustainable Bioenergy; and 6) Water Resources.

Three types of fellowships will be awarded in 2015:
Predoctoral fellowships of up to $79,000 total over two years, including institutional allowance for tuition, which prospective fellows may apply for directly;
Postdoctoral fellowships of up to $150,000 total over two years, which prospective fellows may apply for directly; and
Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships of up to $300,000 total to support up to 30 undergraduate fellows, which faculty members may apply to administer at UF.

While the predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships are not limited, UF is limited to a maximum of three total proposals for the Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships from UF faculty. The UF Office of Research will coordinate the internal selection for the three proposal to go forward to USDA. Internal Letters of Intent for the Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships are due to Jeevan Jyot at limitedprograms@research.ufl.edu by Friday, January 30. 

For UF’s announcement, internal coordination details and a link to the full solicitation, please visit: http://my.research.ufl.edu/ProgramDevelopment/FundingOpportunities/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=40012