Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA WAMS 009764
The Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (WAMS) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Its core goal is to fund projects that expand participation in STEM among women and underrepresented minorities who come from rural areas, with a clear emphasis on the food and agricultural sciences. The program supports three main types of work: research, education/teaching, and extension. In practice, that means proposed projects can range from building stronger educational pathways and training experiences to running applied research and outreach efforts that connect rural learners and communities to STEM opportunities tied to agriculture and food systems.
A major theme throughout the opportunity is workforce development. Competitive applications are expected to directly highlight how the proposed activities will build a competent, qualified workforce for the food and agricultural sciences. NIFA is looking for projects that do more than provide general STEM exposure; the work should be connected to real skill-building, credentialing, or experiential learning that prepares participants for careers in agriculture-related STEM fields. The program also links workforce preparation to community outcomes: WAMS projects are positioned as a way to improve the economic health and long-term viability of rural communities by developing research and extension initiatives that align with new and emerging STEM employment opportunities. Proposals that explicitly contribute to rural economic viability, such as strengthening local talent pipelines, supporting regionally relevant innovations, or connecting participants to in-demand technical careers, are encouraged.
Eligibility is broad but specific, and it is set in federal law (Section 7204 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which amended earlier statute at 7 U.S.C. 5925). Applications may be submitted by state agricultural experiment stations; colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations or corporations; and individuals. The program also allows groups consisting of two or more of these entity types to apply together. Applicants must meet all requirements described in the program’s Request for Applications (RFA), and missing eligibility criteria by the deadline can lead to the application being excluded from consideration or prevent NIFA from making an award.
The funding instrument is a grant under the agriculture funding activity category, listed under CFDA 10.318. For the referenced opportunity cycle (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NIFA WAMS 009764), the application closing date was April 19, 2023, and the award ceiling was $200,000. The posting indicates this is a competitive process in which NIFA expects applicants to follow standard federal financial assistance rules and processes; NIFA also points new applicants to its Grants Overview resources to help them navigate registrations, compliance expectations, and the overall federal awards lifecycle.
The opportunity includes a clear rule against duplicate or overlapping submissions. Submitting the same application twice (other than a permitted revision) or submitting predominantly overlapping proposals is not allowed. For FY2023 specifically, an eligible applicant could submit up to two applications on behalf of staff across multiple institutions, but only if the proposals are meaningfully different and not essentially duplications of the same project, components, or aims submitted to multiple programs. If NIFA determines that duplicate submissions were made, it will disqualify both applications. For questions about what counts as duplicative or overlapping, applicants are directed to contact the NIFA point of contact listed in the RFA.Apply for USDA NIFA WAMS 009764
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.318.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-02-17.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA ICGP 009743 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ICGP 009743 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $3,500,000 |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems Apply for USDA NIFA AFRI 009802 Funding Number: USDA NIFA AFRI 009802 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA RHSE 009768 Funding Number: USDA NIFA RHSE 009768 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA FBMB 009822 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FBMB 009822 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network Apply for USDA NIFA ES 009663 Funding Number: USDA NIFA ES 009663 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $382,400 |
| Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA SLBCD 009723 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SLBCD 009723 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment Program for Insular Areas Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 009763 Funding Number: USDA NIFA RIGP 009763 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program - Pre-Applications Apply for USDA NIFA SCRI 009771 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SCRI 009771 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| Equipment Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009864 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009864 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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| Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009622 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009622 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Apply for USDA NIFA HEP 009754 Funding Number: USDA NIFA HEP 009754 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $262,500 |
| 1890 Facilities Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA EF47 009769 Funding Number: USDA NIFA EF47 009769 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,650,000 |
| National Food and Agricultural Sciences Teaching, Extension, and Research Awards Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009722 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009722 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Special Research Grants Program Potato Research Apply for USDA NIFA SRGP 009702 Funding Number: USDA NIFA SRGP 009702 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
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| New Beginning for Tribal Students Program Apply for USDA NIFA TGP 009902 Funding Number: USDA NIFA TGP 009902 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Food and Agricultural Education Information System Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009753 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009753 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Open Data Framework Apply for USDA NIFA OTHER 009752 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OTHER 009752 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $920,000 |
| Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2023 Cooperative Agreements Apply for USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 23 0018 Funding Number: USDA APHIS 10028 WSNWRC00 23 0018 Agency: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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