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The Rural Development topic area aims to fund the development of new technologies, or for the utilization of existing technologies, that address important economic and social development issues or challenges in rural America. The applications need not be centered on agriculture but may be focused on any area that has the potential to provide significant benefit to rural Americans.

The Aquaculture topic area aims to develop new technologies that will enhance the knowledge and technology base necessary for the expansion of the domestic aquaculture industry as a form of production agriculture.

The objective of this topic area is to promote the use of biofuels and non-food biobased products by developing new or improved technologies that will lead to increased production of biofuels, industrial chemicals, and other value-added products from agricultural materials.

The Small and Mid-Size Farms topic area aims to promote and improve the sustainability and profitability of small and mid-size farms and ranches (where annual sales of agricultural products are less than $350,000 for small farms and between $350,000 and $999,999 for mid-size farms – hereafter referred to as small farms).

The objective of this topic area is to enhance crop production by creating and commercializing engineering technologies that enhance system efficiency and profitability and protect crops from pests and pathogens in economically and environmentally sound ways. In addition to the areas listed above, USDA NIFA recognizes Agricultural-related manufacturing technology and energy efficiency and alternat ...

Projected future climate-related changes include increased global temperatures, melting sea ice and glaciers, rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme precipitation events, acidification of the oceans, modifications of growing seasons, changes in storm frequency and intensity, air quality, alterations in species’ ranges and migration patterns, earlier snowmelt, increased drought, and al ...

A weather-ready nation is a society that is able to prepare for and respond to environmental events that affect safety, health, the environment, economy, and homeland security. Urbanization and a growing population increasingly put people and businesses at greater risk to the impacts of weather, water, and climate-related hazards. Our Nation’s capacity to provide relevant information about chang ...

Ocean ecosystems provide many benefits to humans, including food, recreational opportunities, and support for economies. However, the resources that our marine, coastal, and Great Lakes environments present to us are already stressed by human uses. Habitat changes have depleted fish and shellfish stocks, increased the number of species that are at-risk, and reduced biodiversity. Because humans are ...

The complex interdependence of ecosystems and economies will grow with increasing uses of land, marine, and coastal resources, resulting in particularly heavy economic and environmental pressures on the Nation’s coastal communities. Continued growth in coastal populations, economic expansion, and global trade will further increase the need for safe and efficient maritime transportation. Similarl ...

Societal Challenge Communities across the U.S., particularly underserved communities, face enduring, compounding risks from extreme, high-impact weather, water, and climate events, which have become more severe and more frequent in recent decades. Overview In the context of a warming, changing climate, extreme weather, water, and climate events are becoming more common. Extreme high temperatures i ...