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About the United States Department of Agriculture
The mission of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to "provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management." One of the USDA's mission areas is Research, Education and Economics. This area is dedicated to the creation of a safe, sustainable, competitive U.S. food and fiber system, as well as strong communities, families, and youth through integrated research, analysis, and education. The Research, Education and Economics mission area includes National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that supports "programs [that] ensure the long-term viability of agriculture while advancing production agriculture, food and nutrition security, and agriculture’s workforce needs."
General Resources
About USDA Funding Opportunities
Research Plan
Supplemental Documents
Data Management and Sharing Plan
- To develop your Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP), please visit the UC Davis Library’s highly informative Research Data Management website that will walk you through the process of developing a DMSP using the DMPTool. The California Digital Library’s DMPTool is an online tool containing templates and resources for different agencies and programs and is designed to guide you through the process of creating a DMSP that is compliant with funder requirements.
Personnel Documents
In March, 2026, USDA implemented the Common Form for biographical sketches and current and pending support documents, and some USDA programs now require key personnel to have eRA Commons accounts. Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
- SciENcv Common Form Instructions - Updated in September 2026, these streamlined instructions provide guidance for setting up for and creating personnel documents for DOE, NASA, NIH, NSF, and USDA using SciENcv.
- USDA Conflict of Interest Template
- USDA Felony Tax Certification Plan Template
Additional Supplemental Documents
- USDA Management Plan Template
- USDA Mentoring Plan template
- USDA Org Chart Template
- USDA Key Personnel Roles Sample
Resources for Research Grants
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Foundational and Applied Science Program (AFRI-FAS)
- USDA NIFA AFRI FAS checklist - Adaptable for any program
- USDA NIFA AFRI FAS narrative template - Be sure to check your specific division for any special requirements