USDA will invest $125 million to improve US agricultural research infrastructure

At a roundtable discussion hosted by the US Department of Agriculture and attended by several land-grant university leaders, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins officially announced the opening of grant applications under the Research Facilities Act program. 

The government official explained that the initiative’s $125 million budget was funded by the White House’s Working Families Tax Cuts, and will “help address decades of deferred maintenance and accelerate modernization of agricultural research facilities across the country.”

“A nation that cannot feed itself is not secure, and for too long, many of our land-grant universities have faced aging facilities and mounting deferred maintenance costs that threaten their ability to conduct world-class agricultural research,” Rollins said.

USDA’s Research Facilities Act program applications are now open

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will administer the grants, which will fund the renovation, expansion, and construction projects that strengthen American agricultural research capacity. 

In a press release issued by the USDA, the government agency explained that awards will require “a dollar-for-dollar non-federal cash match to ensure strong local investment and stewardship of taxpayer resources.” 

Entities may apply for only one project at a time, and funds will be granted in one of five levels, going from $100,000 to $200,000 for assessments, site surveys, preliminary designs, and cost estimates, to up to $30 million for entire new buildings, specialized labs, and controlled environment research facilities.

“For 164 years, USDA has partnered with America’s great land-grant and agricultural universities to produce the discoveries, service, and education needed to keep the nation fed and to fuel US agricultural progress,” said NIFA Director Jaye L. Hamby. “This investment reaffirms our commitment to that valued partnership and to the next generation of agriculturists.”

The deadline for applications is July 17, 2026. 

*All images courtesy of the USDA via Flickr. 

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