NIFA gathers stakeholder input and information to identify priorities for new grant programs and/or to modify priorities for existing grant programs, as described in their Requests for Applications (RFA). A stakeholder is anyone who conducts or uses agricultural research, education, and extension. Input is used to meet the requirements of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.

NIFA gathers input from any individual, and specifically from commodity groups, industry, inter-agency Federal work groups, the National Academy of Sciences, non-governmental organizations, scientific societies, and university partners.

Stakeholder input is obtained in several ways. Input is solicited in all NIFA RFAs. NIFA also conducts stakeholder listening sessions or workshops, some as stand-alone events, some in conjunction with national scientific meetings. NIFA staff also gathers stakeholder information from other government and private sector events and publications.

Stakeholder Input Sources: Families, Youth & Communities

Past:

• National program staff from NIFA Competitive Programs, Economic and Community Systems and the Office of Extramural Programs encouraged stakeholder input to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Competitive Grants program. Opportunities included a public meeting at NIFA, two webinars, a call in number, fax and a dedicated email address.

• CYFAR stakeholder listening session. National program staff from Families, 4-H, and Nutrition and staff from the Office of Extramural Programs, NIFA, recently conducted stakeholder listening sessions with the Western, Northeastern, Southern, and North Central regions, as well as a session for the newly eligible 1890 Land-Grant Institutions. The sessions were held during the first two weeks of October to present changes that have been made to the CYFAR program as a result of the passage of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008.

See all stakeholder input pages