The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is now accepting nominations for the 2026 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award, subject to availability of funds. FFAR intends to grant up to 10 awards to early-career scientists pursuing research that supports the Foundation’s Priority Areas and promotes global, sustainable food production. Each applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000 per year for a maximum of three years totaling $450,000. FFAR does not require awardees to secure matching funds for the New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award.
The New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award provides grantees the opportunity to focus exclusively on research without the pressure to secure additional funding. This award provides early-career scientists with the investment needed to bolster their successful careers in food and agriculture. FFAR awards this unique grant to highly creative, promising scientists whose research has the potential to address major challenges facing food and agriculture.
FFAR wishes to advise interested applicants, however, that it has limited programmatic funds remaining and cannot make any awards selected through this Request for Applications (RFA) until additional funds are allocated to the Foundation. FFAR is proceeding with this RFA to ensure that the Foundation can quickly launch new projects should new funding be allocated; any selections will be contingent on the availability of funds. FFAR strongly encourages potential applicants to consider FFAR’s current funding situation when deciding whether to apply for the 2026 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award.
FFAR evaluates nominees to select collaborative, innovative and outside-the-box perspectives that will address today’s food and agriculture challenges. Nominations are due on March 18 at 5 p.m. EST. Submission guidelines and program deadlines are available on the FFAR website.
Institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are encouraged to nominate one applicant who holds a tenure-track or equivalent position and meets the eligibility criteria specified in the RFA.