Federal Capacity Funds Information for Researchers

Cornell AES currently manages $6 million in Federal Capacity Funds (FCF), allocated annually by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The funds allocated by NIFA fall into three different programs:

  • Hatch: supports research basic to problems of agriculture in its broadest aspects.
  • Multistate Research Program: supports research on high-priority topics among various State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES) in partnership with NIFA and other institutions, to tackle projects beyond the scope of a single SAES.
  • McIntire-Stennis: supports research related to commercial and urban forestry, and land and water management.

FCF application details, at a glance

  • Annual request for proposals: mid-October
  • Proposal due date: mid-December
  • Earliest possible project start date: October 1
  • Max project duration: 3 years
  • Maximum funding cap for each funding source (Hatch, Multistate, McIntire-Stennis, or extension support from Smith-Lever): $30,000

Applying for Federal Capacity Funds

PI eligible faculty from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and Human Ecology will be automatically notified by email at the beginning of the next funding cycle. The annual call for proposals goes out in mid-October. The competitive review process includes reviews from stakeholders, faculty, and directors. Project approval will depend on a final review by NIFA.

FCF Proposal Preparation and Submission Overview (pdf)

Researchers, we need your help!

Please support our efforts to ensure the continuation of Federal Capacity Funds (FCF) by helping us spread the word about their broad impacts. If your research has been supported by Cornell AES FCF and is featured in the news, please be sure to include the following acknowledgement of the funding source:

“Funding [partial funding] for this project was provided by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, using Federal Capacity Funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.”

Historically, these competitive funds have been indispensable for critical research projects, particularly in agriculture. FCF support both – basic research that drives discovery and future innovation, and applied research that delivers practical solutions with immediate benefits to communities. 

What are the known or potential impacts of your research and what did FCF enabled you to do? Share your publications or stories with us – we would love to hear from you! 

For scientific papers/publications please review: NIFA Acknowledgement in Publications (pdf)

Resources for Cornell PIs and Administrative Managers

General Information

NIFA Reporting System

Multistate Research Projects (MRP)

Contact Info for Researchers

If you can't find the information in the resources and need more help, please contact:
Crystal Clark
cdo6 [at] cornell.edu (cdo6[at]cornell[dot]edu)
(607) 255-2224