My social science research was funded by a USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship (2022-2023), which paid for 2 years of my tuition and fees, PhD stipend (up to $35k year), research materials, professional development opportunities, travel, etc. Sharing the wealth because the more I talk to people, the more I’m realizing this seems to be a lesser known funding option! 

USDA National Institute for Food & Agriculture (NIFA)
Predoctoral & Postdoctoral Fellowships

Funding opportunity for PhD candidates & postdocs (U.S. citizens) researching food & agriculture in rural communities!
The predoctoral fellowship application for 2024 is due October 24th, 2024.
The postdoctoral fellowship application for 2024 is due September 5, 2024.

I almost did not apply to this because I didn’t think my work on wolf-livestock conflict fit into the fellowship requirements. But luckily, my colleague and social science mentor, Katie Epstein, was familiar with this fellowship and encouraged me to apply because my work centers on rural agricultural communities. She also shared her application materials for the NIFA Postdoc Fellowship. It is an extensive application, so there’s no way I would’ve been awarded this without her help. Please reach out to me if you’re interested in applying and want to see my application materials - I’m more than happy to share! Here is the RFA (Request for Applications) for the 2023-2024 NIFA cycle - the information on the Predoctoral Fellowship is on page 23 and the Postdoctoral Fellowship is on page 26. Please share widely with others who could benefit from this funding!