Your TL;DR: In USDA NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Strengthening Agricultural Systems (SAS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), evaluation is a credibility test. Strong proposals treat evaluation as a decision-making tool that demonstrates systems-level change, not a reporting afterthought added at the end.
- Posted Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026
- Closing Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
- Letter/Notice of intent due: Thursday, February 26, 2026
- Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011677
- Range of Awards: $1,000,000 – $10,000,000
Why does evaluation carry unusual weight in this AFRI competition
The FY 2026 AFRI Strengthening Agricultural Systems Notice of Funding Opportunity makes a quiet but unmistakable demand of applicants: if you claim systems-level impact, you must be able to show it.
With $140 million in anticipated program funding, USDA NIFA is not funding isolated successes. It is investing in coordinated efforts expected to influence production, prosperity, workforce readiness, and quality of life across agricultural systems. Reviewers will look to evaluation plans to determine whether those claims are plausible or simply well written. For this program, evaluation is not about compliance. It is about confidence.
What NIFA reviewers are really assessing when they read evaluation sections
Although the NOFO does not mandate a single evaluation framework, its language signals how evaluation will be judged.
Reviewers will be asking whether the evaluation plan demonstrates:
- A clear connection between project activities and intended outcomes
- Methods that match the scale and complexity of the work
- An understanding of how change unfolds over time in agricultural systems
- Practical use of findings to guide implementation and learning
Where large, transdisciplinary proposals tend to struggle
Evaluation weaknesses are rarely dramatic. More often, they are subtle and cumulative. Some proposals rely on generic metrics that fail to reflect the project’s systems claims. Others describe ambitious outcomes without explaining how data will be collected across institutions, regions, or populations. In many cases, evaluation is positioned as something that happens after implementation rather than alongside it. When evaluation is underdeveloped, reviewers are left uncertain whether the team can demonstrate progress, adapt to challenges, or justify continued investment. That uncertainty can outweigh strengths elsewhere in the proposal.
Why does evaluation planning need to start before the LOI
The February 26, 2026, Letter of Intent deadline is not just an administrative milestone. It is often the first place reviewers infer whether a team has thought seriously about outcomes and accountability.
Well-positioned teams can articulate early:
- What success looks like at multiple levels of the system
- How evaluation supports learning and decision-making
- Who is responsible for evaluation leadership and execution
- How findings will be shared and used during the project period
Waiting until the full application to address these questions frequently results in evaluation plans that feel disconnected from the rest of the project narrative.
Positioning evaluation as a strategic asset
Strong AFRI proposals use evaluation to reinforce trust. They show reviewers that the team understands both the ambition of its goals and the discipline required to measure progress toward them.
When evaluation is integrated thoughtfully, it does more than satisfy a requirement. It strengthens the logic of the project, supports adaptive management, and makes system-level claims defensible over time.
As teams prepare for the application deadline, treating evaluation as a core design element rather than a final section can materially influence how a proposal is received.
If you are assessing whether your evaluation plan is doing that work for you, that reflection often pays dividends well before submission.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.