United States Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture Attention institutions of higher education! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened its annual Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (WAMS) funding opportunity through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). This program funds research and extension activities that increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, specifically the food and agricultural sciences. Proposals for this program are due March 31, 2022.