The USDA Food and Nutrition Service conducts a variety of studies, evaluations, and related activities that respond to the needs of policymakers and managers and help ensure that nutrition assistance programs achieve their goals effectively. This plan provides short descriptions of projects that are expected to launch in fiscal year (FY) 2025. 

It reflects decisions by FNS program and research staff and leadership on the best use of available research funding to meet current information needs that are aligned with agency priorities to improve program efficiency, integrity, and nutrition. FNS developed this plan in consultation with the agencies of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area. 

Through an examination of 5 disasters in 4 states, this study develops recommendations for best practices in planning for, implementing, and operating D-SNAP. 

​This report provides statistics on food security in U.S. households throughout 2022 based on the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement data collected in December 2022.

​This report—part of an annual series—presents estimates of the percentage of eligible persons, by state, who participated in USDA's SNAP during an average month in fiscal year 2020 and in the two previous fiscal years. Because the Coronavirus COVID-19 public health emergency affected data collection starting in March 2020, this summary covers only the pre-pandemic period of October 2019 through February 2020. Thus, this report presents rates only for all eligible persons during the pre-pandemic months of FY 2020.

This study evaluated emerging mobile communication strategies (MCS) technology, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary purpose of this study was to better understand the existing landscape of MCS technology, and highlight best practices and lessons learned for from the use of MCS programs by SNAP state agencies.

States may establish their own standard utility allowances. The use of SUAs, including heating and cooling SUAs for households with heating and cooling expenses, simplifies the application process for both the applicant and the state agency. The primary objectives of this study were to conduct a review of available data to determine typical costs for internet access to develop a broadband standard utility allowance; and estimate new fiscal year 2022 HCSUA values for each state.

​This study describes the wage subsidy and work-based learning models that aid in improving employment outcomes, the extent to which these models promote strong connections between government programs and employers, and the implications of previous findings on how to best implement wage subsidy and work-based learning programs within the SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program.

This report is the latest in a series on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under federal income and asset rules to those who actually participate in the program. Because the coronavirus COVID-19 public health emergency affected data collection starting in March 2020, this summary covers only the pre-pandemic period of October 2019 through February 2020.

This report presents statistics from the survey that cover household food security, food expenditures, and use of federal nutrition assistance programs in 2021.

USDA's nutrition assistance programs touch the lives of one in four American consumers annually and the nutrition education efforts associated with select programs offer a powerful opportunity to promote food security and improve dietary quality among eligible individuals and families.