Deadline: 5-Apr-23
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program to promote and strengthen food and agricultural science education.
Purpose and Priorities
The purpose of the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program is to award grants to:
- Enhance curricula in agricultural education
- Increase faculty teaching competencies
- Interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences
- Promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education
- Facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, Institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor's degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education
- Support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education
- Support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12
Project Category
Each project must support academic instruction with a primary focus in at least one of the following three K-14 Grade Levels:
- K-8 grade levels: Projects with a specific focus on any of the academic grades Kindergarten through eight.
- Secondary School: Projects with a specific focus on any of the academic grades 9 through 12.
- Junior or Community College: Projects with a specific focus on associate degree level (2- year postsecondary) activities.
Funding Information
- Grant Duration: 24-36 months
- Anticipated of Awards: 6-8
-
Maximum Award Amount:
- Regular Grant: $50,000
- Collaborative Type 1 Grant: $150,000
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants for the SPECA must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Applications may only be submitted by:
- public secondary schools,
- public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges,
- institutions of higher education, or
- nonprofit organizations
For more information, visit Grants.gov.