Deadline: 20-Jul-2024
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program (TCRGP) for Fiscal Year 2024 to enhance research capacity at 1994 American Indian Land-Grant Institutions hereafter referred to as 1994s; and develop research projects of Tribal, state, or national importance.
This RFA has several research options set at funding levels designed to provide 1994s with the opportunity to engage in research at the optimum level commensurate with their institutional capacity.
This program was designed to assist 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (Tribal Colleges) in building institutional research capacity through applied projects that address student educational needs and meet community, reservation or regional challenges. Awards are to be made on the basis of a competitive review process. Collaboration with 1862 or 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA), or at least one forestry school funded under the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program is a requirement. Eligible institutions may propose projects in any discipline of the food, agricultural or natural resource sciences.
TCRGP also focuses on development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities that are necessary to prepare students to be globally competitive with other students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. “Traditional ecological knowledge is regarded as a suitable educational program topic for a TCRGP program-funded project, provided it fits to the program’s priorities and goals as described in this RFA.”
Goals
- The TCRGP is aligned with the following: USDA Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026 Goals:
- Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources and Communities
- Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers
- Strategic Goal 4: Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food
- Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities
Priorities
- USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023–2026 priorities:
- Priority 1: Accelerating Innovative Technologies & Practices;
- Priority 2: Driving Climate-Smart Solutions;
- Priority 3: Bolstering Nutrition Security & Health;
- Priority 4: Cultivating Resilient Ecosystems;
- Priority 5: Translating Research into Action.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 7,200,000
- Maximum Award Amount: $2,500,000
- Grant Duration: 24-60 Months
- Anticipated # of Awards: 20
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants for the TCRGP must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Applications may only be submitted by Tribal Colleges or Universities designated as 1994s under the Equity Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
- Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
- For the FY 2024 program, there are no restrictions in the number of applications that an eligible institution may submit. NIFA will generally only give one 1994 Research Capacity Center award among all the 1994’s and to any one institution: (1) Up to two awards in the New Discovery Research option, (2) One award for Area of Expertise, (3) Up to two awards in Faculty/Community and (4) one award for Conference Grants. There is generally a limit of three awards total to any one eligible institution in response to this RFA.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.