Deadline: 16-Mar-21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for its Equipment Grants Program (EGP) to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems.
The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs.
Strategic Goals
The EGP is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Goals:
- Strategic Goal 1: Ensure USDA Programs Are Delivered Efficiently, Effectively, With Integrity and a Focus on Customer Service;
- Strategic Goal 2: Maximize the Ability of American Agricultural Producers To Prosper by Feeding and Clothing the World;
- Strategic Goal 3: Promote American Agriculture Products and Exports
- Strategic Goal 4: Facilitate Rural Prosperity and Economic Development;
- Strategic Goal 5: Strengthen the Stewardship of Private Lands Through Technology and Research;
- Strategic Goal 6: Ensure Productive and Sustainable Use of Our National Forest System Lands;
- Strategic Goal 7: Provide all Americans Access to a Safe, Nutritious, and Secure Food Supply.
Funding Information
- The amount available for support of this program in FY 2021 is approximately $4,800,000.
- The EGP will only support Standard Grants with a funding request between $25,001 and $500,000 and a project duration of up to three years.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is limited to the following intuitions, as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103:
- a College or University
- In general. The terms “college” and “university” mean an educational institution in any State, the District of Columbia, and any insular area which, (i) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, (ii) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education, (iii) provides an educational program for which a bachelor’s degree or any other higher degree is awarded, (iv) is a public or other nonprofit institution, and (v) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.
- Inclusions. The terms “college” and “university” include a research foundation maintained by a college or university described in subparagraph (A).
- State Cooperative Institution including:
- 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions;
- State-certified Schools of Forestry as stipulated in accordance with 16 U.S.C.582a et seq. (the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962);
- State Agricultural Experiment Stations located in the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Insular Areas in accordance with 7 U.S. C. 361a et seq. (the Hatch Act of 1887);
- “Cooperative extension services” meaning the organizations established at the land-grant colleges and universities under the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 372–374, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 341–349), and section 209(b) of the Act of October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1428, as amended; D.C. Code, sec. 31–1719(b));
- Accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine or State agricultural experiment stations that conduct animal health and disease research in accordance with section 1433(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977;
- Hispanic-serving institutions as defined in section 1101a of title 20; and
- Eligible institutions in insular areas including, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Guam; American Samoa; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; the Republic of Palau; and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=331019