Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas | USDA NIFA RIGP 010353

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 010353

The Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (DEG) is a competitive grant opportunity administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Its central goal is to strengthen colleges and universities in U.S. insular areas by improving their ability to deliver high-quality instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences using distance education technology. In practical terms, the program is meant to expand and modernize postsecondary agriculture-related education where geographic remoteness, limited local course offerings, and infrastructure constraints can make it difficult for students to access specialized coursework and training.

This program focuses on building institutional capacity, meaning it is designed to help eligible institutions improve what they can offer students over the long term rather than funding one-off activities. Projects generally align with formal, postsecondary agricultural sciences education and may include strengthening resident instruction and curriculum by leveraging distance learning tools and approaches. The emphasis on distance education reflects the realities of insular settings, where technology-enabled teaching can connect students with courses, instructors, and resources that might otherwise be unavailable locally.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education located in designated insular areas and meeting the definition of an eligible institution under Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). Applicants must also demonstrate capacity to carry out teaching and extension programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Public or nonprofit accredited 2-year and 4-year institutions that offer certificates or degrees in food and agricultural sciences are eligible. Land-grant colleges and universities (including those granted land-grant status through federal legislation) located in insular areas are automatically eligible to apply as individual institutions.

The program recognizes several institutional structures that may exist within larger systems. Separately accredited, degree-granting branch institutions within a state university system or public higher education system can apply as independent eligible applicants, as long as they meet the program definition and requirements. In addition, independent branch campuses of an institution may apply if they are geographically separate from the main campus, permanent, offer for-credit courses and programs leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree, and have meaningful autonomy, including their own faculty and administrative structure plus their own budget and hiring authority.

The eligible insular areas specifically named for this program are American Samoa; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the Federated States of Micronesia; Guam; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; the Republic of Palau; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Only institutions located in these areas, and meeting the other eligibility standards, should expect to be considered responsive applicants.

Key funding details from the opportunity listing include an award ceiling of $200,000 per award and an expectation of roughly four total awards. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, offered as grants, under the agriculture funding activity category, and is associated with CFDA number 10.322. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA RIGP 010353. The original closing date listed for applications was March 20, 2024, and the opportunity was created on January 11, 2024. As with most federal opportunities, meeting the eligibility criteria by the deadline is critical, since failure to do so can lead to an application being excluded from review or can prevent NIFA from making an award even if a proposal is otherwise strong.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.322.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 010353

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