The purpose of the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC) is to strengthen institutional capacities, including curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, to respond to identified state, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences, or in rural economic, community, and business development.
Donor Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/28/2023
Size of the Grant: $750,000
Grant Duration: 48 months
Details:
Purpose and Priorities
The Purpose of Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (HEC) is to strengthen institutional capacities, including curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, to respond to identified state, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences, or in rural economic, community, and business development.
Specifically, applications submitted to this grants program must state how the funded project will address the HEC Program Goals:
- To strengthen institutional capacities, including curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, to respond to identified State, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences), or in rural economic, community, and business development;
- To attract and support undergraduate and graduate students in order to educate the students in national need areas of the food and agricultural sciences or in rural economic, community, and business development;
- To facilitate cooperative initiatives between two or more eligible institutions, or between eligible institutions and units of State government or organizations in the private sector, to maximize the development and use of resources such as faculty, facilities, and equipment to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs, or teaching programs emphasizing rural economic, community, and business development;
- To design and implement food and agricultural sciences programs, or programs emphasizing rural, economic, community, and business development, to build teaching, research, and extension capacity at colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments;
- To conduct undergraduate scholarship programs to meet national and international needs for training food and agricultural sciences scientists and professionals, or professionals in rural economic, community, and business development;
- To increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a postsecondary degree in the food and agricultural sciences;
- To enhance the quality of instruction for baccalaureate degrees, master’s degrees, and first professional degrees in veterinary sciences, to help meet current and future workforce needs in the food and agricultural sciences; and
- To conduct graduate and postdoctoral fellowship programs to attract highly promising individuals to research or teaching careers in the food and agricultural sciences.
NIFA encourages virtual education and outreach/extension techniques that broaden the reach and access to audiences in its integrated projects.
Global Engagement. NIFA supports global engagement that advances U.S. agricultural goals. NIFA recognizes that collaboration with international partners may be necessary to attain the agency’s goals for U.S. agriculture, promote global competence of our nation’s future agricultural workforce, and promote safe and nutritious food security in a growing world. Therefore, although application to this RFA is limited to eligible U.S. institutions, applicants may collaborate with international partners, to include subcontracts to international partners or other institutions. Applications must clearly demonstrate benefits to the U.S.
Leadership Skills Development. The development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities are necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. HEC teaching applications must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation. Specific activities may include:
- Developing practical applications to increase understanding of leadership roles, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills; ethics and professionalism; and working in teams.
- Connecting the academic classroom experience with daily leadership roles and organizational activities.
- Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and
- Organizing leadership academies, workshops, trainings, etc.
Social and Behavioral Sciences. HEC supports social and behavioral science disciplines. Projects that integrate social and biological sciences are encouraged. Incorporation of social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in heathy diets; and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.
Funding Information
- Planning Activity – Approx. $30,000;
- Standard – Approx $150,000;
- Collaborative 1 (CG1) – Approx $300,000;
- Collaborative 2 (CG2) – Approx $750,000
Grant Duration
- Planning Activity – Up to 36 months;
- Standard – 36 to 48 months;
- Collaborative 1 (CG1) – 36 to 48 months;
- Collaborative 2 (CG2) – 36 to 48 months
Eligibility Requirements
Applications may be submitted by:
- U.S. public or private nonprofit colleges and universities offering a baccalaureate or first professional degree in at least one discipline or area of the food and agricultural sciences;
- land-grant colleges and universities, (including land-grant institutions in the Insular Areas);
- colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments and a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences; and
- other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
