USDA/NIFA: Veterinary Services Grant Program

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for Veterinary Services Grant Program to develop, implement, and sustain food/large veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the United States.

Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 04/05/2022

Size of the Grant: $125,000 and $250,000

Grant Duration: 3 years

Details:

Purpose and Priorities

Veterinarians play significant roles in assuring food and fiber animal health and wellbeing, food safety and security, public health, and producer profitability, especially in rural areas of the United States where most livestock production occurs.

To complement the work being done under the VMLRP, and to address this veterinary shortage problem, the VSGP is designed to support two types of grants.

• Education, extension, and training (EET) grants are initiatives that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills through formal coursework, clinical training, and practice enhancement to mitigate veterinary service shortages more effectively in the United States and Insular areas.
• Rural practice enhancement (RPE) grants ultimately bolster the capacity of private clinics that provide food/large animal veterinary services in designated veterinarian shortage situations.

Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to:

• Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency, and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.
• Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety and public health,
• Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician students attending training programs in food safety, public health, or food animal medicine.
• To expose students in grades 11 and 12 to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine.
• Expand or enhance private practice capabilities, services, and resources.

The VSGP 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 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; and
• Strategic Goal 7: Provide all Americans Access to a Safe, Nutritious, and Secure Food Supply.

Program Areas

NIFA is soliciting applications under the following program areas:

• Education, Extension, and Training (EET) Grants.
• Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) Grants.

Funding Information

• Education, extension, and training (EET) – Maximum Award Amount: $250,000.
• Rural practice enhancement (RPE) – Maximum Award Amount: $125,000.

Grant Period

36 Months.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants for the VSGP must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. 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.

Applications may only be submitted by the entities listed below if they carry out programs or activities that will: 1) substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations; or 2) support or facilitate private veterinary practices engaged in public health activities.

• Eligible Applicants for EET
  • State, national, allied, regional, or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
  • a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
  • a university research foundation or veterinary medical foundation;
  •  a department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of Education;
  • a state agricultural experiment station; or Research Farm (1890 institutions)
  • a State, local, or tribal government agency.
• Eligible Applicants for RPE
  • A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the United States, such as a clinic or hospital, that provides mixed/large animal veterinary services in a rural area, as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
  • Clinics or hospitals that employ a current VMLRP awardee from any qualifying year (i.e., those with a current service obligation at the time of this application) and applies with reference to the single shortage area to which they are obligated to serve;
  • A single shortage area designation MUST be included in the proposal title and narrative and in the appropriate field on the form.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.