The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for its Equipment Grants Program 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.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Guam; American Samoa; Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Federated States of Micronesia; Republic of the Marshall Islands; Republic of Palau; and U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/03/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Grant Duration: 48 months
Details:
The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves 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. EGP grants are not intended to replace requests for equipment in individual project applications. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside the proposing organization.
EGP is designed to strengthen the fundamental and/ or applied research capacity (extension) of institutions by funding the purchase of one shared-use piece of equipment that may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project. Proposals to the EGP are for the acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument. Well-integrated research instrument means that the ensemble of equipment that defines the instrument enables specific fundamental or applied research experiments in the food and agricultural sciences, including data science and data systems. It also means that separating or removing an element or component of such an integrated instrument would preclude any experiments from occurring or succeeding. Requests for computer equipment are allowed only if the equipment is part of a well-integrated instrument.
The EGP is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Goals FY 2022-2026:
- Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources and Communities;
- Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous;
- Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers; and
- Strategic Goal 4: Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $4,800,000
- Award Ceiling: $500,000
- Award Floor: $25,001
Grant Duration
48 Months
Project and Grant Types
The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:
- Project Types: In FY 2023, the EGP will accept Equipment Projects only. These projects are for the acquisition of research equipment and does not fund research project costs, including personnel costs, associated with the use of the equipment acquired with support from this program. Other project types submitted to this program will not be considered for review. EGP projects support the purchase of equipment that will be used for fundamental or applied research and enhance the capacity (updates or expands existing equipment) or increases the capacity (acquires new equipment) at a research institution.
- Grant Types: The EGP will only support Standard Grants where:
- Standard Grant: funding request from $25,001 up to $500,000 total budget for the acquisition of a single, well-integrated piece of equipment/instrument and a project duration of 48 months. An instrument acquired with support from EGP is expected to be fully operational by the conclusion of the first year of the project period; the remainder of the project period will document impacts and outcomes of the investment.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility is limited to the following institutions, as defined
- 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 1101(a) 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 Grants.gov.
