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Higher Education Challenge Grants Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Supports projects that address a state, regional, national, or international educational need in food and agricultural sciences, involve creative approaches, encourage collaboration between universities and the private sector, and result in long-lasting benefits.
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Higher Education Challenge Grants Program | NIFA The lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements consists of four phases: Pre-Award, Award, Post-Award, and Close Out. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is committed to serving its stakeholders, Congress, and the public by using new technologies to advance greater openness.
The Data Gateway enables users to find funding data, metrics, and information about research, education, and Extension projects that have received grant awards from NIFA. This website houses a large volume of supporting materials. In this section, you can search the wide range of documents, videos, and other resources.
Technical Assistance Webinar: The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) The Equipment Grants Program seeks to provide eligible institutions with the opportunity to acquire a shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.
Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a state, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to access information related to this grant opportunity, please contact the Information Contact listed on this page no later than ten (10) days before the closing date. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the webinar or event related to this grant opportunity, please contact the event host.
NIFA offers language access services, such as interpretation and translation of vital information, free of charge. If you need interpretation or translation services, please visit NIFA Language Access Services and request service no later than ten (10) days before the closing date.
Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program 1862 Land-grant Institutions 1890 Land-grant Institutions 1994 Land-grant Institutions For-profit Organizations Other Than Small Businesses Hispanic-Serving Institutions Other or Additional Information (See below) State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed More Information on Eligibility a) U.S. public or private, nonprofit colleges/universities offering baccalaureate or 1st professional degree in at least one discipline/area of food & agricultural sciences; b) land-grant colleges/universities (including those in Insular Areas); c) colleges/universities having significant minority enrollments and demonstrable capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences; and d) colleges/universities having demonstrable capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences.
For more Information Contact grantapplicationquestions@usda. gov Funding Opportunity Number Assistance Listing Number Estimated Total Program Funding Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement Page last updated: July 18, 2025 Your feedback is important to us.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S. public or private nonprofit colleges and universities offering a baccalaureate or first professional degree in food and agricultural sciences, land-grant colleges and universities, colleges and universities with significant minority enrollments and demonstrable capacity, and other colleges and universities with demonstrable capacity. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Higher Education Challenge Grants Program is funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
USDA-NIFA-HEP-011737 puts $14 million behind roughly 28 awards of up to $705,000 for graduate fellowships in food and agricultural sciences. No match is required. But two eligibility rules — the new-graduate-student definition and the citizenship requirement — disqualify most of the students a department would naturally nominate.
Read articleNIFA's Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (USDA-NIFA-HSI-011903) posted September 10, 2026 with $30.6 million, 40 anticipated awards, and a December 3 deadline. It uses the same 25 percent enrollment definition the Justice Department has declined to defend at the Department of Education. Here is the structure, the three grant types, and the caps that decide who wins.
Read articleNIFA's FY2026 Higher Education Challenge program closes October 15, 2026 with $5.7 million and roughly 18 awards. Standard grants cap at $150,000, Collaborative Type 1 at $300,000, and Collaborative Type 2 at $750,000 — all from the same pool, all scored against each other. No match is required. Here is how the tier structure actually determines your odds.
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