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Find similar grantsHigher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants is sponsored by USDA NIFA. Supports innovative projects that enhance the quality of teaching and learning in higher education institutions.
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Higher Education Challenge (HEC) 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.
Veterinary Services Grant Program Technical Assistance Webinar NIFA staff will hold a Technical Assistance Webinar to discuss the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) Notice of Funding Opportunity. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.
Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program The Higher Education Challenge (HEC) program provides funding to eligible applicants to help ensure a competent, qualified, and diverse workforce will exist to serve the food and agricultural sciences system.
The HEC program is intended to strengthen institutional capacities, such as curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention. HEC projects respond to identified state, regional, national, or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences, or in rural economic, community, and business development.
1862 Land-grant Institutions 1890 Land-grant Institutions 1994 Land-grant Institutions Hispanic-Serving Institutions State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed Non-Land-grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) 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.
Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Previously Funded HEC Projects HEC focuses on improving formal, baccalaureate, or master’s degree level food and agricultural sciences education, and first professional degree-level education in veterinary medicine such as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). Section 1405 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), as amended, (7 U.S.C.
3121) designates the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lead Federal agency for agriculture research, extension, and teaching in the food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences. Authority for this program is contained in section 1417(b)(1) of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(1)).
Solomon Haile, National Program Leader | Solomon. Haile@usda. gov Cierra Campbell, Program Specialist | Cierra.
Campbell@usda. gov NIFA Reinforces the Food and Ag Education Pipeline NIFA's education programs are designed to enhance the agricultural and food workforce pipeline through programs that support workforce development, agricultural literacy, student recruitment and retention, and capacity-building.
Explore NIFA Education Programs NIFA Reinforces the Agricultural and Food Education Pipeline Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Previously Funded HEC Projects Minority Serving Institutions Page last updated: March 18, 2025 Your feedback is important to us.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Universities, Colleges, and other institutions of higher education. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $500,000 per year. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants is funded by USDA NIFA. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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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