Higher Education Challenge Grants Program | USDA NIFA CGP 006325

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 006325

The Higher Education Challenge Grants Program is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (CFDA 10.217) that supports innovative, high-impact education projects in the food and agricultural sciences. The central idea is to fund projects that tackle a clearly defined educational need at the state, regional, national, or even international level, while also pushing beyond standard academic approaches. Funded projects are expected to use creative or non-traditional methods that could realistically be replicated elsewhere, meaning applicants should be thinking not only about solving a local problem but also about developing a model that other institutions can adopt.

A major emphasis of the program is collaboration and relationship-building. Successful proposals should strengthen working connections within the university science and education community and also build meaningful partnerships between universities and the private sector. The intent is to improve educational quality and extend the reach of available resources through cooperation, shared expertise, and complementary contributions. Another defining expectation is sustainability: the program favors projects whose benefits continue after the grant period ends, so applicants should plan for lasting institutional improvements, durable curricula, ongoing partnerships, and outcomes that persist beyond USDA funding.

Eligible applicants include U.S. public or private nonprofit colleges and universities that offer at least a baccalaureate or first professional degree in one or more food and agricultural science disciplines. Land-grant institutions are explicitly eligible, including land-grant colleges and universities in the Insular Areas. The program also welcomes colleges and universities with significant minority enrollments, as long as they can demonstrate the capacity to teach in the food and agricultural sciences, along with other institutions that can similarly demonstrate that capacity. In addition to fitting one of these broad categories, an applicant must meet the specific definition of an Eligible Institution/Organization laid out in the program’s request for applications (RFA).

The eligibility rules also clarify how multi-campus systems are treated. If a branch campus within a state university system (or similar system) is separately accredited as a degree-granting institution, it is treated as a separate institution and can apply and receive awards on its own. In contrast, campuses or branches that are not individually accredited as degree-granting institutions are not treated as separate eligible entities under this program. The program further states that a research foundation maintained by an eligible college or university can qualify as an eligible institution for receiving an award, which can matter for universities that route sponsored projects through affiliated foundations.

Accreditation is a firm requirement: the institution’s accreditation must come from an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Key opportunity details provided include the funding opportunity number USDA NIFA CGP 006325, the activity category of Agriculture, the funding instrument type of Grant, and an original closing date of July 12, 2017 (as listed in the source data). The award ceiling and expected number of awards were not specified in the provided information.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Higher Education Challenge Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.217.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 006325

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