The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of more than $33 million to support capacity-building efforts at 1890 Land-grant Universities. This investment, administered through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will support 82 research, Extension, and education projects across the nation’s 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities designated as 1890 Land-grant Universities.
These projects are part of NIFA’s 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program, which is designed to build capacity for teaching, research, and Extension activities. Eligible institutions are receiving funding for a range of activities, including curriculum design, materials development, faculty development, student recruitment and retention and Extension program development support. Research investments will strengthen the quality and diversity of the nation’s higher-education workforce, bolster research and knowledge delivery systems and equip 1890 Land-grant Universities with resources needed to better address emerging challenges and create new opportunities.
“The work these universities will take on as a result of this funding have ripple effects far beyond the walls of their laboratories and classrooms,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “Through this investment, the Biden-Harris administration is helping deliver real-life, applicable solutions to make our food system stronger, while at the same time inspiring a next generation of students and scientists who will help us meet tomorrow’s agricultural challenges.”
In June, USDA also announced the release of two new public dashboards designed to enhance transparency and engagement in NIFA funding opportunities.. One dashboard offers grantees and the public unprecedented access to high-level data about agricultural research funding investments, and the other allows applicants to track the status of their grant applications. The development of these dashboards highlights USDA’s commitment to increasing data transparency and accessibility, and supports the principles outlined in the Year of Open Science initiative.
Source: USDA