Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) | USDA NIFA HEMS 005962

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 005962

The Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) is a competitive grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). Its central goal is to strengthen the future food and agricultural workforce by increasing multicultural diversity among students who go on to become scientists and professionals in food and agricultural fields. At the same time, the program is framed as a way to support broader educational achievement by helping colleges and universities expand scholarship and training pathways for students pursuing these disciplines.

The legal authority for the program comes from section 1417 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act (NARETPA) of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3152). In practical terms, this means the program is designed as an institutional grant, where eligible schools compete for funding and then use that funding to support undergraduate scholarship and training activities (and, where applicable, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine training proposals) tied to food and agricultural sciences. Rather than being a direct-to-student scholarship application, the program is structured so that institutions propose a plan for recruiting, supporting, and preparing scholars, with the overall objective of building a more representative pipeline into agriculture-related careers.

Eligible applicants include three broad groups of institutions: land-grant institutions; colleges and universities with significant minority enrollments that can demonstrate the capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences; and other colleges and universities that can likewise demonstrate the ability to carry out instruction in food and agricultural science fields. In addition, research foundations that are maintained by an otherwise eligible college or university are allowed to apply, specifically for undergraduate and/or D.V.M. training proposals under the request for applications. A key eligibility condition is that the applicant institution must confer an undergraduate degree or a D.V.M. degree in at least one discipline within the food and agricultural sciences, aligning the funding with programs that can credibly educate and credential students for entry into the agricultural scientific and professional workforce.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant (not a formula allocation), listed under CFDA 10.220, with the funding opportunity number USDA NIFA HEMS 005962. The posted maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $200,000. The opportunity record indicates an original closing date of September 29, 2016, and a creation date of July 21, 2016. Overall, the program is best understood as a competitive funding mechanism for higher education institutions to create or strengthen multicultural scholar training and scholarship efforts in food and agricultural sciences, with the intended outcome of improving diversity and long-term workforce capacity in agriculture-related scientific and professional fields.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.220.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-09-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 005962

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