Award: Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Biotechnology Internship Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded DMACC a Cooperative Agreement totaling $184,800 under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) effective September 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Under this partnership agreement co-administered by APHIS's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, DMACC will provide internship opportunities for four biotechnology students at NVSL. Funding supports student stipends and health insurance benefits, enabling DMACC students to gain hands-on experience in veterinary diagnostic and animal health services while supporting APHIS's mission to protect U.S. agriculture from animal disease threats.
This cooperative agreement aligns with the broader APHIS program objective of workforce development in animal health and disease surveillance. The internship model creates a pipeline for skilled biotechnology personnel to support federal veterinary diagnostic operations and contributes to the existing federal-community college partnership framework that DMACC has successfully developed across multiple workforce development initiatives with federal agencies.