The increasing impacts of disastrous weather on agriculture producers' livelihoods and food sectors along with projected US population growth highlight the need to train the next-generation workforce

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Delaware State University $749,999 on February 1, 2026, under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216) to develop workforce capacity in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.

The award funds four integrated activities. Delaware State University will operate a paid Extension Scholar Program (ESP) providing 30 undergraduate students with eight-week experiential learning placements in extension and applied research. The institution will establish a 15-person high school Extension Scholar cohort at Delaware State University exclusively, alongside a paid scholarship program offering ten-week internship experiences with three academic credits for undergraduate students from all communities. Delaware State University will develop an international experience with the University of Belize to expose students to global agriculture and careers in food and agriculture. The award also funds hands-on outreach and engagement projects for over 500 middle and high school youth to introduce them to careers in the targeted disciplines.

The recipient institution is Delaware State University, a historically Black college and university and 1890 land-grant institution headquartered in Dover, Delaware. Work is performed in Leipsic, Delaware. The period of performance runs from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2029. The assistance type is a Project Grant.

The program supports institutional capacity building in teaching, research, and extension at eligible 1890 land-grant universities, with the objective of building workforce pipelines and strengthening research and extension capacity in agricultural and food sciences.

This workforce must address agricultural and food security issues using science-driven approaches and advanced technologies like AI and remote sensing. This project will enable 1890 and 1862 land-grant institutions to engage recruit retain train and support students and enhancing the workforce in food agriculture natural resources and human sciences (fanh) by: 1) providing undergraduate students from all communities with an 8-week experiential learning (ELP) and outreach and engagement project (OEP) in extension and applied research through the paid extension scholar program (ESP); 2) establishing a student cohort from all communities to enhance knowledge of fanh careers career/leadership development skills and exposure to global agriculture in an international experience with partnership with the university of belize; 3) paid student scholarship program (SSP) with 3-credits for undergraduate students from all communities participating in a 10-week extension scholar program (including 8-week internship); and 4) hands-on OEP experiences for middle and high school youth to introduce them to various fanh careers. We expect to train 30 undergraduate extension scholars, 15 high school extension scholars (DSU only) and over 500 high- and middle-school students from general populations. The step forward training will increase recruitment retention and graduation of students and better equip the future workforce for challenging job markets and high-paid careers in fanh disciplines via cooperative extension programs activities cooperative research technology application and global training. The major outcome of this project would be an increased number of skilled workforces and enhanced enrollment and recruitment in fanh. This would address the american first goal of the administration, by providing students insights into global agricultural and international experience.