The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded Clemson University $4.5 million on January 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to establish the state's first college of veterinary medicine and address shortages of veterinarians serving rural areas and farm animal practice.
Clemson will develop state-of-the-art equipment, materials, and supplies for farm animal instruction and skills development. The award funds curriculum design planning and admissions requirement development for a distributed-model veterinary medical program that leverages Clemson's existing animal health infrastructure—including a robotically milked dairy herd, beef and sheep operations, equine facilities, poultry and aquaculture units, laboratory animal research facilities, and a pre-veterinary program. Clemson also operates the South Carolina State Veterinarian's Office, the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center, and the state's meat-poultry inspection department, positioning the institution to address workforce gaps in rural veterinary practice, farm animal medicine, and public health veterinary roles.
The award runs through December 31, 2027, with place of performance in Pendleton, South Carolina. Clemson University's Division of Research is the recipient.