Notice of Funding Opportunity

Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land- Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 10, 2026

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: $5,700,000

AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL AWARD

RANGE:

$30,000 - $750,000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-NLGCA-011938

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.326

ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): The Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.326.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines

Task Description Deadline

Application:

5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, November 10, 2026

Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice (NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to the extent permitted by law, will no longer make grants or otherwise fund programs or activities that improperly discriminate on the basis of race or sex, including discrimination in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Instead, USDA will prioritize merit and efficiency. USDA recognizes programs and initiatives will have the greatest impact when these programs and initiatives put American farmers, ranchers, and foresters first by:

• solving the most pressing challenges they face;

• protecting America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply to enhance national security;

• supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers;

• expanding and developing domestic markets;

• training the next generation of agriculturalists; and

• fueling innovation to keep American farmers at the forefront of productivity.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to advancing these principles and encourages applicants to actively engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters when applying for funding opportunities to ensure relevancy and adherence to them. NIFA also encourages agricultural leaders to engage in the peer review panel process to ensure American producers are better served through research, education, and outreach activities.

Projects submitted under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should align with USDA Secretary’s Memorandum 1078-020 Directive on Departmental Research and Development Priorities:

1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers

2. Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products

3. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species

4. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land

5. Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf

Stakeholder Input. NIFA seeks comments on all NOFOs so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service. NIFA considers comments to the extent possible when developing NOFOs and uses comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov. Please use the following subject line: Response to the NLGCA NOFO.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7613%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7613)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true mailto:Policy@usda.gov

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This notice identifies the objectives for NLGCA projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

The NLGCA Program aims to make competitive grants to NLGCA Institutions to assist in maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct education, research, and outreach activities related to the food and agricultural sciences. The FY 2026 funding level is approximately $5,700,000.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF KEY INFORMATION

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority B. Purpose and Priorities

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Application Restrictions C. Project and Grant Types D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application B. Content and Form of the Application C. Funding Restrictions

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Organizational Management Information D. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements C. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information D. Language Access Services

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF KEY INFORMATION

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: Program Key Information Table 3: Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 4: Help and Resources Table 5: Key Application Instructions Table 6: Academic Codes and Disciplines

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority This program is administered under the provisions of Section 1473F of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as added by Section 7138 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, (7 U.S.C. 3319i).

Section 7102 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 amended the definition of NLGCA.

This definition no longer excludes Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges or universities and McIntire-Stennis colleges and universities.

B. Purpose and Priorities The NLGCA Program, under assistance listing number 10.326, will assist NLGCA institutions in maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct education, research, outreach, and integrated activities relating to agriculture, renewable resources, and other similar disciplines.

NLGCA institutions may use the funds to maintain and expand capacity:

1. to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, outreach, and integrated activities that address priority concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest;

2. to disseminate information relating to priority concerns to:

a. interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities;

b. the public; and

c. any other interested entity;

3. to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority education, research, outreach, and integrated activities by providing matching funds to leverage grant resources, and through:

a. the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings);

b. the professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA Institution;

and

c. the development of graduate assistantships.

Program Priorities.—The NLGCA Program supports research, education, outreach, and integrated projects that provide experience in innovative agricultural technologies, including data analytics, robotics and automation, and artificial intelligence, including educational experiences and career awareness for K-12 students regarding knowledge and ethical use of artificial intelligence and development of agricultural applications. Projects should align with the Departmental Research and Development Priorities.

Applications are encouraged to build linkages with other institutions (including other colleges and universities, units of State or Federal governments, private sector and community-based food and agricultural entities) and establishing collaborative initiatives that maximize the development and use of limited resources (including faculty, facilities, and equipment) by generating a critical mass of expertise and activity focused on a targeted Need Area(s) (see Part II, C of this NOFO);

increasing cost-effectiveness through achieving economies of scale; strengthening the scope and quality of a project’s impact; preparing for new and emerging employment opportunities in the https://www.nifa.usda.gov/national-agricultural-research-extension-teaching-policy-act-1977 https://www.nifa.usda.gov/national-agricultural-research-extension-teaching-policy-act-1977 https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/2419 https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/2419 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3319i%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3319i)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text food, agricultural, and natural resources disciplines; and promoting coalition building likely to transcend the project’s lifetime and lead to future ventures.

Applications are encouraged that address the national challenge to increase the number of students entering food and agriculture-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. NIFA seeks to expand and strengthen the food and agricultural sectors, including the development of workforce with the training and credentials necessary to contribute to the food and agricultural sector. To this end, NIFA strongly encourages Project Directors to limit student stipends to citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. This ensures that grant supported training activities directly contribute to strengthening the domestic workforce pipeline.

Leadership Skills Development.—The development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities are necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. NLGCA education applications must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation. Specific activities may include:

1. Developing practical applications to increase understanding of leadership roles, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills; ethics and professionalism;

and working in teams

2. Connecting academic classroom experience with daily leadership roles, planning, and organizational activities

3. Providing opportunities for mentoring, shadowing, and simulations

4. Organizing leadership academies, workshops, field trips, training experiences, and other relevant events

Table 2: Program Key Information Title Description

Program Code: NLGCA Program Code Name: Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture

ALN: 10.326

Project Type: Research, Education, Outreach, Integrated Grant Type: 1. Planning Activity/Workshop

2. Standard

3. Collaborative–Joint

4. Collaborative–Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI)

Application Deadline November 10, 2026 Grant Duration: 1. Planning Activity/Workshop 24-36 months

2. Standard 24-36 months;

3. Collaborative-Joint 36-48 months;

4. Collaborative-Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI) 36-48 months Anticipated # of

Awards:

Minimum Award Amount:

1. Planning Activity/Workshop $25,000;

2. Standard $50,000;

3. Collaborative-Joint $200,000;

4. Collaborative Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI)

$600,000 Maximum Award

Amount:

1. Planning Activity/Workshop $30,000;

2. Standard $150,000;

3. Collaborative-Joint $300,000;

4. Collaborative Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI)

$750,000

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for NLGCA in FY 2026 is approximately $5,700,000.

USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this

NOFO.

B. Application Restrictions NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO. Application for FY2026 is limited to the following application types:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this NOFO and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

2. Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include the response to the previous review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein.

Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

C. Project and Grant Types The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:

1. Project Types.—Applicants must propose one of the following project types. Each of the project types includes Need Areas. Applications must demonstrate how the chosen project type and Need Area will support the legislatively authorized purpose of this program listed in Part I, B of this NOFO. Projects must address a demonstrated and/or documented issue/problem/challenge of national, regional, state, or local interest within the food and agricultural sciences. This can be undertaken through a variety of mechanisms, approaches, or strategies within the Activity Type.

a. Education—Applications with an education/teaching focus must address at least one of the Education Need Areas within this subsection. Proposed education-focused activities must support for-credit coursework (academic curriculum), leading to a degree within the broadly defined food and agricultural sciences.

Projects must be innovative; have potential for adoption by other academic institutions; exhibit broad-based applicability beyond a single course or an individual instructor; have a strong potential for institutionalization; and must be supported by evidence-based studies, publications, or practices.

Education Need Areas include:

i. Curriculum Design, Materials Development, Library Resources, and Instruction Delivery Systems—To enhance the NLGCA institution’s capacity to promote new and improved curricula, instructional materials, https://fiscal.treasury.gov/payments-from-government/automated-standard-application-for-payments-asap and other learning resources and increase the quality of curricula to attract, recruit, and retain students in the food and agricultural sciences. The objective of the Need Area is to stimulate the development and use of exemplary education models and materials, incorporating the most recent advances in subject matter and research on teaching and learning theory.

Projects are encouraged to integrate research, education, and outreach and be multidisciplinary. Learner-centered instructional techniques or other improvements in teaching and student learning are encouraged. Projects must demonstrate how the product or education program will reach large audiences efficiently and effectively, provide hands-on learning experiences, extend learning beyond the classroom, reinforce recent research on how to motivate students to learn, retain, apply, and transfer knowledge, skills, and competencies, and/or integrate and synthesize knowledge. The choice for which strategy to employ must be based on the most current research or studies and references must be included.

Projects may emphasize, but are not limited to: the development of instructional materials, courses of study, and degree programs;

incorporating alternative instructional methodologies that respond to differences in student learning styles; inter-institutional collaborations that deliver instruction in ways that maximize program quality and reduce unnecessary duplication; the use of new approaches for the study of traditional subjects; the introduction of new subjects; or new applications of knowledge pertaining to agri-science and agri-business content. The end goal is to have these activities fully institutionalized so they can be sustained, and not be just a one-time activity, to show continuing impacts on the institution’s educational capacity.

ii. Scientific Instrumentation for Education—To provide students and faculty in science-oriented courses with suitable and modern equipment that involves them in work essential for food and agricultural sciences, education, and research programs. Applications may include but are not limited to acquiring new, state-of-the-art instructional, laboratory, classroom, and research scientific equipment, upgrading existing equipment, or replacing nonfunctional or obsolete equipment. See Part IV, C of this NOFO for additional funding restrictions.

iii. Student Recruitment and Retention—To enhance educational opportunities, recruitment, and retention programs for students of rural America to strengthen the Nation’s future professional and technical workforce in the food and agricultural sciences. Applications may include but are not limited to projects that attract increased numbers of students;

engage with communities/collaborators/or other partners to train or employ students and graduates; develop and/or implement agricultural and science literacy programs at the high school level; and establish mentoring programs and other initiatives for student retention.

iv. Experiential Learning—To further the development of student scientific and professional competencies through experiential learning programs.

The projects might include but are not limited to experiential or problem-based learning in food and agricultural sciences laboratory or field-based research or internships; instructional methodologies which engage students in experiential learning opportunities (i.e., service learning, case studies, or undergraduate research projects); or career and higher education counseling.

v. Professional Development for Faculty Members—To enhance the NLGCA institution’s capacity to advance faculty development in the areas of teaching competency and leadership, subject matter expertise, or student recruitment skills; or to better advise, mentor, and provide students the experience or knowledge that will encourage them to pursue advanced postsecondary degrees in the food and agricultural sciences or prepare them for the food and agricultural sciences workforce. Training of targeted faculty recipients can be formal or informal and must be relevant to the identified educational needs of the students, who will be the beneficiaries of such faculty development. Any faculty recipient of support must meet the requirements of an eligible participant.

vi. Collaborative Interaction with Other Academic Institutions—To enhance the NLGCA institution’s capacity to promote partnerships with secondary, 2-year postsecondary, or other postsecondary academic institutions to support postsecondary instruction (i.e., providing coursework targeted at undergraduate students, but that may also be available for advanced placement credit for secondary students; for transfer credit from associate degree programs into baccalaureate-level programs; or for postsecondary faculty development that includes research sabbaticals), in order to encourage and facilitate transfer and matriculation into postsecondary programs within the food and agricultural sciences.

Emphasis between secondary and higher education institutions may focus on, but is not limited to, the development and use of articulation agreements, 2+2 or 2+2+2 arrangements, advanced placement credit transfer, or the sharing of faculty and facilities. Partnerships, collaborative arrangements, and shared resources between institutions (including course credit sharing arrangements) are encouraged.

Projects must contribute to the academic community’s understanding of how new strategies are transferred to a variety of settings and how they impact student learning. Evaluation plans shall explore opportunities for adapting new strategies to a variety of educational settings. Projects that specifically address challenges to achieving widespread adoption of proven practice are especially encouraged. Note: NLGCA grant funding cannot be used to provide student tuition scholarships or for other tuition-remission activities.

b. Research—Applications with a research focus must address at least one of the Research Need Areas discussed in this subsection. Research Need Areas may encourage student assistantships. Such student learning opportunities must emphasize team-oriented, problem-solving, decision-making situations in the context of addressing real-world research experiences. Projects addressing student assistantships must: (1) demonstrate how the experience will produce qualified and well-trained graduates; (2) contain an evaluation process involving both the faculty/mentor and the students to ensure that students meet project objectives;

and (3) document the need of scientific and professional personnel in the field of science under consideration and how the project plans to address this. Individual students may be supported under this opportunity for up to 3 years (including summers, semesters, or semester breaks). Requested project funds may be used as stipends for students while they are working in research/field settings (NLGCA funds cannot be used to fund student tuition or other tuition-remission activity).

Students are required to prepare written and oral summaries of the experiential learning gained through this opportunity. To attract high-caliber students, stipends should be competitive with alternative employment options. A modest amount of funds may be requested for materials/supplies to facilitate a student’s broad exposure to research/field techniques and methodologies. Recipients are encouraged to take advantage of any related paid internship opportunities provided by County, State, Federal, business and industry sources.

Research Need Areas include:

i. Studies and Experimentation in Food and Agricultural Sciences—To advance the body of knowledge within the food and agricultural sciences, projects addressing this Need Area are encouraged to focus on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research activities addressing systems-oriented, critical issues rather than single, discipline-specific research studies.

ii. Applied Studies in the Food and Agricultural Sciences—To apply the body of knowledge in those natural and social sciences that comprise the food and agricultural sciences to address real-world problems, including applied research activities focusing on community and economic development issues related to food, nutrition, conservation, and natural resources.

iii. Centralized Research Support Systems—To innovate and establish centralized research support systems (including but not limited to technology-based information delivery systems, digital or physical storage and maintenance of data, and expert service centers) that meet national needs, serve regions of NLGCA Institutions, or provide economic research support, thereby freeing up institutional resources for other uses.

c. Outreach—Applications with an outreach focus must address at least one of the Outreach Need Areas discussed in this subsection. Outreach projects generally focus on a primary, targeted, beneficiary consisting of individuals and communities outside a formal academic program setting. Applications may develop studies or programs relevant to the communities and regions that their institutions serve.

Outreach Need Areas include:

i. Youth Development—To cultivate important life skills in youths through Agriculture in the Classroom. 4-H, FFA, and other similar youth develop programs that build character, train in specific skill sets, and ultimately build the future domestic workforce in agricultural science.

ii. Food and Agricultural Sciences—To improve research translation and educational programs that increase farm profitability, expand markets and create new uses for agricultural products, build soil health, protect systems from invasive species, to assist farmers, ranchers, and foresters.

iii. Leadership Development—To train outreach professionals and volunteers to deliver programs in agriculture, horticulture health and safety, and family and consumer issues, and to support Agriculture in the Classroom, 4-H youth development, or other similar programs that to increase the public knowledge of the importance of agriculture and provide training for adult volunteers of youth development programs.

iv. Precision Nutrition and Food Quality—To help individuals, families, and communities change behaviors on precision nutrition and improve food quality by teaching nutrition, food preparation skills, family communication, and connection to healthy outcomes.

v. Community and Economic Development—To assist local governments, community, and nonprofit organizations to create viable options for economic and agricultural development in rural communities.

vi. Technology-based Information Delivery Systems—To promote improvements in the technological delivery, particularly focused on artificial intelligence, to benefit agricultural producers and consumers.

d. Integrated—An Integrated Project includes at least two of the three functions of the agricultural knowledge system (i.e., education, research, and outreach) within a project. The functions addressed in the project must be focused on a problem or issue and must be interwoven throughout the life of the project to complement and reinforce one another. The functions must be interdependent and necessary for the success of the project, and no more than two-thirds of the project’s budget may be focused on a single component.

For Integrated projects that include an education component, note that routine use of graduate and postdoctoral students as personnel on research projects is not considered education for the purposes of this program. Only students actively engaged in the scholarship of research or outreach are considered as Education.

Actively engaged students may contribute to presentations, articles, posters, and other expressions of scholarship that reflect their own work on the project director’s (PD) project.

For Integrated projects that include an outreach component, activities will synthesize and incorporate a wide range of relevant research results. However, research-related activities such as publication of papers or speaking at scientific meetings are not considered outreach for the purpose of an Integrated project.

2. Grant Types—Applicants must select the appropriate grant type. Please note that the award amount indicated for each grant type is the maximum total for the award and not an amount per year.

a. Planning Activity/Workshop—Applicants in this grant type may request up to

$30,000 to facilitate strategic planning session(s) required of faculty, industry, professional association, community leaders, or other necessary participants for the specific purpose of developing a formal plan leading to a subsequent submission of a Collaborative grant. A Planning Activity/Workshop grant application may not be submitted in the same year for which a Collaborative grant application for the same project is also submitted.

b. Standard—Applicants of this grant type may request up to $150,000. Standard grants support priority original Research and Education projects. Project activities largely target the institution’s own students or faculty and are managed primarily by its own personnel. The applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners.

c. Collaborative—Collaborative grants support projects with at least one additional partner or a multi-partner approach. Collaborative grants should build linkages to generate a critical mass of expertise, skill, and technology to address research and education/teaching programs related to the food and agricultural sciences. Grants can reduce duplication of efforts and/or build capacity and must be organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management knowledge and skills to organize and carry out the initiative. The partners must share grant funds (see Appendix III for detailed definitions).

i. Joint Grants (Applicant + one or more partners)—Applicants may request up to

$300,000 for a Joint Project Proposal. In a Joint grant, the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least one additional partner. To demonstrate a substantial involvement with the project, the applicant institution/organization submitting a Joint Project Proposal must retain at least 30 percent, but not more than 70 percent, of the awarded funds and no cooperating entity may receive less than 10 percent of awarded funds.

ii. Large-scale Comprehensive Initiatives (Applicant + two or more partners)— Applicants may request up to $750,000 for a Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI) Project Proposal. In an LCI grant, the applicant executes the project with assistance from at least two additional partners. To demonstrate a substantial involvement with the project, the applicant institution/organization submitting an LCI proposal must retain at least 30 percent, but not more than 70 percent, of the awarded funds and no cooperating entity may receive less than 10 percent of awarded funds. An LCI project differs from a Joint Project Proposal in project scope and impact. LCI Project Proposals must support a multi-partner approach to solving a major state or regional challenge facing the agricultural sciences at the postsecondary level. LCI Project Proposals are characterized by multiple partners (each providing specific expertise) organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management ability to organize and carry out the initiative.

LCI Project Proposal funds do not have to be divided equally among project years, nor do they need to be divided equally among project partners. LCI projects must include a statement on expected impacts of the project as well as an Evaluation Plan to measure success.

D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award, that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for further information.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3f96ab05cf1fc2d2713e5e46755e7696&mc=true&node=pt2.1.422&rgn=div5#se2.1.422_12 https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements Applicants for the NLGCA Program must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO.

Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

Applications may only be submitted by an NLGCA certified as such by NIFA at the time of application. A current list of NLGCAs certified by NIFA can be found on the NLGCA Program webpage or the NLGCA List webpage. Section 7102 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 removed the opt-in, opt-out language that had previously required Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU) and McIntire-Stennis Colleges and Universities to relinquish that status if they wanted to pursue NLGCA designation (See Part I, A for legislative authority). There are no longer any such limitations, and HSACUs as well as McIntire-Stennis Colleges and Universities may request NLGCA designation. Non-land-grant colleges and universities may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. All institutions certified as NLGCA prior to December 21, 2018, must reapply for certification and meet the new criteria for NLGCA certification contained in the Federal Register Notice.

In order for an institution to qualify as a NLGCA, it must be a public college or university offering a baccalaureate or higher degree in the study of agricultural sciences, forestry, or both, among the 32 specified Areas of Study: Agricultural and domestic animal services; agricultural and extension education services; agricultural and food products processing; agricultural business and management; agricultural communication or agricultural journalism; agricultural economics; agricultural engineering; agricultural mechanization; agricultural production operations; agricultural public services; agriculture; animal sciences; applied horticulture or horticulture operations; aquaculture; equestrian/equine studies; floriculture or floristry operations and management; food science; forest sciences and biology; forestry; greenhouse operations and management; international agriculture; natural resource economics; natural resources management and policy; natural resources or conservation; ornamental horticulture; plant nursery operations and management; plant sciences; range science and management; soil science; turf and turfgrass management; urban forestry; and wood science and wood products or pulp or paper technology. If you are not sure if you are eligible to request NLGCA designation, please consult the NLGCA Eligibility Flow Chart.

To request that NIFA provide certification of NLGCA status, an Authorized Representative (AR) must submit an NLGCA Certification Memo evidencing the institution meets the NLGCA qualifications through the Non-Land-Grant University designation webpage. Within 30 days of submission, NIFA will provide the administrative point of contact specified on the request with a certification of NLGCA designation or a response indicating why the request for certification is being denied.

For the purposes of this program, the individual branches of a college or university system that are separately accredited as degree-granting institutions as indicated per the Official List of https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/k-12-higher-education-programs/capacity-building-grants-non-land-grant-colleges-agriculture-program https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/k-12-higher-education-programs/capacity-building-grants-non-land-grant-colleges-agriculture-program https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nlgca-list https://www.nifa.usda.gov/request-non-land-grant-colleges-agriculture-designation https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/16/2019-10105/designation-as-a-non-land-grant-college-of-agriculture?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term= https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nlgca-eligibility-flow-chart https://www.nifa.usda.gov/request-non-land-grant-colleges-agriculture-designation

Certified Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture, are treated as separate institutions, and are therefore eligible to apply for NLGCA Program awards. Separate branches or campuses of a college or university that are not individually accredited as degree-granting institutions are not eligible to apply. Accreditation must be conferred by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

NLGCA applicants may submit (as the lead applicant) any number of proposals in response to this NOFO; however, each institution will be limited to a maximum of two grant awards as the lead (applicant) institution. Each institution may participate in any number of NLGCA-funded projects as a partner institution in any given year. However, an individual is limited to serve as Project Director (PD) for only one funded project in the FY competition.

USDA will not accept competitive applications for grant and cooperative agreements submitted for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – All duplicate or substantially similar proposals submitted in response to multiple NOFOs for concurrent review will be excluded. Each application should represent one grant type and respond to the specific criteria and requirements presented in a particular program NOFO. NIFA will not fund an application that duplicates or overlaps substantially with an application already funded (or to be funded) by another organization or agency.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required—The NLGCA has no matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion. However, cost share is encouraged.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/08/2025-08266/improving-the-safety-and-security-of-biological-research

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this NOFO electronically; no other method or response is accepted.

The electronic application for this NOFO and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

Table 3: Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action Step One: Register New Users to Grants.gov must register early with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application.

Step Two:

Download Adobe Download and Install Adobe Reader (see Adobe Software Compatibility for basic system requirements).

Step Three: Find Application

Using this funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-NLGCA-011938, search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess Readiness

Contact an AR prior to starting an application to assess the organization’s readiness to submit an electronic application.

Table 4: Help and Resources

Grants.gov Support NIFA Support Grants.gov Online Support Telephone support: 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035

Email support: support@grants.gov Self-service customer-based support: Grants.gov iPortal

Customer service business Hours 24/7, except Federal holidays.

Email:

grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m. – 5p.m. ET, except Federal holidays.

B. Content and Form of the Application The NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this NOFO. The NOFO overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. Applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that meet the requirements of this NOFO. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 5 outlines other key instructions for applicants.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grants-101/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://grants.gov/applicants/search-for-opportunity-package https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.grants.gov/support mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/

Table 5: Key Application Instructions Instruction References

(All references are to the NIFA Grants Application Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

Check the manifest of submitted files to verify attachments are in the correct format.

Part IV

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part IV

Follow the submission instructions. Part IV

Provide an accurate email address, where designated, on the

SF-424 R&R.

Part V

Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk for technical support and keep a record of the correspondence.

N/A

Contact NIFA if applicant does not receive correspondence from NIFA regarding an application within 60 days of the application deadline.

N/A

SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances.

SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s). See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

R&R Other Project Information Form. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. Field 7: Project Summary (PS)/Abstract.—The 250-word PS must show how the project goals align with the project goals of the NLGCA and indicated project type (Research, Education, Outreach, or Integrated). See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

https://www.grants.gov/support

Table 6: Academic Codes and Disciplines Code Discipline A Animal Sciences B Related Biological Sciences (includes General/Basic Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology) C Conservation and Natural Resources (includes Forestry) D Soil Sciences E Agricultural/Biological Engineering F Food Science/Technology and Manufacturing G General Food, Agricultural and Human Sciences (includes multidisciplinary projects) H Human Sciences/Family and Consumer Sciences (excludes Human Nutrition) J Entomology – Animal L Environmental Sciences/Management M Agribusiness (includes Management, Marketing, and Agricultural Economics) O Other (Describe only if not listed above) P Plant Sciences and Horticulture Q Aquaculture S Agricultural Social Sciences (includes Agricultural Education, Agricultural

Communications, and Rural Sociology) T Entomology – Plant V Veterinary Medicine/Science W Water Science

2. Field 8: Project Narrative (PN).—The PN must not exceed a total page limit of 25 pages, using 1-inch margins on all sides and 12-point font with double line spacing, including written text, figures, and tables. The only exception is that tables may be single-spaced with a font size no smaller than 11 points. Do not use a condensed or narrow font (e.g., Arial Narrow). To ensure fair competition, applications that are not compliant with these formatting specifications will not be accepted for review.

The PN attachment must include the following:

a. Narrative Cover Page.—The narrative cover page (first page of the PN) must include the information below and will not count towards the page limit of the PN:

i. Project Title

ii. PD and any Co-Project Director(s) with institutional affiliations

iii. Projected number of students and faculty to be served by the project over the project period

iv. Primary Academic Code and Discipline: (Select one or two from Table 6)

v. Application Type: New or Resubmission

vi. Project Type: Education, Research, Outreach, or Integrated

vii. Grant Type: Planning Activity/Workshop, Standard, Collaborative–Joint, or

Collaborative–Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative (LCI)

viii. Partners: If this project is a Collaborative project proposal, list all partnering institutions/organizations.

ix. Total Funds Requested: List total Federal funds requested for this application.

If this project is a Collaborative Project Proposal, also list each partner’s total funds requested next to the institution/organization’s name.

x. Three to five keywords to describe your proposed project

b. Introduction—Include a clear statement of the purpose and long-term goal(s) of the proposed project and major activities. Summarize the body of knowledge to date that substantiates the need for the proposed project and cite references appropriately.

c. Rationale and significance—Describe any ongoing or recently completed activities or preliminary data that contribute to the justification for the proposed project, including estimates of the magnitude of the issues, as well as the relevance to stakeholders and ongoing State or Federal food and agricultural research, education, and outreach programs. Connect the project to Program Area Priorities (Part I, B of this NOFO) and Need Areas (Part II, C of this NOFO). Discuss novel ideas, innovations, and proposed contributions to U.S. agriculture.

d. Objectives—Include statements of specific aims of the proposed efforts in a clear, concise, and complete manner with logically arranged terms and measurable outcomes in sight and ties to the reasons for performing the work at the proposing institution.

e. Approach/Methods—State the procedures or methodology you will apply to the proposed effort. This section is to include, but not necessarily be limited to, descriptions of:

i. Stakeholder involvement in problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation

ii. Proposed project activities listed sequentially

iii. Techniques to be employed in this project, including their feasibility and rationale

iv. Expected results

v. Analysis and interpretation of data

vi. Evaluation of education and outreach activities

vii. Plans to communicate results to appropriate audiences, including relevant scientific peers, stakeholders, and the public, as appropriate

viii. Pitfalls that might be encountered

ix. Limitations to proposed procedures

f. Project Timetable—The proposal outline is to include all important phases as a function of time, year by year, for the entire project, including periods beyond the grant funding period.

g. Evaluation Plan—All projects, except Planning Activity/Workshop grants, must have an evaluation plan. The evaluation plan must include both a strategy for monitoring the project as it evolves (to provide feedback to guide these efforts), as well as a strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of the project in achieving its goals and for identifying positive and negative results and outcomes when the project is completed.

The project budget must contain funding to either hire an outside or external project evaluator, or present convincing evidence that an appropriate independent evaluator already on staff is available to provide assistance with assessment and evaluation throughout the life of the project. As a guide, up to 10 percent of grant funds may be used to support this purpose.

The evaluation results will be reported both annually and in the final performance report (See Part VI, C of this NOFO). In addition to other measures that are project-specific, the evaluation must include:

i. Student, faculty, and stakeholder learning and engagement

ii. The number of students, faculty and stakeholders impacted by the project as a result of the proposed activities, either directly (through stipends, experiential learning opportunities, workshops, teaching experiences, etc.) or indirectly (through taking a developed course or program or participating in a recruitment or retention program)

iii. A summation of who benefited the most (and the least) from the project

iv. An explanation of what revisions, improvements, or enhancements that could be made, funding permitting, to increase the value of this project in the future

v. Ideas about how to make projects like this more cost-effective

h. Logic Model—Applications must include a logic model detailing the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project, as well as potential external factors that may affect progress on the proposed project. This information should be formatted into a 1-page logic model chart. The logic model planning process is a tool that should be used in developing projects before writing the proposal. More information and resources related to the logic model are provided at Logic Model Planning Process. The 1-page logic model chart is counted as part of the 25 pages of the PN.

i. Response to Previous Review (if applicable)—This requirement only applies to Resubmitted Applications as described in Part II, B of this NOFO and does not count against the 25-page limit of the PN. Title the 1-page response “Response to Previous Review,” and include the previous proposal number in the first line of this last page of the PN attachment.

3. Field 9: Bibliography & References Cited—No Page Limit—Title the attachment “Bibliography & References Cited” in the document header and save file as “Bibliography References Cited.” All information sources and work cited in the text should be referenced in this section of the application. All references must be complete;

include titles and all co-authors; conform to an acceptable journal format; and be listed in alphabetical order using the last name of the first author or listed by number in the order of citation.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/logic-model-planning-process https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/logic-model-planning-process

4. Field 12: Add Other Attachments.—See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

Appendices to Project Narrative—PDF Attachment—Title the attachment as “Appendices” in the document header and save file as “Appendices.” Appendices to the Project Narrative are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project. The addition of appendices may not be used to circumvent the text and/or figures and tables page limitations.

Mentoring Plan (MP)—PDF Attachment—2-Page…