From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

The From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Food and Agriculture Professionals (also referred to as "NextGen") program enables institutions of higher education to engage, train, and support students to build the next generation o

The NextGen Program is funded through Section 1006 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as amended by the Inflation Reduction Act and it is focused on preparing students for careers in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences across research, education, and extension/outreach, with an emphasis on Federal Government sector employment. The goal of this program is to enable academic institutions to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students in order to help build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce including the future USDA workforce. NextGen Evaluation Program (NEXTE) is established to determine the impact and effectiveness of the NextGen investment.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Section 1006(b)(4)(A-E), as amended by Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (Pub.L 117-169), defines eligible applicants as 1890 land-grant institutions, 1994 land-grant institutions, Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories.

The primary areas of focus include: 1) Paid experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students (i.e., internships, fellowships, and career development activities, such as mentoring, shadowing, hands-on-learning, interviews, peer-to-peer engagement) in food, agriculture, natural resource, and human sciences across research, education, and extension; 2) Scholarships to support the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students with a degree, certification, and/or credential completion in food, agriculture, natural resource, and human sciences; 3) Non-formal education activities that cultivate interest in and exposure to food and agriculture careers among youth and other audiences on non-traditional academic paths (e.g., hosting Jr. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences {MANRRS} Chapter, sponsoring field trips, K-12 school gardens, extension demonstrations, volunteer opportunities, or positive youth development activities, such as 4-H); 4) Innovative recruitment, retention, and branding strategies to attract students to majors and career paths in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. The Next Gen Program seeks to support projects that:  provide resources and support to students at the specified MSIs pursuing academic and career paths in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH);  develop directed and meaningful interactions between research and extension/outreach that will directly impact the recruitment and retention of students in FANH;  develop and facilitate meaningful domestic and/or international experiential learning opportunities which cultivate the acquisition of technical, leadership, and employability skills required to enter the FANH workforce;  create opportunities for training and certifications for high-demand occupations in FANH for audiences outside of the college environment;  extend knowledge on the wide range of career opportunities across the agriculture sector and at USDA by training advisors on those opportunities and connecting participants to USDA personnel and internship and scholarship opportunities through career development activities;  attract and engage K-12 youth and other communities of learners that are underrepresented in FANH through non-formal education opportunities, including positive youth development activities, such as 4-H;  increase awareness and understanding of diverse food and agricultural systems both from local, regional, and global perspectives including indigenous traditional ecological knowledge;  build and sustain partnerships among organizations, who have a vested public interest in developing a diverse workforce in FANH; and/or  develop or adapt innovative teaching, training and advising practices, curricula, learning materials, recruitment, mentoring, retention, or branding strategies to attract students from underserved communities to majors and career paths in FANH.

In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed five (5) years. Further details are provided in the Award document Form NIFA-2009 and the This agreement is covered by the Research Terms and Conditions (RTC) as described on the NIFA webpage for terms and conditions (https://nifa.usda.gov/terms-and-conditions) including the NIFA specific terms and conditions dated Nov 2020 located at the following link: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/fedrtc/agencyspecifics/nifa_1120.pdf SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available via: RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: NIFA utilizes the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), a secure, web-based electronic payment and information system that allows federal agencies to administer funds. Currently, ASAP is the only payment source for new NIFA grantees. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Pertinent details will be provided at a later date.

Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The most current NOFOs are available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/learning-leading-cultivating-next-generation-diverse-food-agriculture

Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the RFA. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for more details.

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for more details.