Division Of Agriculture Of The University Of Arkansas

Division Of Agriculture Of The University Of Arkansas, a state-controlled 1862 land-grant institution headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, operates as a prime recipient of federal grants in agricultural extension, research, and technical assistance, with presence in all 75 Arkansas counties and no federal contract prime footprint. The division does not compete for federal contracts and does not hold seats on government-wide acquisition vehicles; all federal engagement occurs through grant awards to support agricultural extension, research, education, and conservation programming aligned with its land-grant mission to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting research to adoption of best practices.

The division's federal grant portfolio centers on agricultural extension, nutrition education, natural resource conservation, and risk management education. Representative work includes the Smith-Lever Extension Funding program (CFDA 10.511) under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a $12.672 million formula grant (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2030) supporting cooperative extension across Arkansas with five priority areas: supporting a healthier Arkansas, advancing innovation, helping communities thrive, enhancing resilience and sustainability, and preparing the workforce. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514) carries $1.317 million (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2030) to deliver nutrition education to low-income individuals and families eligible for SNAP, WIC, Head Start, and school meal programs using Kids in the Kitchen and Teen Cuisine curricula. The division also manages the Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC), which received a $2.121 million Project Grant (CFDA 10.520) from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2028) to deliver risk management education and host an annual national conference for Southern region farmers and ranchers.

Customer concentration runs heavily toward USDA agencies. The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture dominates the award count, with 125 awards covering 74% of recent awards across multiple programs (Smith-Lever, EFNEP, SARE competitive grants, and risk management education). The Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service holds 25 awards supporting soil health, water quality monitoring, climate-smart agriculture, and irrigation efficiency projects. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has awarded the division multiple cooperative agreements to establish and maintain APEX Accelerators (Procurement Technical Assistance for Business Firms, CFDA 12.002) with awards dated September 16, 2026 ($1.066 million through September 15, 2027), June 6, 2025 ($1.066 million through September 15, 2026), and April 1, 2024, totaling roughly $1.1 million in recent PTAB funding. The Economic Development Administration funded a Center for Rural Resilience and Workforce Development project grant (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2028) to support rural community economic development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion supported the Arkansas High Obesity Project (September 30, 2023 to September 29, 2028), addressing health equity in rural populations.

The division operates as a prime recipient on 246 of 269 total federal awards (91%), with 23 federal grant sub-awards (9%) routed through partners including North Carolina State University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Arkansas System, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Washington State University, and the University of Missouri System. Recent activity shows award volume of 26 in 2024 and 14 in 2025, with 18 awards (representing recompete exposure) reaching ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. Combined obligated dollars across all awards total $346.8 million, concentrated in formula grants and cooperative agreements that renew annually or on multi-year cycles characteristic of land-grant extension and research funding. The division's federal footprint reflects its statutory role as the state's extension service, delivering research-based education and technical assistance in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and rural development to Arkansas stakeholders rather than competing for discretionary federal contracts or managing commercial service delivery through federal vehicles.