Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA HSI 003956

  • The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture education environment food and nutrition natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.223 Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Feb 11, 2013 and posted on Oct 10, 2012.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • The funding agency has allocated a total of $9,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
  • Awards may only be made to public or other non profit Hispanic Serving Institutions as defined in the definitions section of this RFA. To be eligible for competitive consideration for an award under this program, a Hispanic Serving Institution must at the time of application certify that it has an enrollment of undergraduate full time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students. By submitting an application, the applicant organization certifies that it is eligible to receive funding under this program.
Apply for USDA NIFA HSI 003956

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Opportunity Summary:

The Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program is a competitive grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Its main purpose is to build and strengthen the capacity of eligible Hispanic Serving Institutions to deliver high-quality higher education programs connected to the food and agricultural sciences. The program is designed to help institutions attract strong students into these fields and support them through to graduation, with the larger national goal of expanding and improving the U.S. food and agriculture scientific and professional workforce. In practice, this means funding can support efforts that enhance academic programs, improve training opportunities, and better prepare graduates for careers that serve the nation's needs in agriculture and related disciplines.

This opportunity was offered as a discretionary grant under Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA HSI 003956, listed under CFDA 10.223 (Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants). The activity focus spans agriculture, education, environment, food and nutrition, and natural resources, reflecting how broad the food and agricultural sciences can be across teaching and workforce preparation. The estimated total funding available for this cycle was $9,000,000, and the award floor was listed as $0, meaning the solicitation did not specify a minimum award amount in the summary information provided. A notable feature is that there was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated, which can reduce barriers for eligible institutions that may have limited non-federal funds available to contribute.

Eligibility is limited and specific. Awards may only be made to public or other nonprofit Hispanic Serving Institutions as defined in the program's request for applications. To be considered eligible at the time of application, an institution must be able to certify that at least 25 percent of its undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment is Hispanic. The opportunity lists eligible applicant types as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, but it further narrows this by requiring that applicants be public or otherwise nonprofit HSIs that meet the statutory enrollment threshold. Submission of an application serves as the institution's certification that it meets the eligibility requirements.

Key dates in the posted announcement indicate this was a time-limited competition that has since been archived. The opportunity was posted on October 10, 2012, with a creation date of February 11, 2013. The original closing date was February 18, 2013, and it was subsequently updated to a current closing date of February 19, 2013. The archive date was March 20, 2013, which signals the particular funding round described in the notice is no longer accepting applications, though similar program solicitations may reappear in later years under updated announcements.

For applicant support and access issues, NIFA provided a help desk contact for difficulties obtaining the full announcement electronically. The notice references the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048, with business hours Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. The announcement also notes that additional assistance was available for questions related to preparing application content, indicating that applicants were expected to follow detailed guidance in the full request for applications beyond the summary details shown here.

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program (USDA NIFA) - FAQs

What is the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program?

The HSI Education Grants Program is a competitive grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It focuses on strengthening the capacity of eligible Hispanic Serving Institutions to deliver high-quality higher education programs connected to the food and agricultural sciences.

What is the main purpose of this grant program?

The program is intended to build and strengthen the ability of eligible HSIs to provide strong academic and training programs in the food and agricultural sciences. A key goal is to attract strong students into these fields and support them through graduation, contributing to a larger national goal of expanding and improving the U.S. food and agriculture scientific and professional workforce.

What kinds of activities can grant funds support?

Based on the summary information provided, funding can support efforts that enhance academic programs, improve training opportunities, and better prepare graduates for careers that serve national needs in agriculture and related disciplines. The activity focus spans agriculture, education, environment, food and nutrition, and natural resources.

Who administers this grant opportunity?

This program is administered by USDA NIFA (the National Institute of Food and Agriculture).

Is this a competitive or formula grant program?

This opportunity is described as a competitive grant program.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is USDA NIFA HSI 003956.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is listed under CFDA 10.223, titled "Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants."

How much total funding was estimated to be available for this cycle?

The estimated total funding available for the cycle described in the notice was $9,000,000.

Was there a minimum award size (award floor)?

The award floor was listed as $0, meaning the summary information provided did not specify a minimum award amount.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated in the information provided.

Which institutions are eligible to apply?

Awards may only be made to public or other nonprofit Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined in the program's request for applications. The notice also lists eligible applicant types as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, but eligibility is further narrowed by the requirement that applicants be public or otherwise nonprofit HSIs meeting the program definition and enrollment threshold.

What enrollment threshold must an institution meet to be eligible?

To be considered eligible at the time of application, an institution must be able to certify that at least 25 percent of its undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment is Hispanic.

How does an institution certify that it meets the eligibility requirements?

According to the notice, submission of an application serves as the institution's certification that it meets the eligibility requirements.

When was this funding opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on October 10, 2012.

What creation date is listed for the opportunity?

The creation date listed in the announcement is February 11, 2013.

What was the closing date for applications?

The original closing date was February 18, 2013, and it was updated to a current closing date of February 19, 2013.

Is this particular funding round still accepting applications?

No. The notice indicates an archive date of March 20, 2013, which signals that the specific funding round described is no longer accepting applications.

Does the archive status mean the program will never be offered again?

The archive status applies to the specific competition described in the notice. The information provided notes that similar program solicitations may reappear in later years under updated announcements.

What subject areas does this program cover?

The activity focus spans agriculture, education, environment, food and nutrition, and natural resources, reflecting the broad range of disciplines that can fall under food and agricultural sciences in higher education and workforce preparation.

Where could applicants get help if they had trouble obtaining the full announcement electronically?

NIFA provided a help desk contact for difficulties obtaining the full announcement electronically: the NIFA Help Desk at 202-401-5048.

What are the NIFA Help Desk business hours listed in the notice?

The help desk hours were listed as Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Was additional support available for application preparation questions?

Yes. The notice states that additional assistance was available for questions related to preparing application content, and that applicants were expected to follow detailed guidance in the full request for applications beyond the summary details shown.

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