Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (DEG) | USDA NIFA RIGP 007853

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 007853

The Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (DEG) is a competitive grant opportunity administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Its central goal is to strengthen colleges and universities located in U.S. insular areas by improving their ability to deliver resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences using distance education technology. In practice, the program is meant to expand and modernize postsecondary agricultural education by helping eligible institutions build or enhance the tools, course delivery methods, and instructional capacity needed to teach students remotely and effectively, especially where geography, infrastructure, or limited local resources can make traditional program expansion difficult.

This funding opportunity is categorized as discretionary federal assistance and uses a grant funding instrument. It falls under the agriculture funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 10.322. The posted funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA RIGP 007853, with an original closing date of January 21, 2021. The listed award ceiling is $150,000 per award. While the notice indicates expected awards, the number is not specified in the excerpt provided, which typically means applicants should rely on the full RFA and any budget tables in the official announcement for the most accurate estimates.

Eligibility is tightly tied to both institutional status and location. Applicants must be institutions of higher education as defined by Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), must be located in an insular area, and must show a demonstrable capacity to carry out teaching and extension programs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Eligible applicants include public or non-profit, accredited 2-year and 4-year institutions that offer certificates or degree programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Institutions with land-grant status located in the insular areas are automatically eligible to apply directly. Importantly, receiving a DEG award in one year does not disqualify an institution from applying in later years; repeat participation is allowed. The notice also clarifies that receiving grants under other authorities does not affect eligibility for DEG, so an institution can hold or have held other federal awards and still remain eligible for this program.

The program specifically serves eight insular areas: American Samoa; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the Federated States of Micronesia; Guam; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; the Republic of Palau; and the Virgin Islands of the United States. In addition to standalone institutions, certain branch structures can apply under defined conditions. Separately accredited, degree-granting branch institutions within a state university system or public higher education system are treated as eligible as individual applicants, as long as they meet the definition of an eligible institution. Independent branch campuses may also apply if they satisfy the same eligible institution definition and meet the program's description of independence: they must be geographically separate from the main campus, permanent in nature, offer credit-bearing courses and programs leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree, and be autonomous enough to have their own faculty and administrative or supervisory organization along with their own budgetary and hiring authority.

The RFA also emphasizes compliance with federal administrative requirements. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements by the application deadline, or they risk being excluded from consideration or being unable to receive an award. The program references 7 CFR 3430 for key definitions and administrative provisions, including the concept of an "eligible participant" for faculty who receive support for developmental activities under a funded project. This matters because even if an institution is eligible, the individuals supported through the grant must also fit applicable federal definitions and conditions tied to the program.

A final practical requirement is certification of eligibility at the time of application. Each primary applicant must demonstrate or certify it meets the eligible institution definition described in the RFA. Non-land-grant institutions, in particular, must submit a letter signed by the institution’s Authorized Representative (AR) certifying eligibility. The AR must also certify core institutional characteristics such as admitting as regular students only individuals who have completed secondary education (or its recognized equivalent), being legally authorized in the insular area to provide education beyond secondary school, and meeting additional institutional education-related requirements that continue beyond the excerpt provided. Overall, the DEG program is designed as a targeted capacity-building investment to help insular area institutions expand high-quality agricultural education through distance learning, while requiring clear proof that the applicant is a legitimate, authorized, accredited provider positioned to deliver those improvements.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (DEG)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.322.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 007853

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