Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program | USDA NIFA NLGCA 006361

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA NLGCA 006361

The Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under CFDA 10.326. Its main purpose is to strengthen the ability of eligible Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture to expand and improve their education, research, and outreach work in agriculture and closely related fields such as renewable resources. The program is structured around the idea that some institutions need targeted capacity support to compete more effectively for outside funding, build the tools and expertise needed to deliver high-quality programs, and share useful results with producers, communities, and other stakeholders.

Funding can be used in several complementary ways. First, institutions may use grant support to boost their competitiveness for additional federal grants and other funding sources, specifically to carry out education, research, and extension or outreach activities that address priority concerns at the national, regional, state, or local level. In practice, this means the award can help an institution build the foundation for stronger programming and stronger grant proposals, rather than only supporting a single isolated project.

Second, the program supports dissemination of information tied to those priority concerns. This includes getting research findings, best practices, training resources, or other relevant materials into the hands of people who can use them, such as members of agricultural and renewable-resource communities, the broader public, and other interested organizations or entities. The intent is to ensure that capacity building is not just internal; it should translate into clearer communication and wider use of practical, priority-focused knowledge.

Third, the opportunity allows funds to be used to encourage participation from agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities in priority education, research, and outreach. One specific mechanism named is providing matching funds to help leverage other grant funds. This reflects a common capacity-building approach: using a federal award to unlock additional dollars, partnerships, and participation that might not happen without a match or similar incentive.

Fourth, the grant can directly support institutional capacity through targeted investments. Allowable uses include purchasing or otherwise acquiring equipment and other infrastructure, with an explicit restriction that the funds cannot be used for alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings. In addition to equipment and infrastructure, the program also supports professional growth and development for NLGCA faculty, recognizing that long-term institutional strength often depends on training, new skills, and faculty development. The program also allows for the development of graduate assistantships, which can expand research and outreach capacity while building the next generation of professionals in agriculture-related disciplines.

Eligibility is limited and specific. Applications may only be submitted by a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture that is officially certified as an NLGCA by NIFA. In other words, not all colleges with agriculture programs qualify; the institution must have the formal certification referenced in the Request for Applications (RFA), with additional details provided in Part III, A of that announcement.

Administrative details from the opportunity listing include the funding opportunity number USDA NIFA NLGCA 006361, the agency being NIFA, the instrument type being a grant, and the activity category being agriculture. The original application closing date listed is September 29, 2017, and the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $750,000. The listing does not specify the expected number of awards in the provided data.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.326.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-29. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA NLGCA 006361

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