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

It is a discretionary grant program run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under CFDA 10.326. The program is designed to strengthen the ability of eligible Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) to expand and improve education, research, and outreach work in agriculture and closely related fields (including renewable resources).

The main purpose is capacity building: helping eligible NLGCA institutions develop the tools, expertise, and institutional strength needed to deliver high-quality education, research, and outreach, compete more effectively for outside funding, and share useful results with producers, communities, and other stakeholders.

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

The funding opportunity number listed is USDA NIFA NLGCA 006361.

The instrument type listed is a grant.

The activity category is agriculture.

Only a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture that is officially certified as an NLGCA by NIFA may submit an application. Not all colleges with agriculture programs qualify; the institution must have the formal NIFA certification referenced in the Request for Applications (RFA), with additional details in Part III, A of that announcement.

No. Eligibility is limited to institutions that are officially certified by NIFA as a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA), as described in the RFA.

Funding can be used in several complementary ways, including:

• Strengthening institutional competitiveness for additional federal grants and other funding sources by supporting priority education, research, and extension/outreach activities.
• Disseminating information tied to priority concerns (for example, sharing research findings, best practices, and training resources with communities and organizations that can use them).
• Encouraging participation from agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities in priority education, research, and outreach (including providing matching funds to leverage other grant funds).
• Supporting institutional capacity through targeted investments such as equipment and other infrastructure (with restrictions on building work), faculty professional growth and development, and development of graduate assistantships.

It focuses on agriculture and closely related fields, specifically including renewable resources.

Yes. One stated use is to help institutions boost competitiveness for additional federal grants and other funding sources by building the foundation for stronger programming and stronger grant proposals, rather than supporting only a single isolated project.

The opportunity indicates that supported education, research, and outreach activities should address priority concerns at the national, regional, state, or local level. The listing does not specify the exact priority areas, but it emphasizes that the work should be priority-focused.

Yes. The program explicitly supports education, research, and extension or outreach activities related to agriculture and closely related fields.

The program supports dissemination of information tied to priority concerns, such as making research findings, best practices, training resources, or other relevant materials available to agricultural and renewable-resource communities, the broader public, and other interested organizations or entities.

It is intended to benefit external audiences as well. The opportunity emphasizes that capacity building should translate into clearer communication and wider use of practical, priority-focused knowledge by producers, communities, the public, and other stakeholders.

Yes. The opportunity allows funds to encourage participation from agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities in priority education, research, and outreach.

Yes. One specific mechanism mentioned is providing matching funds to help leverage other grant funds.

Yes. The grant can support institutional capacity through targeted investments, including purchasing or otherwise acquiring equipment and other infrastructure.

Yes. The opportunity explicitly states that funds cannot be used for alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings.

Yes. Allowable uses include professional growth and development for NLGCA faculty, reflecting the program's emphasis on long-term institutional strength.

Yes. The opportunity allows for the development of graduate assistantships as part of building education, research, and outreach capacity.

The award ceiling listed is $750,000.

The provided listing data does not specify the expected number of awards.

The original application closing date listed is September 29, 2017.

The listing notes that the institution must be officially certified as an NLGCA by NIFA, and that additional eligibility details are provided in the Request for Applications (RFA), specifically in Part III, A.