10.237: From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

10.237

Active

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) [USDA]

July 6, 2022

July 6, 2022

The Next Gen Program represents one part in a series of efforts led by USDA to achieve equitable participation of farmers, ranchers and forest land owners in USDA programs and services through an array of targeted technical assistance and outreach activities; to foster equity through meaningful, sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders to inform USDA policies and programs; and to support and prepare diverse students for future careers in agriculture through Section 1006 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 The Next Gen Program is focused first and foremost on supporting and preparing students at MSIs for careers in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences across research, education, and extension, with an emphasis on federal government sector employment. The goal of this program is to enable a specific set of minority-serving institutions to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students in order to help build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce including the future USDA workforce.

The MSI/Next Gen Program encourages implementing innovative and culturally responsive strategies and partnerships to inspire youth, adult learners, and other targeted audiences to pursue career paths in food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences. Based on a wide range of diverse stakeholder engagement and feedback, as well as lessons learned from previous efforts in and out of USDA, expanding partnerships and investments with minority-serving institutions will result in cooperative and sustained development of the current and future workforce. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with 1862 Land Grant Universities, certified Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, community colleges, technical and vocational schools and other academic institutions with food, agriculture, and allied disciplines programs, as appropriate and beneficial to meeting the objectives of proposed projects. It is also recommended that applicants propose efforts designed to build and sustain partnerships with organizations who have a vested public interest in developing a diverse workforce in food and agriculture. These entities serve as connectors between MSIs, their students, and USDA. Examples of these ‘connector organizations’ include MANRRS, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the Association of 1890 Research Directors, and the Association of Extension Administrators for the 1890 Land-Grant Universities. The Next Gen Program seeks to support projects that: ? provide resources and support to students at the specified MSIs pursuing academic and career paths in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH); ? develop directed and meaningful interactions between research and extension/outreach that will directly impact the recruitment and retention of students in FANH; ? develop and facilitate meaningful domestic and/or international experiential learning opportunities which cultivate the acquisition of technical, leadership, and employability skills required to enter the FANH workforce; ? create opportunities for training and certifications for high-demand occupations in FANH for audiences outside of the college environment; ? extend knowledge on the wide range of career opportunities across the agriculture sector and at USDA by training advisors on those opportunities and connecting participants to USDA personnel and internship and scholarship opportunities through career development activities; ? attract and engage K-12 youth and other communities of learners that are underrepresented in FANH through non-formal education opportunities, including positive youth development activities, such as 4-H; ? increase awareness and understanding of diverse food and agricultural systems both from local, regional, and global perspectives including indigenous traditional ecological knowledge; ? build and sustain partnerships among organizations, who have a vested public interest in developing a diverse workforce in FANH; and/or ? develop or adapt innovative teaching, training and advising practices, curricula, learning materials, recruitment, mentoring, retention, or branding strategies to attract students from underserved communities to majors and career paths in FANH. 2) Program Key Information Program Code: Program Code Name: Financial Assistance Listing: 10.237 Project Type: Education Grant Type: Standard Grant Application Deadline: September 7, 2022 Number of Proposal Limit: Three proposals total per eligible institution regardless of funding tier selected. Duration: 60 Months Minimum Award Amount: $500,000 Maximum Award Amount: Tier 1: $20,000,000 Tier 2: $10,000,000 Tier 3: $5,000,000 An eligible institution may not submit more than three applications to this program as a lead institution, regardless of funding tier selected. Prospective applicants/project directors are advised to contact their institutional office of sponsored projects regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

Not Applicable

https://sam.gov/fal/6b2d027afc45460ea7f8bd1bbc94f987/view