Grants Alert

• Date: 21 September 2017
• Published date: 21 September 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.30145

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NIFA seeks projects for a

diverse workforce

The U.S. Agriculture Department’s National

Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently

announced $945,400 in funding to help foster

the next generation of multicultural scholars in

agricultural sciences. Funding is made through

NIFA’s Higher Education Multicultural Scholars

Program (MSP).

“The Multicultural Scholars Program seeks

to help young people reach their potential in the

agricultural sciences,” said NIFA Director Sonny

Ramaswamy in a statement. “It is important to

develop the most diverse talent pool possible and

show these students the abundant opportunities in

the agricultural sector.”

NIFA said the program helps colleges and

universities recruit and retain multicultural

scholars who may pursue degrees in food and

agricultural sciences disciplines or the Doctor of

Veterinary Medicine degree. Projects may involve

scholarships to support recruiting, engaging,

retaining, mentoring and training committed,

eligible multicultural scholars.

NIFA said examples of previous programs

include:

• North Carolina State University’s Poultry

Science Department recruited ve multicultural

scholars into their program. Three graduated

within four years, while the remaining two will

graduate next year with double majors.

• Oregon State University offers scholarships

to undergraduate students from groups

underrepresented in agriculture, natural resources,

food science, or human health and nutrition.

Eligible applicants include land-grant

institutions, colleges and universities with

signicant minority enrollments and the capacity

to teach food and agricultural sciences, and other

colleges and universities with the capacity to teach

food and agricultural sciences, among others.

The deadline for applications is Oct. 31, 2017.

To learn more or to apply, go to https://nifa.

usda.gov/funding-opportunity/higher-education-

multicultural-scholars-program-msp. ■

Grants alert

AmeriCorps State and National Grants (CNCS)

Scope: The Corporation for National and Community

Service seeks applications for the FY2018 AmeriCorps

State and National Grants to engage AmeriCorps

members in evidence-based or evidence-informed

interventions to strengthen communities.

Deadline: Letters of Intent, Dec. 13, 2017; proposals,

Jan. 17, 2018.

Funds: Award amounts will vary. The initial project

period is one year.

Eligibility: Colleges and universities; nonprofit

organizations; and state, local and Native American

tribal governments.

Areas: CNCS said it seeks to prioritize the

investment of national service resources in:

disaster services (improving community resiliency

through disaster preparation, response, recovery

and mitigation); economic opportunity (increasing

economic opportunities for communities by engaging

opportunity youth, either as the population served

and/or as AmeriCorps members, to prepare them

for the workforce); education (improving student

academic performance in science, technology,

engineering and/or mathematics); healthy futures

(reducing and/or preventing prescription drug

and opioid abuse); veterans and military families

(positively impacting the quality of life of veterans

and improving military family strength); governor and

mayor initiatives; rural intermediaries (organizations

that demonstrate measurable impact and primarily

serve communities with limited resources and

organizational infrastructure); safer communities

(programs that focus on public safety, preventing and

mitigating civil unrest, and/or partnerships between

law enforcement and the community); evidence-

based intervention planning grants; and encore

programs (programs that engage Americans age 55

and older).

➜ www.grants.gov; FON# CNCS-08-24-17

Vol. 41, No. 20 September 21, 2017

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