Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas

For programmatic or technical questions:
Kellyann Jones-Jamtgaard
816.599.1916
Kellyann.jonesjamtgaard@usda.gov

Dorissel Resto
816.715.0868
Dorissel.resto@usda.gov

For grants management or budget questions:
grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas provides funding to institutions of higher education in U.S. territories, commonwealth, and freely associated states designed to strengthen the capacity to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences through distance education technology.

Activities may include:

• Acquire the equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware, software, digital network technology, and infrastructure necessary to teach students and teachers about technology in the classroom
• Develop and enhance educational services (including faculty development) to prepare students or faculty seeking a degree or certificate that is approved by the state or a regional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of Education
• Provide teacher education, library and media specialist training, and preschool and teacher aid certification to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom or instructional process
• Implement a joint project to provide education regarding technology in the classroom with a local educational agency, community-based organization, national nonprofit organization, or business
• Provide leadership development to administrators, board members, and faculty of eligible institutions with institutional responsibility for technology education

Incorporation of social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in healthy lifestyles and consuming healthy diets; and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

Eligible applicants are individual institutions of higher education, branch institutions of a state system, or independent branch campuses. All eligible institutions must demonstrate that they have a significant commitment to higher education programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and to each specific subject area for which grant funds are to be used.

Insular areas include:

• 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
• The Virgin Islands of the United States

Award ceiling: $200,000
Funding limit per institution: $600,000 (3 awards)
Project period: 36-48 months
Estimated total program funding: $800,000

Planning grants of $30,000 for a 2 year project period are also available.

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.