Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program

For programmatic or technical questions:
Courtenay Simmons
816.926.6022
courtenay.simmons@usda.gov

MSP@usda.gov

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

The Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program provides grants for scholarship programs leading to either baccalaureate degrees within the Food and Agricultural sciences or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degrees in order to educate students in national need areas of the food and agricultural sciences and in rural economic, community, and business development.

Successful applications for student education will:

1. Prepare graduates to meet the demand for highly qualified personnel entering the workforce related to the food and agricultural sciences
2. Support more undergraduates in transitioning to graduate education in USDA mission sciences
3. Contribute to the reduction of the disparity among underrepresented and underserved populations entering graduate schools to better reflect the demographics of the U.S. and enable higher education to remain globally competitive
4. Promote student success within food and agricultural disciplines at the undergraduate and D.V.M. level
5. Focus on social support structure, and professional mentoring to ensure entry into food and agricultural science areas and completion of graduate education or high level of competitiveness for the workforce

Projects that integrate social and biological sciences to address many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities are a priority, 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
• Alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity

Applicants must be institutions that confer a bachelor's or D.V.M. degree in at least one of the disciplines in the food and agricultural sciences, including:

• Land-Grant Institutions
• Colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments
• Other colleges, universities, Institutes, and research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university

Award ceiling: $250,000
Award floor: $20,000
Project period: 5 years
Estimated number of awards: 5
Estimated total program funding: $1,250,000

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