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

The FY2025 Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (DEG), administered by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), aims to enhance the capacity of institutions in insular areas to deliver resident instruction and teaching programs in food and agricultural sciences through distance education technologies. The program promotes innovative teaching strategies, leadership skill development, and educational equity to prepare students for careers in agriculture, food sciences, and related fields. A total of $800,000 is available for this program, with individual awards ranging from $10,000 to $200,000 depending on the grant type. Standard grants, supporting institution-specific projects, have a duration of 36 to 48 months, while planning activity grants, focused on scientific meetings or educational needs identification, have a duration of up to 24 months. Eligible applicants include public or nonprofit two-year and four-year accredited institutions of higher education in designated U.S. insular areas, including American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and others. Cost-sharing or matching funds are not required. Projects must address one or more key need areas, such as curricula design and library resources, faculty preparation, instructional delivery systems, student experiential learning, or student recruitment and retention. Emphasis is placed on developing leadership skills, fostering educational equity, and incorporating social sciences to tackle challenges in agriculture and rural communities. Proposals must outline project goals, methodologies, and expected outcomes, including metrics for measuring success. Applicants may collaborate with international partners, provided the benefits align with U.S. agricultural goals. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by March 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Required documents include a project narrative (maximum of 17 pages), a mentoring plan, a data management plan, and a detailed budget. Project narratives should describe the educational problem being addressed, the innovation and impact of the approach, and how the project aligns with institutional goals. Budgets must comply with funding restrictions, including a cap on indirect costs at 30% of total federal funds awarded. Proposals will undergo a two-part evaluation process, including administrative screening and peer review. Criteria include the potential to advance educational quality, the soundness of the approach, institutional capacity, key personnel qualifications, and cost-effectiveness. Applicants must demonstrate how the project will enhance education in food and agricultural sciences and build institutional capacity. Successful applicants will be notified by September 30, 2025, and projects may begin thereafter. Recipients must comply with federal reporting requirements, attend at least one project director meeting, and ensure broad dissemination of project findings. For additional information, applicants may contact the program leads, Kellyann Jones-Jamtgaard or Dorissel Resto, via email or phone, as provided in the NOFO. Further details are available in the full RFA.