Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 009582
The Higher Education Challenge Grants Program is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It supports innovative higher education projects in the agriculture field (CFDA 10.217) that aim to improve educational programs and outcomes by tackling clearly defined needs that matter beyond a single campus. The opportunity is framed as a "challenge grant" program, meaning proposals are expected to be ambitious, high-impact, and structured in a way that demonstrates clear value, strong collaboration, and the potential to influence broader practice in agricultural education.
Funded projects must focus on addressing a real educational need at a state, regional, national, or even international level. In other words, the program is not looking for routine curriculum updates that only benefit one department; it is intended for projects that respond to a demonstrated gap or priority and have relevance that can extend to other institutions or settings. A central expectation is that the approach be creative or non-traditional, with an emphasis on generating a model others can replicate or adapt. This encourages applicants to design work that is not only effective locally, but also well-documented and transferable, so that lessons learned can inform wider improvements in agricultural higher education.
Another core objective is strengthening partnerships and working relationships across the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector. This means strong proposals typically include meaningful collaboration across departments, institutions, or external partners such as industry, nonprofit organizations, or other stakeholders who can enhance program quality and help extend limited resources. The intent is to promote coordination and shared investment in educational improvements, rather than isolated efforts, and to leverage complementary expertise, facilities, networks, or real-world contexts that enrich student learning.
The program also prioritizes lasting impact. Projects are expected to produce benefits that continue beyond the funded period and beyond USDA support, such as enduring curricula, scalable teaching models, sustainable partnerships, training systems that can be maintained, or institutional changes that persist after the grant ends. This emphasis on longevity and broader influence signals that applicants should plan for adoption, dissemination, and continuity from the beginning, rather than treating those as optional add-ons.
In terms of basic funding details, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NIFA CGP 009582) was posted with a creation date of February 27, 2023, and an original application closing date of April 28, 2023. Awards are offered as grants, with an award ceiling of $750,000, and the agency anticipated making approximately 18 awards. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text for the announcement, meaning applicants should consult the official notice for the precise categories of eligible institutions and entities, as well as any restrictions, partnership requirements, or special conditions.
Overall, this grant program is designed to move agricultural higher education forward through innovative, collaborative projects that solve meaningful educational problems, generate approaches that can serve as models, and leave behind results that continue delivering value after the project period ends.Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 009582
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Higher Education Challenge Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.217.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 27, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture
Next opportunity: OVC FY 2023 Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Program
Previous opportunity: FY 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO Programs Benefiting Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for USDA NIFA CGP 009582
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA NIFA CGP 009582) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Supplemental and Alternative Crops Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009767 Funding Number: USDA NIFA OP 009767 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program Apply for USDA AMS TM FSMIP G 23 0014 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM FSMIP G 23 0014 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Acer Access and Development Program Apply for USDA AMS TM ACER G 23 0015 Funding Number: USDA AMS TM ACER G 23 0015 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Apply for USDA NIFA RIGP 009562 Funding Number: USDA NIFA RIGP 009562 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| 2023 PENNSYLVANIA NRCS PEOPLE’S GARDEN INITIATIVE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Apply for USDA NRCS PA CTA 23 NOFO0001234 Funding Number: USDA NRCS PA CTA 23 NOFO0001234 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| FY2023 Scientific Cooperation Research Program Apply for USDA FAS 10961 0700 10 23 0001 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10961 0700 10 23 0001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Scientific Cooperation and Research 10.961 Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program Apply for USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 23 0001 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 23 0001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, International Agricultural Educ Fellowship 10.619 Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Cochran Fellowship Program – U.S. Softwoods for Structural Marial: Quality, Grades, and Applications for Peru Apply for USDA FAS 10962 0700 10 23 0002 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10962 0700 10 23 0002 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $86,000 |
| International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (Cooperative Agreement) Apply for USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 23 0002 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 23 0002 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| FY 2023 Faculty Exchange Program – Philippine and Vietnamese Veterinary Science Apply for USDA FAS 10613 0700 10 23 0001 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10613 0700 10 23 0001 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Conservation Innovation Grants Iowa State Program Apply for USDA NRCS IA 23 CIG NOFO0001243 Funding Number: USDA NRCS IA 23 CIG NOFO0001243 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 009602 Funding Number: USDA NIFA HEMS 009602 Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| FY 2023 Food Assistance Proposal Instructions and Request for Applications FOOD FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY Apply for USDA FAS 10606 0700 23 Funding Number: USDA FAS 10606 0700 23 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $39,000,000 |
| 2024 Market Access Program Apply for USDA FAS MAP 2024 Funding Number: USDA FAS MAP 2024 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $20,000,000 |
| Emerging Markets Program Apply for USDA FAS EMP 2024 Funding Number: USDA FAS EMP 2024 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program Apply for USDA FAS FMD 2024 Funding Number: USDA FAS FMD 2024 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| 2024 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program Apply for USDA FAS TASC 2024 Funding Number: USDA FAS TASC 2024 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Quality Samples Program Apply for USDA FAS QSP 2024 Funding Number: USDA FAS QSP 2024 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Georgia NRCS Technical Outreach and Education for Fiscal Year 2023 Apply for USDA NRCS GA MULTI 23 NOFO0001245 Funding Number: USDA NRCS GA MULTI 23 NOFO0001245 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Value-Added Producer Grant Apply for RDBCP VAPG 2023 Funding Number: RDBCP VAPG 2023 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Rural Business-Cooperative Service Category: Agriculture Funding Amount: $250,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "USDA NIFA CGP 009582", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.