More than $18 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is being made available to 19 historically black land-grant colleges and universities. This news release says the money will go to strengthen the research, teaching and extension capabilities at the schools.
“This support for the 1890 land-grant universities is an example of the Obama Administration and Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to the 1890 Institutions,” [USDA’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe] Leonard said. “This funding will continue to positively impact students, professors, and institutions for future generations.”
The funding is being made available through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 1890 Institution Research, Extension, and Teaching Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program. NIFA provides support to historically black colleges and universities that were designated at as land-grant universities in the Second Morrill Act in 1890. Grants to these 1890 universities support research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of these schools.
The 1890 CBG Program strengthens the linkages among the 1890 universities, other colleges and universities, USDA, and private industry. It focuses on strengthening research and extension programs at the 1890 institutions and advancing cultural diversity in the scientific and professional workforce by attracting and educating more students from underrepresented groups.
Full applications for the 1890 CBG program are due March 26, 2015.