RIIA and DEG are NIFA-administered competitive grants programs focused on improving formal, postsecondary agricultural sciences education in the insular areas and AGFEI supports their acquisition and renovation of facilities and equipment. The eight insular areas are the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Funded projects address the national challenge area of increasing the number and diversity of students entering agriculture related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Resident Instruction Grants
RIIA grants promote and strengthen the ability of insular area institutions to carry out teaching and education programs within a broadly defined arena of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. By strengthening institutional education capacities in instruction and curriculum, and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, this program will help insular area institutions meet their unique needs.
Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment Program
AGFEI projects support activities to acquire or renovate facilities and relevant equipment necessary for conducting agricultural research to support tropical and subtropical agricultural research, including pest and disease research. Eligibility for AGFEI grants is limited to only individual land-grant colleges and universities, and other institutions that have secured land-grant status through Federal legislation, and which are located at Insular Areas.
Distance Education Grants
DEGs strengthens the capacity of institutions of higher education in insular areas to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences through distance education technology. DEG is a NIFA-administered competitive grants program focused on improving formal, post-secondary agricultural sciences education.
Information on Eligibility
Eligible institutions include colleges and universities located in an Insular Area conducting teaching and extension programs in at least one discipline, or area, of food and agricultural sciences. Eligible public or state funded non-Land-Grant institutions must submit a letter signed by the institution's Authorized Representative certifying that it meets the requirements in the RFA. Land-Grant institutions and others that have secured Land-Grant status through federal legislation are automatically eligible.