Dear Colleagues,
The primary goal of the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) is to enable 1890 institutions, 1994 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce including the future USDA workforce primarily through providing student scholarship support, meaningful paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunity matching, and also facilitating opportunities to learn the processes and pathways leading to training and employment in the federal sector. It is important to note that the definition of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) is comprehensive and reflective of the breadth and depth across these disciplines and career paths.
The goal of this program is to enable institutions eligible under Section 1006 of the American Rescue Plan, as amended by Section. 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (Pub.L 117-169) to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students in order to help build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce including the future USDA workforce.
Through meaningful, experiential learning experiences, scholarships, and student engagement activities, the NEXTGEN Program will support eligible institutions to prepare students as well as other communities of learners to join the agricultural workforce as skilled, professional and/or scientific members of the sector. The primary areas of focus include:
1) Paid experiential learning opportunities (i.e., internships, fellowships, career development activities, apprenticeships, and experiential learning opportunities, such as mentoring, shadowing, hands-on-learning, interviews, peer-to-peer engagement) in food, agriculture, natural resource, and human sciences across research, education, and extension and at USDA for undergraduate and graduate students and other communities of learners;
2) Scholarships to support the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students completing a degree, certification, and/or credential in food, agriculture, natural resource, and human sciences;
3) Non-formal education activities that cultivate interest in and exposure to careers across food, agriculture, natural resources, human sciences, and allied disciplines among youth and other communities of learners on non-traditional academic or career paths, such as return-to-work program participants, older adults seeking employment, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Examples of activities include hosting a Jr. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS}) Chapter, sponsoring field trips, K-12 school gardens, extension demonstrations, service projects, or positive youth development activities, such as 4-H;
4) Innovative recruitment, retention, and initiatives to attract students to majors and career paths in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and improve understanding of the processes and pathways leading to training opportunities and employment in the federal sector, particularly at USDA.
As an 1862 Land Grant University, UC ANR may only collaborate with lead institutions applying to the program to contribute food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences including nutrition, rural sociology, public policy or public administration and allied disciplines programs, as appropriate and beneficial to meeting the objectives of proposed projects. Applications from eligible institutions are due by November 15, 2022.
The program has three grant types:
- Tier 1: $20,000,000 - supports multi-State/Tribal/Territory projects that include a partnership between the lead applicant and at least two other eligible institutions across a minimum of two states, territories, and/or tribal nations. Tier 1 projects must integrate the three project types and are expected to develop and/or replicate best practices, including student recruitment and support/retention practices, across partner institutions. All partners must have a significant role in the collaboration and each institution's budget needs to be appropriate to support its activities. These grants will be funded at up to $20 Million for a period of five years.
- Tier 2: $10,000,000 - supports multi-institution projects to include a partnership between the lead applicant and at least one other eligible institution within or outside their home State. Tier 2 projects must integrate at least two of the three project types and are expected to develop and/or replicate best practices across partner institutions. All partners must have a significant role in the collaboration and each institution's budget needs to be appropriate to support its activities. These grants will be funded at up to $10 Million for a period of five years.
- Tier 3: $5,000,000 - supports single-institution projects that integrate at least two of the three project types and will be funded at up to $5 Million for a period of five years. Tier 3 applicants are welcome to partner with other institutions.
For questions concerning the NEXTGEN program, contact: NIFA.Workforce@usda.gov. To review the full application requirements, please see: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/learning-leading-cultivating-next-generation-diverse-food-agriculture
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)