Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program

The Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This program operates under the authority of the Smith-Lever Act and is designed to support Cooperative Extension System activities at 1862 Land-grant Institutions. The program emphasizes applied, education-based approaches that help communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters. It aligns with broader federal priorities related to agricultural resilience, community stability, and national food system security. The primary purpose of the program is to strengthen disaster preparedness and response capacity across food and agricultural systems and rural communities. Projects are expected to address hazards that may be natural, human-made, or technological in nature. Funded initiatives must focus on at least one designated topical area, such as agriculture, natural resources, community development, or youth development, and must employ at least one strategy such as training, communications, or disaster planning. The program prioritizes projects that demonstrate scalability, replicability, and the ability to deliver meaningful educational outcomes to stakeholders. Funding supports the development and delivery of extension programs, including educational materials, training exercises, outreach campaigns, and demonstration activities. The program explicitly prohibits indirect costs, meaning all awarded funds must be used directly for programmatic activities. Applicants are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match from non-federal sources, with limited exceptions for certain territories and institutions. Matching funds must come directly from the applicant institution and cannot include in-kind or third-party contributions, reinforcing the expectation of institutional commitment. Eligibility is restricted to 1862 Land-grant Institutions located in U.S. states and territories. These institutions may collaborate with other entities, including nonprofits, other universities, and government agencies, but must serve as the primary applicant and administrator of the grant. Projects must be executed primarily by the applicant institution, though subcontracting is permitted when necessary to achieve project objectives. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and organizations must complete required registrations such as SAM and eRA Commons prior to submission. The application process requires several structured components, including a project summary, a detailed project narrative limited to ten pages, a data management plan, and optional commitment letters from partners. The narrative must address problem definition, goals and outcomes, implementation activities, evaluation methods, and organizational roles. Applications are evaluated through a two-step process involving administrative screening followed by scientific peer review. Evaluation criteria include project relevance, implementation feasibility, evaluation rigor, team qualifications, and budget appropriateness. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is June 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, and no letter of intent is required. Awards are expected to support projects lasting between 12 and 36 months, with an anticipated project start date around mid-September 2026. Approximately five awards are expected to be made from a total funding pool of about 459,564 dollars. The program is offered on a recurring basis, and future cycles are anticipated annually based on federal appropriations and program continuation.

Align proposal with disaster preparedness priorities; demonstrate scalability and replicability; include strong evaluation methods; clearly link activities to measurable outcomes