Tribal Colleges Extension Program Special Emphasis

The Tribal Colleges Extension Program-Special Emphasis is a competitive Federal funding opportunity administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program is authorized under Section 534(b) of the Equity in Educational Land-grant Status Act of 1994, as amended by the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, and is listed under Assistance Listing Number 10.517. For this competition, NIFA expects approximately $1.5 million to be available, consisting of approximately $500,000 from FY 2026 and $1,000,000 from FY 2025. The program is intended to support informal, community-focused Extension pilot projects and workshops at legislatively designated 1994 Land-grant Institutions. The program is designed to provide Tribal communities with opportunities for enhanced agricultural productivity, community resilience, economic growth, and youth development by extending innovations in research and technology and enhancing informal, local educational programs. Projects may address agricultural productivity, food systems, community vitality, workforce and economic development, public health and well-being, Tribal youth engagement, and preparation of the next generation of Tribal agriculture leaders. Projects must address at least one identified strategic action, such as increasing food and agricultural literacy, promoting science-based agricultural literacy, building science-based capabilities for informed decision making, developing instructional tools and curricula, expanding nonformal learning to new audiences, or increasing public knowledge and engagement related to the food supply, agricultural productivity, regenerative agricultural practices, community vitality, or public health and well-being. NIFA also encourages innovative agricultural technologies, including artificial intelligence, and leadership development activities. Funding is available for Extension Projects through Standard Grants and Workshop Grants. Standard Grants support targeted, original Extension Projects conducted principally for an eligible institution's students or faculty and managed primarily by its personnel. Standard Grants may range from $50,000 to $200,000 and have a duration of 24 to 36 months. Workshop Grants support highly interactive gatherings involving scientists, 1994 Institutions, Tribal partners, community members, Federal agencies, and other organizations and have a maximum award of $50,000 and a 12-month duration. Approximately 10 awards are anticipated, although USDA is not committed to making a specific number of awards. An institution may submit up to two applications, with maximum funding of $250,000 per institution. No matching contribution is required, although voluntary cost sharing is encouraged. Indirect costs are not permitted. Funds may not be used to plan, acquire, or construct buildings or facilities or acquire land. Other prohibited costs include entertainment, most meals, alcoholic beverages, banquets and award ceremonies, expenses unrelated to the program, and incentives. Workshop Grants may include appropriate costs such as airfare, hotels, workshop venues, speaker fees, and workshop materials. Applications may only be submitted by colleges and universities legislatively designated as 1994 Institutions. The NOFO specifically identifies 35 eligible institutions. Duplicate or multiple submissions are prohibited, and NIFA will disqualify both applications when an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. Applications may be new or resubmitted applications. Resubmitted applications must respond to the previous review panel summary and identify the previously assigned NIFA proposal number. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-SLBCD-012281. Attachments must be submitted in PDF format. The application deadline is 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time on November 2, 2026, and applicants should plan for a tentative project start in February 2027. Required application materials include the SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet, Project/Performance Site Location information, R&R Other Project Information Form, R&R Senior/Key Person Profile, R&R Budget, Supplemental Information Form, and applicable supporting attachments. The Project Summary must not exceed 250 words and must provide the project title, concise project description, objectives and methods, and potential impact within the Tribal community. The Project Narrative is limited to 10 pages of 1.5-spaced written text plus up to two additional pages for figures and tables and must address the institution and Tribal community, rationale and significance, community and audience analysis, objectives and anticipated outcomes, approach, collaborative relationships, project timeline, and project evaluation. A Data Management Plan of no more than two 1.5-spaced pages is required. Letters of commitment from collaborators or community partners with specific project roles are encouraged. A detailed budget justification is required for each project year, subawards require budgets and narratives for each applicable year, and reasonable travel for the Project Director to attend one Project Director meeting during the performance period must be budgeted. NIFA first conducts an administrative screening to determine whether an application meets the NOFO requirements. Applications that pass this screening proceed to scientific peer review. Evaluation criteria, in descending order of importance, are potential for advancing the quality of Tribal Extension initiatives; proposed approach and project management; budget and cost-effectiveness; project evaluation; key personnel, institutional support, and capacity building; and the Data Management Plan. Applicants should demonstrate stakeholder involvement, clear alignment among objectives, activities, and outcomes, measurable impacts, appropriate project management and evaluation methods, reasonable and well-justified costs, qualified personnel, institutional support, and feasible data management practices. NIFA may negotiate revisions to project scope, funding level, period, or method of support before recommending an application for funding. Programmatic questions may be sent to NIFAtribalprograms@usda.gov. Questions concerning the NOFO or application may be sent to grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov, and questions concerning awards may be sent to awards@usda.gov. Grants.gov technical assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 and 606-545-5035. Applications are due November 2, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified. A tentative project start of February 2027 should be used in project timelines. Standard Grants have a 24- to 36-month duration, while Workshop Grants have a 12-month duration. The NOFO does not state that this competition recurs annually or on another established schedule.

Prioritize the potential to advance Tribal Extension initiatives because it is the highest-ranked evaluation criterion. Demonstrate stakeholder involvement and direct alignment with Tribal community needs. Make objectives specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound and clearly connect activities to outcomes. Provide an integrated project timeline and measurable evaluation approach using quantitative metrics, stakeholder feedback, and participant success stories. Clearly justify every budget item and demonstrate cost-effectiveness. Show that personnel have sufficient expertise and institutional support. Provide a complete and feasible Data Management Plan. Verify all attachments are PDFs and conduct an administrative review before submission.