HIGHER EDUCATION MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (MSP) | USDA NIFA HEMS 008061

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 008061

The HIGHER EDUCATION MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (MSP) is a competitive grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) that funds undergraduate scholarship programs at colleges and universities. Its core goal is to strengthen and diversify the future food and agricultural sciences workforce by increasing multicultural representation in scientific and professional careers connected to agriculture, food systems, and related disciplines. In practice, NIFA provides grant funding to institutions so they can recruit, support, and graduate students (called MSP Scholars) who are preparing for careers in these fields, while also supporting broader educational achievement outcomes.

This opportunity is a discretionary grant (CFDA 10.220) under Funding Opportunity Number USDA NIFA HEMS 008061. The published application closing date in the source information is 2021-02-08, and the listed award ceiling is $200,000. The competition is aimed at institutions rather than individual students, meaning a student does not apply directly to NIFA for an MSP scholarship; instead, the student receives support through a university that wins an MSP grant.

Eligible applicants are specific categories of higher education institutions and closely related entities. NIFA limits applications to Land-Grant Institutions, colleges and universities with significant minority enrollments, other colleges and universities that meet the program requirements, and institutes or research foundations that are maintained by an eligible college or university. A key threshold requirement is that the applicant institution must confer a bachelor’s degree or a D.V.M. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) in at least one food and agricultural sciences discipline. NIFA explicitly notes that institutions that have not previously applied are especially encouraged to submit proposals. While individuals cannot apply, institutions that have had MSP-funded project directors within the last five years may apply again as long as the new proposal is substantively different in scope and objectives from MSP projects previously funded under that same project director during the last five years.

The program is structured with firm statutory time limits. Awards cannot be extended beyond a five-year period, so institutions need to design projects that fit within that window. Even with that restriction, an institution can pursue a new award in later fiscal years if funding is available, as long as the proposed work is framed as a new project with a different scope. Grantees are also permitted to subcontract with organizations that are not themselves eligible applicants, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the project.

Student eligibility is defined clearly because the institution must use the grant to identify and support qualifying “MSP Scholars.” To be eligible, a scholar must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident under federal definitions. The student must be accepted for enrollment or already enrolled at the institution receiving the MSP grant, or they may be enrolled at a two-year institution that has an articulation agreement, bridging agreement, or similar formal collaborative arrangement with the funded bachelor’s-level institution. Scholars must be enrolled full-time (based on the institution’s definition) in a food and agricultural sciences course of study leading to an undergraduate degree or a D.V.M. for each academic term they receive MSP support. There is some built-in flexibility: if the institution’s own policies allow it, formal registration may be waived for part of the support period when the student is still making satisfactory degree progress and is engaged full-time in appropriate scholarship-related activities such as internships or study abroad experiences.

Beyond enrollment status, scholars must maintain good academic standing and make satisfactory progress toward their degree, as determined by institutional standards. The program also limits eligibility to students who have not previously been enrolled in an academic program in the food and agricultural sciences at the same degree level, which is meant to prioritize new entrants into that level of training rather than students who have already started and left a comparable program. Finally, scholars must demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing a career as a food or agricultural scientist or professional, with the institution responsible for judging and documenting that interest under its selection process.

Administration of the scholarships is largely delegated to the funded institution within NIFA’s rules. The grantee makes the final decisions about selecting and appointing MSP Scholars, but it must do so on a defined timeline: scholars must be identified and scholarships must be awarded within 12 months of the grant’s effective start date. If the institution cannot allocate scholarship funds within that first year, it must notify the NIFA Program Office and obtain approval; otherwise, the institution risks losing access to those funds. The overall design signals that NIFA expects projects to move quickly from award to student support, with institutions prepared to recruit, select, and place scholars soon after the grant begins.

In short, MSP is an institution-driven scholarship grant program focused on expanding multicultural participation in food and agricultural sciences by funding colleges and universities (not individuals) to provide structured, timely scholarship support to eligible full-time students who are preparing for undergraduate or D.V.M. pathways and who show clear interest in entering the food and agriculture workforce.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIGHER EDUCATION MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (MSP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.220.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-02-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA HEMS 008061

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