1. Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)<https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/higher-education-multicultural-scholars-program-msp> Availability of $945,400 as a competitive undergraduate scholarship grant program to increase the multicultural diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce, and advance the educational achievement of all Americans by providing competitive grants to colleges and universities. Who is eligible to apply: 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Private Institutions of Higher Ed, State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed. More detailed information on eligibility, visit the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program funding opportunity page<https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/higher-education-multicultural-scholars-program-msp>. Request for Applications<https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rfa/17-Higher-Edu-27.pdf>; Apply for Grant<https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=297179>; Closing Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2017. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/higher-education-multicultural-scholars-program-msp
1. Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program<https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/food-and-agricultural-sciences-national-needs-graduate-and-postgraduate> Availability of $3,100,000 to support: (1) training students for master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences; and (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems. Who is eligible to apply: 1) Land-Grant Institutions, 2) colleges & universities having significant minority enrollments & a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food & agricultural sciences, & 3) other colleges & universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food & agricultural sciences. Applications also may be submitted by research foundations maintained by eligible colleges or universities. Request for Applications<https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rfa/FY%202017%20Food%20and%20Agri%20NNF.pdf>; Apply for Grant<https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=297013>; Closing Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2017. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/food-and-agricultural-sciences-national-needs-graduate-and-postgraduate
