From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) USDA-NIFA-ARPAED-009362
Applicants are also encouraged to collaborate with 1862 Land Grant Universities, certified Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, community colleges, technical and vocational schools and other accredited academic institutions with 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.
It is recommended that applicants propose efforts designed to build and sustain partnerships with organizations who have a vested public interest in developing a diverse workforce in food and agriculture, broadly speaking. These entities serve as connectors between the eligible institutions, their students, and USDA. Examples of these ‘connector organizations’ include MANRRS, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the Association of 1890 Research Directors, the Association of Extension Administrators for the 1890 Land-Grant Universities, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and the National Young Farmer Coalition. Additional ‘connector organizations’ may include non-profit organizations, workforce development centers, businesses, local school districts, and professional societies. Applicants may also pursue relationships and partnerships with programs, such as AmeriCorps and other national service programs, the Rural Partners Network, the Congressional Hunger Center and the U.S. Forest Service Youth Conservation Corps, to cultivate interest in pursuing careers in food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences
Read more on page 9 of the RFA available at grants.gov.
All italicized text in this FAQ reflects information directly quoted from the RFA. This work is supported through an agreement between the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Extension Foundation serving as the Technical Assistance Advisor for From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (NEXTGEN). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication/website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.