U.S. colleges and universities strengthening graduate education in food and agricultural sciences can currently apply for the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, commonly known as HEC.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has approximately $5.7 million available through the current competition.

Awards range from $150,000 to $750,000, and applications close on October 15, 2026.

What Is the HEC Grants Program?

HEC supports colleges and universities seeking to improve the quality of formal higher education in agriculture and related fields.

The programme focuses particularly on:

• Master’s programmes;
• Doctoral programmes;
• First professional degrees in veterinary medicine.

Its purpose is to ensure that the United States develops enough highly qualified professionals to meet future agricultural, food, scientific and rural-development needs.

What Can Funding Support?

Projects can strengthen institutional capacity in areas such as:

• Curriculum development;
• Faculty development;
• Scientific instrumentation;
• Instruction-delivery systems;
• Student recruitment;
• Student retention;
• Graduate education innovation;
• Veterinary education.

The programme is primarily education-focused rather than a conventional research grant.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible institutions include certain U.S. public and private nonprofit colleges and universities with capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences.

The programme includes:

• 1862 Land-grant Institutions;
• 1890 Land-grant Institutions;
• 1994 Land-grant Institutions;
• Hispanic-Serving Institutions;
• Other qualifying higher-education institutions.

A key requirement is that eligible institutions generally offer a baccalaureate or first professional degree in at least one area of food and agricultural sciences.

Applicants should review the full NOFO carefully rather than relying only on broad Grants.gov applicant categories.

How Much Can You Receive?

The current range is:

Minimum award: $150,000

Maximum award: $750,000

Total available funding: approximately $5.7 million

No cost share or matching contribution is required.

What Makes a Strong Proposal?

The application should start with an educational problem.

For example:

• A shortage of graduates in an emerging agricultural discipline;
• Outdated laboratory infrastructure;
• Poor student retention;
• Need for modernised graduate training;
• Weak connections between education and industry.

Then explain precisely how the proposed project addresses that need.

Applicants should demonstrate measurable educational outcomes rather than simply purchasing equipment or creating courses without a wider workforce strategy.

Current Deadline

October 15, 2026

Institutions should confirm Grants.gov and SAM.gov registration before the final submission period.

Official Application Link

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-CGP-011315

Apply through the official Grants.gov page

View the official USDA NIFA HEC page

The Grants.gov listing contains the official application package and submission route.