FY 2026 USDA-NIFA Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program

 

TAMUK Limited Submission Competition

Sponsor: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Program: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program
Sponsor Deadline: December 3, 2026 (5:00 p.m. ET)
Institutional Limit: TAMUK may submit a maximum of five (5) Standard or Collaboration proposals. Faculty must participate in the internal competition before submitting to USDA-NIFA.

 

Program Overview

The USDA-NIFA HSI Education Grants Program supports projects that strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions' capacity to recruit, retain, educate, and graduate students for careers in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH). Projects should address one or more of the following priorities:

• Expanding the FANH student pipeline
• Enhancing postsecondary instruction in FANH disciplines
• Increasing access to FANH careers and workforce opportunities
• Strengthening partnerships that support student success and career attainment

 

Funding Opportunities

 

Standard Grants

• $200,000 to $400,000
• Up to 48 months
• Supports Education/Teaching or Community Development projects

 

Collaboration Grants

• $450,000 to $1.2 million
• Up to 48 months
• Must involve two or more HSIs
• Combination of Research/Teaching projects
• Expected to recruit, retain, and graduate at least 25 students during the project period

 

 

Internal Competition Process

• Stage 1: College Review
  • Faculty submit a brief pre-proposal to their Dean. Each College may nominate up to three ranked proposals for institutional review.
• Stage 2: ORI Review
  • The Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) will conduct an institution-wide review and select up to five proposals to move forward as TAMUK submissions. Selection does not guarantee approval of the final application.

 

Internal Pre-Proposal Requirements

Faculty should submit to your college dean one PDF containing the following components. The objective is to provide sufficient information to evaluate competitiveness while avoiding the need to prepare a complete USDA-NIFA application during the internal competition.

1. Proposal Cover Page – 1 page
   • Include:
   • Project Title
   • Project Director/Principal Investigator
   • Co-PDs/Co-PIs
   • College and Department(s)
   • Grant Type: Standard or Collaboration
   • Project Type: Education/Teaching or Community Development
   • Total USDA funds requested
   • HSI Priority Need Area(s)
   • Primary Educational Need Area(s)
   • Primary FANH discipline(s)
   • Partner institutions/organizations, if applicable
   • Identification of collaborating HSIs for Collaboration Grants
   • New application or resubmission
   • Identification of any current or previous USDA-NIFA HSI award involving the PI or Co-PI(s)
2. Project Summary – Maximum 1 page
   • Provide a concise overview addressing:
   • Problem or educational need;
   • Target population and intended beneficiaries;
   • Proposed solution/intervention;
   • Major activities;
   • Number of students or other participants expected to benefit;
   • Expected quantitative outcomes; and
   • Expected qualitative impact.
   • The summary should clearly demonstrate alignment with the HSI Education Grants Program and the selected Priority Need Area(s).
3. Project Description – Maximum 2 pages
   • Use the following headings:
     1. Significance and Educational Need
        • Describe the educational problem or opportunity being addressed, evidence supporting the need, significance to TAMUK and FANH education, and alignment with USDA-NIFA HSI priorities.
     2. Proposed Approach and Innovation
        • Describe the major activities, methodology, and educational approach. Explain what is innovative about the proposed project and why the approach is expected to be successful.
     3. Objectives and Measurable Outcomes
        • Identify approximately 2–5 specific, measurable project objectives.
        • Identify the principal outputs and outcomes that will demonstrate success. Where applicable, provide anticipated numbers for recruitment, retention, graduation, experiential learning, internships, credentials, graduate-school progression, or other student outcomes.
     4. Institutional Impact and Sustainability
        • Explain how the project will strengthen TAMUK's educational capacity and how successful activities may be sustained or institutionalized beyond USDA funding. Describe the potential for the project or its outcomes to serve as a model for other institutions.
4. Project Team and Collaborations – Maximum 1 page
   • Identify:
   • PI/PD and Co-PDs;
   • Role of each key individual;
   • Relevant expertise;
   • Evaluator or proposed evaluation approach;
   • Internal and external collaborators; and
   • Role of partner institutions.
   • For Collaboration Grant proposals, identify each participating HSI and clearly describe its substantive role in the project.
5. Preliminary Budget and Budget Justification – Maximum 2 pages
   • Provide a four-year preliminary budget identifying major cost categories, including:
   • Personnel
   • Fringe benefits
   • Equipment
   • Travel
   • Participant support
   • Materials/supplies
   • Other direct costs
   • Subawards
   • Indirect costs
   • Total requested

 

Provide a brief justification for the major expenditures and explain how the requested resources directly support the proposed objectives.

 

The preliminary budget does not need to be a final sponsor-ready budget at the internal competition stage; however, it should provide a realistic estimate of the project's total cost.

 

Key Dates

 

Milestone	Date
Internal competition announced	Sept. 17-18, 2026
Faculty pre-proposals due to Dean	Oct. 5, 2026
Dean nominations due to ORI	Oct. 9, 2026
Selected PIs notified, ORI Internal Forms will be required	Oct. 19, 2026
10-day proposal milestone	Nov. 18, 2026
5-day proposal milestone	Nov. 25, 2026
2-day proposal milestone	Dec. 1, 2026
USDA-NIFA deadline	Dec. 3, 2026

 

 

ORI 10-5-2 Submission Policy

Selected PIs must follow TAMUK's proposal submission requirements:

10 business days prior: Substantially complete proposal package submitted to ORI.

5 business days prior: Final technical documents due.

2 business days prior: Complete, submission-ready application due for institutional review and submission.

For questions regarding the internal competition or proposal preparation, contact the Office of Research and Innovation.