FAEIS-EP116834  Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary -- FY 1993
 
           FY 1993 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary
                Office of Higher Education Programs, CSRS, USDA
                                   June 1993
 
     The Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, administered by the  USDA
Office of Higher Education Programs, is designed to stimulate and enable
colleges and universities to provide the quality of education necessary to
produce graduates capable of strengthening the Nation's  food and agricultural
scientific and professional work force.  It is intended that projects supported
by the program will:  (1) address a regional, State, national, or international
educational need; (2) involve a creative or novel approach toward addressing
the need which can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate
better working relationships in the university science and education community, 
as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program
quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits which
will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.
 
     Proposals may be submitted by all U.S. colleges and universities that have
a demonstrable capacity to carry out teaching in the food and agricultural
sciences at the baccalaureate and higher degree levels.  Each grantee must have
a significant ongoing commitment to the food and agricultural sciences and to
the specific subject areas for which such a grant is used.  Generally, the food
and agricultural sciences consist of agriculture, natural resources, forestry,
home economics, veterinary medicine, and closely allied disciplines.
 
     In FY 1993, $1,455,000 were available to support projects which addressed
the undergraduate level of study in the following targeted areas:  (1)
curricula design and materials development; (2) faculty preparation and
enhancement for teaching; (3) instruction delivery systems; and (4) student
experiential learning.

     A total of 61 different institutions from 40 States and U.S. Territories
submitted 110 proposals for consideration for funding in this fourth year of
the program.  In March 1993, the grant applications were evaluated by an
22-member peer review panel.  The panel was comprised of representatives of the
Federal government, land-grant and nonland-grant institutions, and national
associations which represent higher education at the land-grant and nonland-
grant institutions.  Panelists represented various  academic areas including
business, agriculture, natural resources, forestry, veterinary medicine, home
economics, and closely allied disciplines.  Funds were available to support a
total of 23 grants based on the peer review deliberations.  The 23 grants were
awarded to 18 institutions in 17 States. 
 
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HEP CFD Code:  10.217

Source:  Higher Education Programs / Cooperative State Research, Education and 
         Extension Service / Science and Education Resources Development / 
         U.S. Department of Agriculture