FAEIS-EP116835  Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary --  FY 1994
 
        FY 1994 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary
                 Higher Education Programs, CSREES, USDA
                                July 1994

     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 1994, $1,442,076 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 53 different institutions from 36 States and U.S. Territories 
submitted 106 proposals for consideration for funding in this fifth year of the 
program.  In March 1994, the grant applications were evaluated by a 20-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 24 
grants based on the peer review deliberations.  The 24 grants were awarded to 
19 institutions in 19 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