FAEIS-EP116854  Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary -- FY 1996

                      Higher Education Challenge Grants
                                Program Summary


                                    FY 1996


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


                                   July 1996

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                FY 1996 HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM

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 1996, $4,044,954 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 59 different institutions from 45 States submitted 125 proposals 
for consideration for funding in the seventh year of the program.  In April 
1996, the grant applications were evaluated by a 27-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 48 grants based on 
the peer review deliberations.  The 48 grants were awarded to 38 lead 
institutions in 29 States.  Seven of the projects funded in FY 1996 were joint
projects involving three or more and as many as nine institutions.  When the 
collaborating are included with the lead institutions, a total of 50 
institutions from 39 States are being supported under the FY 1996 Higher 
Education Challenge Grants Program.

The following chart presents information on the grants awarded under the FY 
1996 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program.

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                         INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS SUPPORTED


Principal    
Project      Department              Project                           Funds
Director     and Institution         Title                             Awarded
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Richard      Department of Agric.    Multi-Campus Interdisciplinary $   80,000
Cavelleto    Engineering             Ag Safety Class Taught Using 
             Cal. Poly. St. U.       Distance Education     

Richard      School of Agriculture   A Cooperative Program with     $   67,994
Baldy        Cal. St. U. - Chico     Industry for Integrated Student 
                                     Research

H. Dean      General Food & Ag. Sci. A Global Seminar on Human      $   79,990
Sutphin      Cornell University      Sustainability, Agriculture, 
                                     and the Environment

Rose T.      Dept. of Nutr. &        Development of a Quality       $   79,970
Postel       Hospitality Mgmt        Food Production Mgmt.
             East Carolina St. U.    Electronic Textbook

David R.     Agricultural Admin.     Internet Clearing House for    $   61,398
Russell      Iowa State University   Improving Communications 
                                     Across the Curriculum in Ag. 

Carl A.      Dept. of Hotel, Rest.,  Joint Ventures Between the     $   57,000
Boger        Instit. Mgmt, & Diet.   Classroom & Rural Communities
             Kansas State Univ.

John L.      Department of Agronomy  Geographic Information Systems $   68,000
Havlin       Kansas State Univ.      in Agricultural Science Educ.

John A.      Dept. of Clinical Sci.  CD-ROM Case Studies to         $   75,000
Pickrell     Kansas State Univ.      Enhance Agric. & Veterinary 
                                     Medical Education

John A.      Dept. of Biological &   Development of Instructional   $  156,361
Wells        Agric. Engineering      Media & Pre-Collegiate 
             Louisiana State Univ.   Curricula for Biological Engr.

Kenneth D.   Dept. of Botany &       Introducing a Computer-        $   68,448
Nadler       Plant Pathology         Assisted Personalized Approach
             Michigan State Univ.    in an Agricultural Curriculum

Brenda       Dept. of Human Envir.   Food Distribution in           $   71,393
Sternquist   and Design              Multinational Markets:  
             Michigan State Univ.    Western Europe, Central 
                                     Europe, & Mexico

Michael E.   Agric. Educ. &          A Model for Hypermedia-Based   $   79,651
Newman       Experimental Stat.      Instructional Material Devel.
             Mississippi State U.    in Agriculture

Donald E.    Dept. of Vet. Sci.      Instructional Improvement in   $   66,888
Burgess      Montana State Univ.     Animal and Veterinary Science

Kathryn A.   Dept. of Consumer &     Enhancement of Textiles and    $   79,535
Jakes        Textile Sciences        Apparel Faculty Preparation for
             Ohio State Univ.        Teaching:  Faculty Internship 
                                     and Liaison Model 

Thomas L.    Dept. of Ag. Economics  Bringing Students and          $   67,149
Sporleder    Ohio State University   Agribusiness Together:  
                                     An Internet Application

James N.     Dept. of Ag. Economics  An Experimental Learning Tool  $   79,995
Trapp        Oklahoma State Univ.    for Teaching Food Processing 
                                     Firm Management

Richard D.   Dept. of Food Science   Teaching Physical Science to   $   67,971
Ludescher    Rutgers University      Life Science Students

Patricia     Salish Kootenai Coll.   American Indian At-Distance    $   80,000
Hurley                               Learning Program for 
                                     Environmental Sciences 

Paul H.      Dept. of Plant &        Improving Educational Skills   $   68,262
Henry        Soil Science            of Landscape Horticulture
             Southern Illinois Univ. Students via Computer Simulation

Robin W.     Environmental & Forest  Curriculum Development:        $   79,978
Kimmerer     Biology                 Native American Perspective
             State U. of New York    on Resource Management

Ashley C.    Dept. of Agronomy,      Meeting the Needs of           $   79,885
Lovell       Hort., & Ag. Ec.        Industry:  Developing a Golf 
             Tarleton State Univ.    Course Management Program

Roger        Dept. of Veterinary     Host Response to Microbial     $   79,753
Smith        Pathobiology            Infection:  A Visual, WEB- 
             Texas A&M University    Based Approach to Learning

Julia T.     Dept. of Educ., Nutr.,  Educating Apparel/Restaurant   $  119,960
Poynter      & Rest., Hotel, &       Entrepreneurship Faculty in 
             Institution Mgmt.       Alternative Instruction
             Texas Tech University 

Thomas A.    Dept. of Animal Sci.    Improving Student Writing      $   79,908
Hoagland     Univ. of Connecticut    in the Agricultural Sciences

Sherry L.    Dept. of Plant &        Biotechnology in Agriculture:  $   80,000
Kitto        Soil Sciences           A Multimedia Approach to PBL 
             University of Delaware  and Distance Learning

Douglas R.   School of Forest Res.   A Forest Resources Planning    $   80,000
Carter       & Conservation          Simulation System Linking GIS 
             University of Florida   and the Internet

Glen H.      Dept. of Agricultural   A Multimedia Instruction and   $   79,989
Smerage      & Biological Engr.      Learning System for Higher 
             University of Florida   Education

Gene M.      Dept. of Poultry Sci.   Multimedia Lecture Material    $   62,611
Pesti        University of Georgia   Preparation and Training for 
                                     Agriculture Faculty

Wayne T.     Dept. of Food Science   Foods and Nutrition Education  $   79,797
Iwaoka       & Human Nutrition       for Scientific Literacy
             Univ. of Hawaii-Manoa

Raymond M.   Dept. of Ag. Economics  A Futures and Option Trading   $   75,022
Leuthold     University of Illinois  Simulator for the World Wide 
                                     Web

Ronald D.    Dept. of Veterinary     Computer-Aided Instruction in  $   79,997
Smith        Pathobiology            Food Safety/Food Born Disease 
             University of Illinois  on the World Wide Web

Larry J.     Dept. of Agronomy       Polishing Peers:  Improving    $   63,729
Grabau       University of Kentucky  Plant and Soil Science 
                                     Education Through Peer Review

Jack          Dept. of Horticulture   The World Wide Web as          $  160,000
Sullivan     & Land Architecture     Instructional Delivery System
             University of Maryland  in Landscape Architecture 
                                     Education

Ira R.        Dept. of Fisheries &    A Partnership in Computer      $  159,895
Adelman      Wildlife                Assisted Distance Education 
             Univ. of Minnesota      in Natural Resources

Steven H.    Dept. of Nutrition      Computer-Assisted Modules for  $   80,000
Zeisel       U. of North Carolina    Teaching Human Nutrition to 
             - Chapel Hill           Undergraduates

Leverne A.   Dept. of Agric.         A Collaborative Effort to      $  144,580
Barrett      Leadership, Education,  Change the Reward System 
             & Commerce              for Teaching
             University of Nebraska

Karen E.     Human Res. & Fam. Sci.  Collaborative Faculty Devel.   $   72,000
Craig        University of Nebraska  for Enhanced Teaching/Learning 
                                     Opportunities for Family & 
                                     Consumer Science Programs

Michael G.   Dept. of Food Science   Implementation of Computer-    $   52,466
Zeece        University of Nebraska  Aided Instructional 
                                     Technologies in Delivery of 
                                     Food Science & Outreach Education

Arthur J.    Dept. of Nat. Res. Sci. Melding Undergraduate          $   80,000
Gold         Univ. of Rhode Island   Experiential Learning with 
                                     Extension

Dave R.      Dept. of Ag. Engr.      Development of an Integrated   $   79,553
Raman        Univ. of Tennessee      Two-Stage Internship for 
                                     Agricultural Engineering    

M. Beth      Dept. of Human Ecol.    Improving Food Selection       $   79,994
Gillham      University of Texas     Behaviors of Americans with 
                                     Individualized Multimedia 
                                     Curricula

Jane M.      Dept. of Community      ACCESS:  Applied Curriculum    $   80,000
Kolodinsky   Dev. & Applied Econ.    for Community Economics
             University of Vermont

John E.      School of Agriculture   Teaching in a Virtual          $   76,183
Ambrosis     Univ. of Wisconsin,     Classroom:  Developing Courses  
             Platteville             and Assessing Learning Styles

Joseph K.    Dept. of Biological     Developing Accessible          $  159,120
Irudayaraj   & Irrigation Engr.      Instructional Tools for Key
             Utah State University   Courses in Bioprocess and 
                                     Food Engineering

Peter K.     Dept. of Small Animal   A Digital Information Resource $   79,956
Shires       Clinical Sciences       Development Program for 
             Virginia Polytechnic    Agricultural Educators
             Institute & State U.

Cynthia J.   Dept. of Food Science   Interactive Multi-Media        $   74,000
Heiss        and Human Nutrition     Nutrition Support Training
             Washington State Univ. 

Shulin       Dept. of Biological     Natural Systems for            $  145,573
Chen         Systems Engineering     Agricultural Waste Treatment 
             Washington State Univ.  and Water Quality Management

JoAnn        Dept. of Apparel,       An Integrated Core Curriculum  $   26,000
Thompson     Merch., & Interior Des. for Interior Design and 
             Washington State Univ.  Landscape Architecture

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                 FY 1996 HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM
                TOTAL FUNDS AWARDED TO STATES AND LEAD INSTITUTIONS*


STATE          LEAD INSTITUTION                                      FUNDS
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California     Cal. Polytechnic St. Univ., San Louis Obispo          $  80,000
California     California State University, Chico                    $  67,994
Connecticut    University of Connecticut                             $  79,908
Delaware       University of Delaware                                $  80,000
Florida        University of Florida                                 $ 159,981
Georgia        University of Georgia                                 $  62,611
Hawaii         University of Hawaii                                  $  79,797
Illinois       Southern Illinois University                          $  68,262
Illinois       University of Illinois                                $ 155,019
Iowa           Iowa State University                                 $  61,398
Kansas         Kansas State University                               $ 200,000
Kentucky       University of Kentucky                                $  63,729
Louisiana      Louisiana State University                            $ 156,361
Maryland       University of Maryland                                $ 160,000
Michigan       Michigan State University                             $ 139,841
Minnesota      Minnesota State University                            $ 159,895
Mississippi    Mississippi State University                          $  79,651
Montana        Montana State University                              $  66,888
Montana        Salish Kootenai College                               $  80,000
Nebraska       University of Nebraska                                $ 269,046*
New Jersey     Rutgers University                                    $  67,971
New York       State University of New York                          $  79,978
New York       Cornell University                                    $  79,990
North Carolina University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill            $  80,000
North Carolina East Carolina University                              $  79,970
Ohio           Ohio State University                                 $ 146,684
Oklahoma       Oklahoma State University                             $  79,995
Rhode Island   University of Rhode Island                            $  80,000
Tennessee      University of Tennessee                               $  79,553
Texas          Texas A&M University                                  $  79,753
Texas          Texas Tech University                                 $ 119,960
Texas          University of Texas -  Austin                         $  79,994
Texas          Tarleton State University                             $  79,885
Utah           Utah State University                                 $ 159,120
Vermont        University of Vermont                                 $  80,000
Virginia       Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University   $  79,956
Washington     Washington State University                           $ 245,573*
Wisconsin      University of Wisconsin, Platteville                  $  76,183
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                                                                   $ 4,044,954   

*  These amounts represent the total Federal dollars awarded to each lead 
   institution, including the funds that will be subcontracted out to 
   collaborating institutions for joint projects.  Excluding the funds that
   will be subcontracted out to collaborating institutions, no single 
   institution will receive more than $200,000 under this program in FY 1996.
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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