FAEIS-EP116940  Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Summary -- FY 1997

                      Higher Education Challenge Grants
                                Program Summary


                                    FY 1997


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


                                   July 1997

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                FY 1997 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 first professional 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, family and consumer sciences, veterinary medicine, and
closely allied disciplines.

In FY 1997, $3,696,872 were available to support projects which addressed the
undergraduate or first professional 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 51 different institutions from 37 States submitted 117 proposals for
consideration for funding in the eighth year of the program.  In May 1997, the
grant applications were evaluated by a 31-member peer review panel.  The panel
was comprised of faculty members of land-grant and nonland-grant institutions
and representatives of the Federal government.  Panelists represented various
academic areas including business, agriculture, natural resources, forestry,
veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences, and closely allied
disciplines.  Funds were available to support a total of 44 grants based on the
peer review deliberations.  The 44 grants were awarded to 28 lead institutions
in 26 States.  Six of the projects funded in FY 1997 were joint projects
involving three or more and as many as twelve institutions.  When the
collaborating institutions are included with the lead institutions, a total of
40 institutions from 31 States and one foreign country are being supported under
the FY 1997 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program.


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