FAEIS-EP116887  Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program - Program
Summary

FY 1996 and FY 1997
HIGHER EDUCATION MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM PROGRAM
SUMMARY
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Launched in July 1994 by USDA's Office of Higher Education Programs (HEP) with
appropriations from Fiscal Year (FY) 1994 and FY 1995 combined into one
competition, the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program is a competitive
grants program enabling colleges and universities to award scholarships to
outstanding students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the food and
agricultural sciences, and encourage them to pursue and complete their education at
the postsecondary level.  It is intended that projects supported by the program
will increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the food and agricultural
scientific and professional workforce, advance the educational achievement of
minority Americans, and help the United States achieve the objective of workforce
diversity within the Federal government, particularly the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.

For the FY 1996-97 program, proposals could be submitted by any U.S. college or
university offering baccalaureate degree programs in at least one discipline of the
food and agricultural sciences, or offering a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
(D.V.M.) degree.  Scholarship grants were not made directly to students; rather,
scholarship recipients are to be selected by the colleges and universities
receiving grant awards.  Where an articulation or bridging agreement exists with an
eligible four-year institution, students attending two-year institutions also may
be able to participate in the program.  Scholarship recipients must be U.S.
citizens or nationals, newly recruited to a course of study leading to a
baccalaureate degree in the food and agricultural sciences or to a D.V.M. degree,
and from a racial or ethnic group traditionally underrepresented in the food and
agricultural sciences, specifically Blacks, Hispanics, Asians or Pacific Islanders,
and American Indians or Alaskan Natives.

For the FY 1996-97 program, $2 million were appropriated, including $1 million of
funds carried over from FY 1996 and $1 million from FY 1997.  Of that amount,
$1,970,000 were available for project grant awards after subtracting 3 percent
($60,000) for Federal administration and $17,000 for peer panel costs.  These funds
were used to support multicultural scholarships grants in the following areas of
emphasis:  General Food and Agricultural Sciences, Agribusiness Management and
Marketing, Conservation and Renewable Natural Resources (includes Forestry),
Human
Nutrition/Dietetics, Home Economics, and Veterinary Medicine/Science.

A total of 68 proposals, requesting $6,154,000 in support for 310 scholarships,
were received for funding consideration.  In February 1997, the grant applications
were evaluated by a 20-member peer review panel.  Based on the deliberations of the
panel, a total of 24 awards supporting 104 undergraduate scholarships were made to
24 different institutions in 22 States across the Nation.  The following charts
present information on the grants awarded under the FY 1996-97 Higher Education
Multicultural Scholars Program.


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   Table 1.  FUNDING REQUESTS BY EMPHASIS AREAS
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                                     No. of Proposals       Funds
Targeted Emphasis Area                       Received         Requested  

General Food and Agricultural Sciences       38        $ 3,649,010

Agribusiness Management and Marketing        1         $    80,000

Conservation and Renewable Natural Resources 
(includes Forestry)                          8         $   620,000

Human Nutrition/Dietetics                    4              $   305,000

Home Economics                               6              $   485,000

Veterinary Medicine/Science                  6              $   540,000  

Closely Allied Disciplines                   5               $   475,000

TOTAL                                   68               $ 6,154,000

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ


ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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   Table 2.  FUNDING DECISIONS BY EMPHASIS AREA
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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                                      No. Proposals       Funds    No. Scholars
Targeted Emphasis Area                     Funded           Awarded     Supported 

General Food and Agricultural Sciences       15 (39%)    $1,285,000    70

Agribusiness Management and Marketing        1 (100%)    $   80,000     4

Conservation and Renewable Natural Resources 
(includes Forestry)                     2 (25%)     $  105,000     6

Human Nutrition/Dietetics                    4 (100%)    $  290,000    16

Home Economics                          1 (17%)     $   80,000     4

Veterinary Medicine/Science                     1 (17%)     $   80,000     4  

Closely Allied Disciplines                   0 (0%)      $        0     0 

     TOTAL                              24 (35%)    $1,920,000     104

ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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Note:  Number in parentheses are approximate percentages of proposals received that
were funded.
HEP CFD Code:  10.220

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