Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA VSGP 010340
The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is a competitive grant opportunity from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) aimed at reducing shortages of food animal veterinary services in the United States, including U.S. insular areas. The program is built around a practical goal: strengthen the pipeline of trained professionals and boost the capacity of private veterinary practices so rural communities in designated shortage areas have better access to veterinary care that supports livestock health, food safety, and public health. In plain terms, VSGP helps train more people for food animal practice, helps current professionals build specialized skills, and helps rural clinics obtain resources they need to serve shortage areas more effectively.
VSGP funds two broad types of work: education, extension, and training efforts on the workforce side, and practice enhancement on the service delivery side. Funded activities can include establishing or expanding accredited veterinary education pathways, such as internships, externships, residencies, and fellowships, as long as they are carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. It can also support continuing education and extension programming for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other relevant health professionals, including telemedicine and other distance-based training approaches, which is especially important for reaching rural audiences. The grant can cover travel and living expenses for veterinary students and trainees (including interns, externs, residents, and fellows) as well as veterinary technicians, which reduces the financial barriers to getting hands-on experience in high-need rural settings. Another allowed use is career exposure programming for high school juniors and seniors (grades 11 and 12) to introduce them to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine, helping build longer-term interest in rural and large animal practice.
Eligibility depends on which project track an applicant is pursuing. For education, extension, and training type projects (often referred to as EET), eligible applicants include state, regional, or national organizations that support food animal veterinary programs; allied or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine; university research foundations or veterinary medical foundations; departments of veterinary science or comparative medicine that are accredited by the U.S. Department of Education; state agricultural experiment stations or research farms associated with 1890 institutions; and state, local, or tribal government agencies. For rural practice enhancement projects (RPE), eligibility is narrower and is geared toward on-the-ground service providers: a for-profit or non-profit clinic or hospital located in the U.S. or an insular area that provides mixed or large animal veterinary services in a rural area and is located within a current Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) shortage area. RPE awards are made to clinics rather than individuals, meaning the clinic itself must apply even if it is a solo practice.
The shortage-area and rural requirements are a central part of the program design, especially for RPE applications. The shortage situation must qualify as rural under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act definition. The solicitation notes that VMLRP Type II shortage situations are rural, while Type I shortage situations require an additional rural eligibility check using USDA Rural Development mapping tools (the Rural Community Development Initiative map). There is also a specific rule for clinics employing a current VMLRP awardee: a clinic may apply in connection with the single shortage area where that awardee is obligated to serve, but if the clinic receives a VSGP award under that approach, it must retain the VMLRP awardee for the full 36-month VSGP award period or risk forfeiting funds, with proration based on time served.
The competition also includes important limits on submissions and repeat awards. For RPE, duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed; if an RPE applicant submits more than one application, NIFA will disqualify both. For EET, multiple submissions can come from different departments within an eligible institution, but only one award per institution per year will be made. If a clinic has previously received an RPE award, it may apply again only after five years following the end date of the prior award. For EET, an institution can hold multiple awards across different years, including awards led by different departments and different project directors.
Key opportunity details listed in the notice include an award ceiling of $250,000, an expectation of about 20 awards, and a closing date of March 21, 2024 (as posted for this specific funding cycle). The program is listed as discretionary funding and uses a grant instrument under the agriculture funding activity category (CFDA 10.336). As with most federal assistance programs, meeting all eligibility and application requirements by the deadline is critical; failing to meet the stated criteria can lead to an application being excluded from consideration or prevent an award from being made.Apply for USDA NIFA VSGP 010340
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Veterinary Services Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.336.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) FAQs
What is the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP)?
The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is a competitive grant opportunity from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) designed to help reduce shortages of food animal veterinary services in the United States, including U.S. insular areas. The program focuses on strengthening the workforce pipeline and improving the capacity of rural veterinary practices so communities in designated shortage areas have better access to veterinary services that support livestock health, food safety, and public health.
What problem is VSGP trying to solve?
VSGP is aimed at addressing shortages of food animal veterinary services, especially in rural areas designated as shortage areas. The program supports efforts that increase the number of trained professionals and help rural practices deliver services more effectively in areas where access to veterinary care is limited.
What types of projects does VSGP fund?
VSGP funds two broad project tracks:
- Education, Extension, and Training (EET): Workforce-focused projects that build training pathways and strengthen skills for food animal veterinary work.
- Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE): Service-delivery projects that improve the capacity of rural clinics/hospitals to serve shortage areas.
What activities are allowed under Education, Extension, and Training (EET) projects?
Allowable EET activities include establishing or expanding accredited veterinary education pathways such as internships, externships, residencies, and fellowships, as long as they are carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. EET may also support continuing education and extension programming for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other relevant health professionals, including telemedicine and other distance-based training approaches to reach rural audiences.
Can VSGP funds support telemedicine or distance-based training?
Yes. The notice states that continuing education and extension programming may include telemedicine and other distance-based training approaches, which can be especially useful for reaching rural audiences.
Can the grant pay for travel and living costs for trainees or students?
Yes. The grant can cover travel and living expenses for veterinary students and trainees (including interns, externs, residents, and fellows) as well as veterinary technicians. This is intended to reduce financial barriers to gaining hands-on experience in high-need rural settings.
Does VSGP support career exposure programs for younger students?
Yes. VSGP can support career exposure programming for high school juniors and seniors (grades 11 and 12) to introduce them to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine and help build longer-term interest in rural and large animal practice.
Who is eligible to apply for EET (Education, Extension, and Training) funding?
Eligible applicants for EET projects include the following types of entities (as described in the notice):
- State, regional, or national organizations that support food animal veterinary programs
- Allied or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
- AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine
- University research foundations or veterinary medical foundations
- Departments of veterinary science or comparative medicine that are accredited by the U.S. Department of Education
- State agricultural experiment stations or research farms associated with 1890 institutions
- State, local, or tribal government agencies
Who is eligible to apply for RPE (Rural Practice Enhancement) funding?
RPE eligibility is narrower and is focused on rural service providers. Eligible applicants are for-profit or non-profit clinics or hospitals located in the U.S. or an insular area that:
- Provide mixed or large animal veterinary services
- Are located in a rural area
- Are located within a current Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) shortage area
Are RPE awards made to individual veterinarians or to clinics?
RPE awards are made to clinics rather than individuals. The clinic itself must apply, even if it is a solo practice.
What does it mean to be in a VMLRP shortage area, and why does it matter for RPE?
For RPE, being located within a current VMLRP shortage area is part of eligibility. The program is designed to strengthen service capacity where shortages have been identified, and the solicitation ties RPE eligibility directly to those shortage areas.
How does VSGP define whether a shortage situation is rural?
The solicitation indicates that the shortage situation must qualify as rural under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act definition. It also explains that:
- VMLRP Type II shortage situations are treated as rural.
- VMLRP Type I shortage situations require an additional rural eligibility check using USDA Rural Development mapping tools (specifically, the Rural Community Development Initiative map).
What is the special rule for clinics employing a current VMLRP awardee?
The notice includes a specific rule for clinics that employ a current VMLRP awardee. A clinic may apply in connection with the single shortage area where that awardee is obligated to serve. If the clinic receives a VSGP award under that approach, the clinic must retain the VMLRP awardee for the full 36-month VSGP award period or risk forfeiting funds (with proration based on time served).
How long is the retention requirement for a clinic applying based on employing a current VMLRP awardee?
The clinic must retain the VMLRP awardee for the full 36-month VSGP award period to avoid risking forfeiture of funds, with proration based on time served.
Can an RPE applicant submit more than one application?
No. Duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed for RPE. If an RPE applicant submits more than one application, NIFA will disqualify both applications.
Can an institution submit multiple EET applications?
Yes, multiple EET submissions can come from different departments within an eligible institution. However, the notice states that only one award per institution per year will be made.
Can a clinic that previously received an RPE award apply again?
Yes, but only after a waiting period. If a clinic has previously received an RPE award, it may apply again only after five years following the end date of the prior award.
Can an institution hold multiple EET awards over time?
Yes. The notice indicates that an institution can hold multiple EET awards across different years, including awards led by different departments and different project directors.
What is the maximum award amount under this opportunity?
The notice lists an award ceiling of $250,000 for this funding opportunity.
How many awards does NIFA expect to make?
The notice states an expectation of about 20 awards.
What is the application closing date for the cycle described?
The closing date listed for this specific funding cycle is March 21, 2024.
Is this mandatory or discretionary federal funding?
The notice describes the program as discretionary funding and indicates that the funding instrument is a grant.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The notice lists the program under CFDA 10.336.
What happens if an application does not meet eligibility or submission requirements?
The notice emphasizes that meeting all eligibility and application requirements by the deadline is critical. If an applicant fails to meet the stated criteria, the application can be excluded from consideration or an award may not be made.
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