Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 006634
The Tribal College Research Area of Expertise (TCRAE) grant opportunity is a competitive federal funding program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). For fiscal year 2018, its central purpose is to strengthen research capacity at Tribal Colleges and Universities that hold 1994 Land-Grant Institution status. The program is designed to support applied research projects that are practical and community-facing, meaning projects should not just generate knowledge, but also directly respond to student educational needs and help solve real problems affecting Tribal communities, reservations, or surrounding regions. The opportunity is grounded in the intent of the 1994 Research Grants program under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, which created a pathway for Tribal Colleges to be recognized as land-grant institutions and to receive support comparable in spirit to other land-grant systems.
Eligibility is tightly limited. Only Tribal Colleges or Universities officially designated as 1994 institutions under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301, as amended) are allowed to submit applications. The official eligible list is referenced in the opportunity materials (notably in the eligibility attachments in Grants.gov). The notice also makes clear that eligibility is enforced strictly: if an applicant does not meet the required criteria by the application deadline, the proposal can be removed from consideration entirely, or even if it is reviewed, the agency may still be unable to issue an award. In other words, meeting the 1994 status requirement is non-negotiable for an award to be made.
While only eligible 1994 Tribal institutions can apply as the primary applicant, the program does allow awardees to subcontract parts of the work to outside organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the proposed project. This structure gives Tribal Colleges flexibility to bring in specialized expertise, services, or technical capacity (for example, lab analyses, evaluation support, or collaborative field work) without losing the focus on Tribal-led research capacity building.
From an administrative standpoint, the funding opportunity is categorized as a discretionary program and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project period compared with a standard grant. The activity category is listed as agriculture under CFDA number 10.227, signaling that the program sits within USDA's research and education mission and likely expects projects that connect to food, agriculture, natural resources, human sciences, or related community development issues that align with USDA priorities and Tribal community needs.
Key dates and funding parameters included in the notice show it was created on June 26, 2018, with an original application closing date of August 30, 2018. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000. The listing notes "ExpectedAwards:" but does not provide a number in the supplied text, so the precise count of awards anticipated is not specified here. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted capacity-building investment: it funds applied research led by 1994 Tribal Colleges, with a strong expectation that the work will benefit students and produce tangible, locally relevant outcomes for Tribal communities and surrounding regions.Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 006634
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal College Research Area of Expertise" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.227.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-26.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-08-30. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Tribal College Research Area of Expertise (TCRAE) Grant (FY 2018) - FAQs
What is the Tribal College Research Area of Expertise (TCRAE) grant?
The Tribal College Research Area of Expertise (TCRAE) grant is a competitive federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). For fiscal year 2018, it is focused on strengthening research capacity at Tribal Colleges and Universities that hold 1994 Land-Grant Institution status.
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The central purpose is to build and strengthen applied research capacity at eligible 1994 Tribal Colleges and Universities. The program emphasizes practical, community-facing research that responds to student educational needs and addresses real problems affecting Tribal communities, reservations, or surrounding regions.
What type of research does the program support?
The opportunity is designed to support applied research projects. The description stresses that projects should go beyond generating knowledge and should produce tangible, locally relevant outcomes that benefit Tribal communities and also support student educational needs.
Who is eligible to apply as the primary applicant?
Eligibility is limited to Tribal Colleges or Universities that are officially designated as 1994 Land-Grant Institutions under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301, as amended). Only those institutions may submit applications as the applicant organization.
How is the official eligibility determined?
The opportunity references an official eligible list provided in the opportunity materials, specifically noted as being included in eligibility-related attachments in Grants.gov. Applicants must be on that official 1994 institution list to be eligible.
How strict is the eligibility requirement?
The notice indicates eligibility is enforced strictly. If an applicant does not meet the required eligibility criteria by the application deadline, the proposal may be removed from consideration. Even if a proposal is reviewed, the agency may still be unable to issue an award if eligibility requirements are not met.
If an organization is not a 1994 Tribal College or University, can it apply?
No. Organizations that are not officially designated as 1994 Land-Grant Institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant under this opportunity.
Can an eligible Tribal College partner with non-eligible organizations?
Yes. While only eligible 1994 Tribal institutions can apply as the primary applicant, awardees may subcontract portions of the work to outside organizations that are not themselves eligible to apply, as long as those partners are necessary to carry out the proposed project.
What does subcontracting allow an awardee to do?
Subcontracting allows the Tribal College to bring in specialized expertise, services, or technical capacity needed for the project (for example, lab analyses, evaluation support, or collaborative field work) while keeping the project centered on Tribal-led capacity building and applied research outcomes.
Which federal agency runs this program?
This program is run by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA).
What is the funding type or program classification?
The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary program.
What is the funding instrument used for awards?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project period compared with a standard grant.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
Based on the notice description, a cooperative agreement generally implies that the federal agency will have substantial involvement during the project period, rather than providing funding with minimal federal involvement as may occur in some standard grant structures.
What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?
The activity category is listed as agriculture.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 10.227.
What subject areas or mission space does this opportunity fall under?
The listing places the opportunity within USDA's research and education mission and indicates alignment with agriculture-related priorities. The description suggests projects may connect to food, agriculture, natural resources, human sciences, or related community development issues, as long as they align with USDA priorities and Tribal community needs.
How does this opportunity relate to the 1994 Land-Grant system?
The opportunity is grounded in the intent of the 1994 Research Grants program under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. That Act created a pathway for Tribal Colleges to be recognized as land-grant institutions and to receive support comparable in spirit to other land-grant systems.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling listed in the notice is $500,000.
How many awards are expected?
The supplied notice text includes a field labeled "ExpectedAwards:" but does not provide a number. Based on the information provided, the precise number of anticipated awards is not specified.
When was this opportunity created?
The notice indicates the opportunity was created on June 26, 2018.
What was the application closing date for the original notice?
The original application closing date listed in the notice was August 30, 2018.
What kinds of outcomes are emphasized for funded projects?
Funded projects are expected to be practical and community-facing, with outcomes that directly respond to student educational needs and help solve real problems affecting Tribal communities, reservations, or surrounding regions.
Is this opportunity primarily about capacity building or only about producing research results?
It is best described as a targeted capacity-building investment. It funds applied research led by 1994 Tribal Colleges while emphasizing strengthening institutional research capacity and producing tangible benefits for students and Tribal communities.
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Apply for USDA NIFA TCRGP 006634
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