Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (10.318)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (Assistance Listing 10.318) is run by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the Department of Agriculture. It awarded $6.8 million in 39 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $173,393 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $200,000. Half of the 39 awards fell between $100,000 and $200,000, and they ranged from $38,691 to $351,062.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$6.8 million
- Grant awards39
- Typical award$200,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$1.8 million
- Size rank1,573 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $391,650 in fiscal 2021 to $1.8 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1573rd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 88% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 23 states and territories.
What the program funds
The STEM program supports projects that increase participation from rural areas. NIFA intends for this program to address educational needs through research and extension activities within broadly defined areas of the food and agricultural sciences and their allied disciplines. Projects must focus on an audience of K-14 students (kindergarten through twelfth grade plus two years of postsecondary schooling (e.g., vocational technical institutions or community or junior colleges). NIFA strongly encourages Project Directors to limit student stipends, tuition, or educational costs of the award to citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. This ensures grant supported training activities directly contribute to strengthening the domestic workforce pipeline.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
(a) State agricultural experiment stations; (b) colleges and universities; (c) university research foundations; (d) other research institutions and organizations; (e) Federal agencies; (f) national laboratories; (g) private organizations or corporations; and, (h) Any group consisting of two or more of the entities
What the money can and cannot pay for
Grant funds must be used for allowable costs necessary to conduct approved fundamental and applied research and extension grants to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with priority given to eligible institutions that carry out continuing programs funded by the Secretary. Program funds may only be used for research and extension activities in the training, outreach and mentoring of rural women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM fields relevant to USDA mission. Funds may not be used for any purposes other than those approved in the grant award documents. Funds made available for grants in this program shall not be used for scholarship or fellowship purposes, the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility (including site grading and improvement, and architect fees). Section 720 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-55) limits indirect costs to 30 percent of the total Federal funds provided under each award. Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants should limit their requests for recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of their institution’s official negotiated indirect cost rate or the equivalent of 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. In accordance with 7 U.S.C. 5925(a)(2)(A) the grant recipient is required to match the USDA funds awarded on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-Federal sources with cash and/or in-kind contributions (see the RFA for details). NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a grant if NIFA determines that: (1) the results of the project, while of particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, are likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally; or (2) the project involves a minor commodity, the project deals with scientifically important research, and the grant recipient is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate, for application deadlines
Award range and average, in the agency's words
If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive and/or capacity project grant, or cooperative agreement are established, these amounts will be announced in the annual Competitive Request for Application (RFA).
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: The STEM program supported a project that works with students age 17 to 22 to offer experiential learning and STEM education through AI, robotics, sensors, and mobile application development with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture. The students will have hands on learning experiences building smart phones, using AI to develop mobile applications, and overall making agriculture-specific careers more appealing to youth.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (10.318) awarded $6.8 million across 39 grant awards, an average of $173,393 per award.
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 88% of the money, nonprofits 12%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 33 | $5.9 million | 88% |
| Nonprofits | 6 | $841,954 | 12% |
By state
1 state has a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. It is Texas.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 7 | $1.4 million |
| California | 4 | $865,000 |
| Arkansas | 2 | $430,320 |
| West Virginia | 2 | $428,263 |
| Louisiana | 1 | $350,696 |
| Maine | 1 | $343,480 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $306,062 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $293,985 |
| Oregon | 2 | $293,843 |
| North Carolina | 2 | $238,544 |
| Arizona | 1 | $200,000 |
| Colorado | 1 | $200,000 |
| Indiana | 1 | $200,000 |
| New Mexico | 2 | $200,000 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $200,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $178,557 |
| Florida | 1 | $178,530 |
| Puerto Rico | 2 | $153,602 |
| New York | 1 | $100,000 |
| Ohio | 1 | $98,028 |
| Connecticut | 1 | $95,711 |
| Georgia | 1 | $38,691 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $12,795 |