Federal grant programs / Department of Agriculture

Centers of Excellence at 1890 Institutions (10.523)

Also known as 1890 Centers of Excellence

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$54.1 million
• Grant awards18
• Typical award$1.9 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$7.7 million
• Size rank1015 of 1824
• Type of assistanceGrant

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $6.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $7.7 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1015th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 6 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 6 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Centers of Excellence at 1890 Institutions program has funded the establishment of six Centers to protect and manage domestic natural resources for current and future production of food and agricultural products; develop/apply emerging technologies to increase agricultural productivity; enhance small farm economic viability; improve rural communities by developing genetic and sensor technologies for food and agriculture; provide technology training to farmers; and enhance academic and career development activities for students pursuing careers in the food and agricultural sciences. 1) The overall goal of the Center of Excellence for Farming Systems, Rural Prosperity, and Economic Sustainability is to address the profitability, sustainability and prosperity challenges of small to medium farmers, ranchers, forestland, and rural business owners through adaptive research, technology assessment, development of new processes, and providing educational opportunities. In collaboration with USDA, the private sector, and communities, the Center identifies market opportunities and access to capital and resources to enhance rural prosperity and economic sustainability by introducing innovative technologies, entrepreneurship, broadband/internet, and collaborations into small to medium scale operations. 2) The Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense provides the U.S. with a globally educated workforce to address critical needs in global food security and defense. The Center leverages global knowledge, partnerships, and research to advance the strategic economic and agricultural-focused priorities of the United States and transforms research, innovations, and policy insights into actionable solutions for U.S. farmers, communities, and policymakers. The Center’s work reinforces domestic economic growth and supports national security by building resilient food systems and securing America’s leadership in global agricultural innovation. 3) The primary goal of the Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life is to increase the capacities of 1890 institutions to address health disparities through nutrition research, teaching, and Extension. This Center strengthens education programs at 1890 institutions to prepare the next generation of health and lifestyle educators and provides training and education to communities through outreach programs to improve health outcomes. 4) The Center of Excellence for Student Success and Workforce Development supports the improvement of recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of career-ready students at 1890 institutions through collaborative programming, experiential learning, mentorship, and technology integration. The overall goal is to increase the capacity of 1890 institutions to enhance their pipeline of students and their students' readiness to enter the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences and STEM workforce. 5) The Center of Excellence for Emerging IoT Technologies for Smart Agriculture brings together a team of agriculture and data scientists, engineers, chemists, and environmentalists who aim to integrate fundamental research and development in emerging IoT technologies to strength U.S. agriculture. The major goals of this Center are: 1) Advance knowledge and research in Emerging Technologies in Agriculture; 2) Establish emerging technologies infrastructure to expand opportunities for student learning and research and solve complex interdisciplinary challenges; and 3) Implement high-impact practices that build a sustained pathway of scholars with workforce development skills in emerging technologies and related disciplines. 6) The goal of the Center of Excellence for Land, Water, and Resource Management is to advance applied research and technology transfer in the stewardship of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on forest and rangeland management, water resource conservation, soil health, and integrated land-use practices that enhance long-term ecological function and productivity. The Center focuses on four multi-disciplinary areas that serve as a platform for advancing integrated natural resource solutions and addressing regional and national priorities while strengthening institutional research capacity and stakeholder engagement.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

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

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funds may be used only for the purpose for which they are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, regulations, terms and conditions of the award, applicable federal cost principles, USDA assistance regulations, and NIFA General Awards Administration Provisions, 7 CFR Part 3430, subparts A through E. With prior approval, in accordance with the cost principles set forth in 2 CFR 200, the Uniform Guidance, some grant funds may be used for minor alterations, or repairs deemed necessary to retrofit existing teaching or research spaces in order to carry out a funded project. However, requests to use grant funds for such purposes must demonstrate that the alterations, or repairs are incidental to the major purpose for which a grant is issued. Section 1462(a) and (c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) limits indirect costs for the overall award to 30 percent of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA) under a research, education, or extension grant. The maximum indirect cost rate allowed under the award is determined by calculating the amount of indirect costs using: 1) the sum of an institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate and the indirect cost rate charged by subawardees, if any; or 2) 30 percent of TFFA (TFFA = Field K., Total Costs and Fee, on SF-424 R&R Budget).

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

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 Request for Applications (RFA). The most current RFA is available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/centers-excellence-1890-institutions-1890-coes

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: NIFA provided funding to the Centers via continuation awards.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to colleges and universities.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.