Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA SAECP 009522
The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (often referred to as SPECA) is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is designed to strengthen education and training pathways in the food and agricultural sciences, with a clear emphasis on building a capable U.S. workforce for the broader food and agriculture system. At its core, the program is trying to make sure students are exposed to high-quality agriculture and food systems learning earlier, supported through secondary school and two-year college, and then encouraged and prepared to continue into four-year degrees and beyond.
A major focus of the program is improving and expanding educational capacity at two key levels: secondary education (high school-level programming, including career and technical education settings) and two-year postsecondary education (such as community colleges). SPECA aims to improve what is taught, how it is taught, and how well these programs align with real workforce needs in agriculture, food, natural resources, and related scientific fields. The underlying workforce goal is explicit: develop and sustain a pipeline of people who are qualified to serve in the U.S. food and agriculture sciences system, which includes both technical occupations and more advanced scientific and professional roles.
Another central goal is creating stronger linkages between secondary schools, two-year institutions, and higher education. In practical terms, this means encouraging partnerships, aligned curricula, credit or credential pathways, and coordinated programming that helps students transition smoothly from high school to community college and then to a bachelor’s degree program. The program description emphasizes "complementary and synergistic" connections, meaning funded projects are expected to make the parts work better together, not just improve one isolated course or single institution. These collaborations are also intended to raise overall educational quality and to make it more likely students will pursue and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in the food and agricultural sciences.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) in the agriculture funding activity category, and it is listed under CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number 10.226. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA SAECP 009522. The opportunity was created on February 1, 2023, and the original application closing date was April 5, 2023. The maximum award size (award ceiling) is $150,000, and NIFA anticipated making about 8 awards under this competition, suggesting a relatively competitive program with a modest number of funded projects.
Eligibility is noted broadly as "Others," with a pointer that applicants should consult the detailed eligibility language in the full notice under "Additional Information on Eligibility." That phrasing typically indicates eligibility may extend beyond only traditional four-year universities and can include certain school districts, community colleges, nonprofit organizations, or other education-related entities depending on the specific requirements and definitions in the full solicitation. In general, the program’s structure and goals signal that proposals demonstrating strong cross-institution collaboration and clear educational and workforce outcomes are likely to be most aligned with the intent of the funding.
Overall, SPECA is essentially a targeted education workforce pipeline investment: it supports projects that improve agricultural and food sciences learning in high school and two-year college settings, while also rewarding efforts that connect those settings to four-year institutions so that more students can progress, persist, and complete degrees in agriculture and related sciences.Apply for USDA NIFA SAECP 009522
- The Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.226.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 01, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 05, 2023. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SPECA Challenge Grants Program?
The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It supports projects that strengthen education and training pathways in the food and agricultural sciences, with a strong focus on building a capable U.S. workforce for the broader food and agriculture system.
Which federal agency administers this opportunity?
This opportunity is administered by USDA, through NIFA (the National Institute of Food and Agriculture).
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The program is designed to strengthen education and training pathways in food and agricultural sciences by improving instruction and educational capacity at the secondary and two-year postsecondary levels, and by creating stronger linkages that help students transition from high school to community college and then to four-year degrees and beyond.
What workforce goal is SPECA trying to address?
SPECA has an explicit workforce pipeline goal: to develop and sustain a pipeline of people qualified to serve in the U.S. food and agriculture sciences system. This includes preparation for both technical occupations and advanced scientific or professional roles.
Which education levels does SPECA focus on?
The program places major emphasis on two levels: secondary education (high school-level programming, including career and technical education settings) and two-year postsecondary education (such as community colleges).
Does SPECA support agriculture education in K-12 classrooms?
Yes. The program name and description include agriculture in the K-12 classroom, and it emphasizes earlier exposure to high-quality agriculture and food systems learning, supported through secondary school.
What types of projects are most aligned with the program goals?
Projects that improve what is taught, how it is taught, and how well education and training align with real workforce needs in agriculture, food, natural resources, and related scientific fields are central to SPECA. The program also strongly emphasizes projects that build coordinated pathways connecting high schools, two-year institutions, and four-year degree programs.
What does it mean that projects should create "complementary and synergistic" connections?
It means funded projects are expected to make different parts of the education pathway work better together, not just strengthen one isolated course or a single institution. The intent is for collaborations to be coordinated, aligned, and mutually reinforcing across secondary, two-year, and higher education partners.
Is building partnerships encouraged under SPECA?
Yes. The program emphasizes stronger linkages between secondary schools, two-year institutions, and higher education. Partnerships that support aligned curricula, coordinated programming, and smoother transitions for students are a core element of the program description.
Does the program emphasize pathways from high school to community college to a bachelor’s degree?
Yes. SPECA specifically encourages coordinated programming that helps students transition from high school to community college and then continue into four-year degrees and beyond.
What is the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type is a grant.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this program?
The program is listed under Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number 10.226.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA SAECP 009522.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling (maximum award size) is $150,000.
How many awards did NIFA anticipate making?
NIFA anticipated making about 8 awards under this competition.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on February 1, 2023.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was April 5, 2023.
What funding activity category is associated with this opportunity?
The funding activity category is agriculture.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with instructions to consult the detailed eligibility language in the full notice under "Additional Information on Eligibility." This wording suggests eligibility may extend beyond only traditional four-year universities, depending on the definitions and requirements in the full solicitation.
Does the listing specify exactly which organization types qualify as eligible?
No. Based on the information provided, eligibility is summarized as "Others" and points applicants to the full notice for the detailed eligibility language.
What kinds of applicants might fit the program’s intent (based on the description)?
The program’s structure and goals indicate that applicants involved in secondary education, two-year postsecondary education, and partnerships with higher education are likely to be aligned with the intent. The description notes eligibility may extend beyond four-year institutions, depending on the full solicitation.
Is the program focused only on improving a single course or single institution?
No. The description emphasizes coordinated, cross-institution collaboration and linkages that strengthen the overall pathway from secondary to two-year to four-year education, rather than isolated improvements.
What outcomes is SPECA trying to promote for students?
The program aims to increase early exposure to agriculture and food systems learning, improve educational quality at the secondary and two-year levels, support smoother transitions across institutions, and ultimately make it more likely that students will pursue, persist in, and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in food and agricultural sciences.
Is this program described as competitive?
It appears relatively competitive based on the anticipated number of awards (about 8) and the nature of a discretionary grant competition.
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