AFRI FASE & EPSCoR Program
The Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement and Experimental Program for Stimulating Competitive Research program is designed to help institutions develop competitive research, education and extension/outreach programs in high-priority areas of national need in agriculture, food, and environmental sciences. Strengthening Awards consist of Sabbatical Grants, Equipment Grants, Seed Grants, and Strengthening Standard Project Awards. Ten percent of the AFRI budget is set aside for strengthening awards and post doctoral fellowships.
Sabatical Grants, Equipment Grants, Seed Grants, and Strengthening Standard Project Awards are available during each funding cycle to ensure that researchers at institutions and states that are underrepresented in terms of Federal research, education, and extension/outreach funding receive a portion of AFRI funds. Eligibility for all strengthening categories except Equipment grants includes (a) faculties of small and mid-sized academic institutions that are not among the most successful universities and colleges for receiving Federal funds for science and engineering research (b) Project Directors at degree-granting institutions in USDA Experimental Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states, and (c) minority serving institutions. All degree-granting institutions that are not among the most successful in receiving federal science and engineering research funds are eligible for Equipment grants. When determining eligibility for these grant types, the following definitions apply:
Small and mid-sized institutions are academic institutions with a current total enrollment of 17,500 or less including graduate and undergraduate and full- and part-time students. Limited institutional success means institutions that are not among the most successful universities and colleges for receiving Federal funds for science and engineering research. Every 3 years the NRI determines which states are eligible for USDA EPSCoR funding by determining those that have had a funding level from the NRI no higher than the 38th percentile of all states, based on total funding for the previous 3-year period (excluding strengthening set-aside funds). The following states fall into this category for FY 2006-FY 2008:
Alabama New Hampshire
Alaska North Dakota
Connecticut Rhode Island
Delaware South Carolina
Idaho South Dakota
Hawaii Vermont
Kentucky West Virginia
Louisiana Wyoming
Maine
Mississippi
Nevada
Other entities eligible for USDA-EPSCoR funds in FY 2009 include the following United States commonwealths, territories, possessions and their successors, and the District of Columbia as well as:
American Samoa
District of Columbia
Guam
Micronesia
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands of the U.S.
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