Multicultural Alliances

Overview 

The Multicultural Alliances (MA) section within the NIFA Science and Education Resource Development (SERD) unit manages programs and activities that specifically target historically black land-grant universities (1890 institutions), land-grant tribal colleges (1994 institutions), Alaska native-serving, native Hawaiian-serving, and Hispanic-serving institutions. MA programs are designed to build research, extension, and education capacity at these institutions and increase their competitiveness and representation in agency and departmental programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Additionally, MA supports programs at other partner institutions that serve minority communities.

In Focus

• NIFA has changed to a multi-year grant process for the Tribal College Education Equity Grants Program for 2006.
• 1890 land-grant institutions programs strengthen research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences at the nation’s historically black colleges and universities, including Tuskegee University.
• Tribal college land grant-institutions programs strengthen research, extension and teaching capacity in the food and agricultural sciences at tribally controlled institutions of higher learning.
• The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program promotes and strengthens the ability of Hispanic-serving institutions to carry out education programs.
• The Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program promotes and strengthens the ability of Alaska native-serving and native Hawaiian-serving institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs within a broadly defined arena of food and agricultural sciences.
• The Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program supports extension education on Native American reservations and tribal jurisdictions to address the unique needs and problems of American Indian tribal nations.

Funding

• 1890 Facilities Grant Program
• 1890 Institutions Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants Program
• Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program


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Selected Results and Impacts

• The 1890 Land-Grant Institutions Programs have allowed schools to redesign their curricula and expand students' problem-solving learning experiences.
• The 1994 Land-Grant Institutions Programs have assisted institutions in providing capacity building in the areas of teaching, extension, and research centering on the food and agricultural sciences.
• The competitive Hispanic-Serving Institutions Educational Grants Program has helped many Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) build institutional capacity, establish linkages with business, conduct outreach to Hispanic/Latino communities, develop new curricula, and meet local education needs.


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Resources

• 1890 Scholars Program, USDA
• Indian Country Extension. Information on programs of extension professionals who work almost exclusively on Indian reservations, in Indian communities and tribal jurisdictional areas.
• Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD), Inc. Information for and about this organization that relates to 1890 land-grant universities, their agricultural research and other programs.


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Contacts

P.S. Benepal, Director, Multicultural Alliances