Food animal veterinarians are critical to maintaining a healthy, secure, and safe food supply and for safeguarding the health and well-being of food animals. Today, there is a critical shortage of food animal veterinarians in both private and public practice, particularly in rural communities in the United States and Insular Areas. NIFA recently announced 25 Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) Awards, including six Education, Extension, and Training (EET) grants and 19 Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants to help mitigate food animal veterinary service shortages in the United States. EET grants have a three-year duration and up to $250,000 in funding for education and Extension activities that provide current and future veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians with specialized skills and practices by expanding educational programs at American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited schools and professional organizations. RPE grants have a three-year duration and funds directly support veterinary clinics and practices by providing up to $125,000 for the purchase of equipment to enhance food animal veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage situation area. Ultimately, VSGP will bolster the capacity of private veterinary practitioners to provide food animal veterinary services in rural veterinarian shortage locations and provide training and educational opportunities for veterinarians, future veterinarians, and technicians to enhance those services.
2024 EET Awardees
- Mississippi State University
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Texas Tech University
- The Curators of the University of Missouri
- The Regents of the University of California (Davis)
- Tuskegee University
2024 RPE Awardees
- Antelope Veterinary Service, LLC
- Cedar Creek Veterinary Service, LLC
- Cheyenne River Animal Hospital, PC
- Clay Veterinary Clinic LLC
- Danielle and Earl Brady LLC
- Dr. Hailey Mueller Veterinary Services, LLC
- Fayette Veterinary Services, LLC
- Firefly Veterinary Services, PLLC
- Four State Veterinary Services LLC
- Harrison Animal Hospital
- Hoof & Horn Veterinary and Acupuncture Services LLC
- Interior Mobile Vet LLC
- Jackman's Animal Clinic, P.C.
- Logan Bethel Veterinary Services, LLC
- Prairie Vista Veterinary Hospital LLC
- Sandhills Veterinary Clinic, P.C.
- Sherman Veterinary Associates LLC.
- Twisted Road Veterinary Services
- Western Plains Veterinary Service, P.C.