This technical assistance webinar will provide an overview of the FY26 Insular Areas Competitive Programs goals and priorities, application submission guidelines, peer review process, and resources to aid in submitting an application to NIFA. The programs that will be covered in the webinar are the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA), the Agriculture and Food Sciences Facilities and Equipment Program (AGFEI), and the Distance Education Grants (DEG).
The purpose of these programs is to promote and strengthen the ability of eligible institutions in the Insular Areas to carry out education within the food, agricultural and natural resource sciences. RIIA projects strengthen institutional educational capacities, including libraries, curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems, and student recruitment and retention, in order to respond to education needs in the food and agricultural sciences. AGFEI projects support activities to acquire or renovate facilities and relevant equipment necessary for conducting agricultural research to support tropical and subtropical agricultural research, including pest and disease research. DEG projects support institutions in carrying out programs in the food and agricultural sciences through distance education technology.
Please be aware that the material presented in Session 1 and Session 2 is identical. You may register for either session.
The application deadline for all programs is June 15, 2026. General questions about the programs can be submitted to InsularGrants@usda.gov. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this webinar, please contact program staff at InsularGrants@usda.gov no later than 10 days before the webinar.