NIFA staff will hold a Technical Assistance Webinar to discuss the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) Notice of Funding Opportunity. NIFA anticipates that approximately $3.8 million in funding will be available in 2026 to help mitigate food animal veterinary service shortages in the United States.
There are two types of grants for VSGP: Education, Extension, and Training (EET) and Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE). The Education, Extension, and Training (EET) grants will be made available on a competitive basis to qualified entities to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services through education, training, recruitment, placement, and retention of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and students of veterinary medicine and veterinary technology. The Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants will also be made to establish or expand veterinary practices in rural areas.
The 2026 VSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and the 2026 veterinary shortage situations are now available. The deadline for application is April 16, 2026.
NIFA encourages interested applicants to thoroughly review the VSGP NOFO before starting an application.
Questions about the VMLRP application process may be sent by email to VSGP@usda.gov.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Danielle Farley, Program Specialist, at Danielle.Farley@usda.gov no later than February 10, 2026.