All Applicants Must Have an eRA Commons Account to Apply
This program is being managed in the eRA Grants Management System as part of NIFA’s ongoing Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI). To apply for this program’s NOFO(s), all applicants must have an eRA Commons account registered with their organization.
To learn more about acquiring an account or registering a new organization, please refer to the training in our eRA Reference Center.
Overview
The aim of the SPECA program is to develop and increase the quality of K-14 food and agricultural academic programs at eligible institutions. SPECA-funded projects must engage more than a single course or individual instructor. This program encourages applicants to collaborate between institutions and agencies to achieve the program’s overall goals and objectives which are listed below.
The purpose of the SPECA program is to award grants which:
- Enhance curricula in agricultural education
- Increase faculty teaching competencies
- Interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences
- Promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education
- Facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor's degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education
- Support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education
- Support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12.
Current Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)
| NOFO Link | Descriptive Summary | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| USDA-NIFA-CSPECA-32938 | Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program | July 27, 2026 |
Eligibility
The following groups are eligible to receive funding:
- Public secondary schools
- Public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges
- Institutions of higher education
- Nonprofit organizations