Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-30. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you're a higher education institution in a U.S. insular territory developing or deploying agricultural distance learning, this USDA program directly funds curriculum innovation and teaching infrastructure.
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What this is
The Distance Education Grants Program provides $10,000–$200,000 awards to strengthen agricultural and food science education in insular U.S. territories and possessions via distance learning. Funded projects create, adapt, or adopt digital learning materials and teaching methods aligned with best practices, with explicit emphasis on balancing technical competency with employability skills (communication, teamwork, problem-solving). This is a niche program targeting a small set of geographically qualified institutions, making it highly competitive but with fewer applicants than mainstream USDA grants.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education located in U.S. insular areas (territories and possessions, including Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other specified island jurisdictions). See agency text for full list of eligible geographic areas and institutional definitions. Non-traditional applicants may be considered; check the Additional Information section for clarification.
Eligible applicant types
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Full description — from the agency
The purpose of the DEG program, under assistance listing number 10.322, is to strengthen the capacity of institutions of higher education in insular areas to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences through distance education technology. Projects funded by the DEG program support the creation, adaptation, and adoption of learning materials and teaching strategies to operationalize best practices for student learning. DEG-funded projects must also focus on imparting both technical knowledge as well as employability skills like communication, teamwork, and problem solving.
Topics: distance education agriculture · insular areas grants · food science curriculum · teaching technology USDA · higher education capacity building
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.