About the Program
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is running the Veterinary Services Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021, with an aim to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the United States.
The grant has been implemented due to concerns arising from the long-term maldistributions in the veterinary workforce, leaving some rural communities with insufficient access to livestock veterinary services.
This grant will support education and extension activities and practice enhancement initiatives that will enable veterinaries, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practice with additional resources (e.g. equipment, personnel) needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the United States.
Grants will be made on a competitive basis to:
- Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine;
- Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety and public health;
- Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician students attending training programs in food safety, public health, or food animal medicine.
Available Funding
The anticipated amount available under the program for FY2020 and 2021 is approximately $3 million per year.
Cost Sharing or Matching
This program has no cost sharing or matching requirements.
Eligibility Requirements for Education, Extension and Training Grants
- A State, national, allied or regional veterinary organization or specialty board recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association
- A college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
- A university research foundation or veterinary medical foundation;
- A department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of Education;
- A State agricultural experiment station; or Research Farm;
- A State, local or tribal government agency.
Eligibility Requirements for Rural Practice Enhanacement Grants
A for-profit or non-profit entity located in the U.S that, or individual who, operates a veterinary clinic providing veterinary services in:
- a rural area, as defined in section 343(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act; and
- is either
- a current VMLRP awardee from any qualifying year and applies with reference to the single shortgage area to which they are obliged to serve; or
- is not a current VMLRP awardee and applies with reference to a current single veterinarian shortgage situation designated as ‘Open’ under the VMLRP in 2020 or 2021 to correspond with the year of application.
For more information on your organization’s eligibility, contact us here.
