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Veterinary Loan Repayment Program

Veterinary Services Grant Program RFA

The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is designed to support education and extension activities and practice enhancement initiatives that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources (e.g., equipment, personnel) needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the U.S. Ultimately, this program will bolster the capacity of private practitioners to provide food animal veterinary services in designated rural veterinarian shortage situations. The purpose of VSGP is to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see Part VIII, D of this RFA for a definition of “insular area”). Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technicians. 4. To expose students in grades 11 and 12 to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine.

The technical assistance webinar related to this FY 2024 funding opportunity is now scheduled. Please see details about the webinar, including the registration link, date, and time, via the technical assistance webinar button below. The recording and supporting documents will also be posted to this page after the event.

Dates may vary. Please see RFA for exact details.
Reasonable Accommodation
If you need a reasonable accommodation to access information related to this grant opportunity, please contact the Information Contact listed on this page no later than ten (10) days before the closing date.  If you need a reasonable accommodation for the webinar or event related to this grant opportunity, please contact the event host.
Language Access Services
NIFA offers language access services, such as interpretation and translation of vital information, free of charge. If you need interpretation or translation services, please visit NIFA Language Access Services and request service no later than ten (10) days before the closing date.
Eligibility
1862 Land-Grant Institutions
1890 Land-Grant Institutions
1994 Land-Grant Institutions
For-profit Organizations Other Than Small Businesses
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than Institutions of Higher Ed
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than Institutions of Higher Ed
Other or Additional Information (See below)
Small Business
State Agricultural Experiment Stations
State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed
More Information on Eligibility

Applications may only be submitted by the entities listed below if they carry out programs or activities that will: 1) substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations; or 2) support or facilitate private veterinary practices engaged in public health activities. For Education, Extension, and Training Program Area: • a State, national, allied, regional, or professional food animal veterinary organizations 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 (1890 institutions) • a State, local, or tribal government agency. For Rural Practice Enhancement Program Area: A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the United States, such as a clinic or hospital, that provides veterinary services in a rural area, as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)), or Clinics or hospitals that employ a current VMLRP awardee from any year (i.e., those with a current service obligation at the time of this application) and applies with reference to the single shortage area to which they are obligated to serve. Shortage area designation MUST be included in the proposal title and narrative and in the appropriate field on the form. For all program areas, award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or will preclude NIFA from making an award.

Posted Date
For more Information Contact
Closing Date
Contact for Electronic Access Problems
Funding Opportunity Number
USDA-NIFA-VSGP-010340
Assistance Listing Number
10.336
Estimated Total Program Funding
$3,822,070
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement
No Match Required
Range of Awards
$75,000 - $250,000
Previous Fiscal Year RFA
FY23-VSGP-RFA-508.pdf (pdf - 452.01 KB)

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