VSGP Applicants

Informational Webinars

• Veterinary Services Grant Program Overview
• Veterinary Services Grant Program Rural Practice Enhancement Application Process Webinar
• Veterinary Services Grant Program Education, Extension, and Training Application Overview

Live Question and Answer Sessions for FY 2023
VSGP staff will announce live FAQ sessions in 2023

FY 2023 Announcement

If you are experiencing significant delays with the Unique Entity Identification (UEI) validation, NIFA has created an alternate method to accept application documents through email until issues are resolved with SAM.gov and an applicant can submit through Grants.gov. For specific instructions on what to do in this case please reference the following link:  https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/announcements/general-services-administration-gsasystem-award-management-sam

Before You Start Your Application

Even before the RFA has been released, it is strongly recommended that you work through the steps below because this process can take up to 60 days. Therefore, it is important to start this process before the RFA is released to minimize system-related delays that could cause you to miss the application submission deadline.

1. Determine if you are eligible to apply for a VSGP grant. 
    
2. Register for a Unique Entity ID with the System for Award Management (SAM) at the SAM Website. Note that this registration process can take up to six weeks. Within SAM you need to register as an entity doing business with the federal government, not just obtain an account. Please call their help desk (866-606-8220) if you encounter any difficulty and, if needed, ask them to guide you through the remaining steps.
    
3. Register for a Grants.gov account. Anyone who has not applied for a federal grant through Grants.gov in the last 365 days will need to register. Directions for registering for a Grants.gov account for individuals and organizations (e.g., organizations like veterinary clinics, associations, universities, etc.). NOTE: For organizations, steps 2 & 3 above must be done first.

Preparing and Submitting Your Application

These are the steps needed to apply for any NIFA grant. Some important items to remember include:

1. Read all parts of the RFA thoroughly. Part IV outlines the application instructions and submission requirements.
    
2. Application packages may be downloaded from Grants.gov once the RFA is released. Be sure your version of Adobe Reader is compatible with Grants.gov. For Adobe compatibility check the Grants.gov site.
    
3. Read the "NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide" provided in the application package.
    
4. Ensure ALL required forms are uploaded to complete the application package.
    
5. All documents uploaded to Grants.gov MUST be in PDF format.

Additional Resources

• Example Maps for RPE Applicants

 Additional links to resources related to Grants.gov and applying for NIFA grants are provided below.

• Frequently Asked Questions - Applying for a Grant
• Grants.gov Applicant Resources

Previous WEBINAR

NIFA hosted a VSGP Applicant Webinar with a question and answer session for FY 2021 application cycle on February 17, 2021.

• Check out the VSGP Applicant Webinar recording.