The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) supports increased access to shared-use special purpose equipment and instruments for fundamental and applied research in the food and agricultural sciences at eligible institutions, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The programme aims to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of research by providing opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment that may be too costly or inappropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. Shared-use instrumentation is emphasized to enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and extension specialists both within and outside the proposing organization.

Overview

The Equipment Grants Program is administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the eRA system and falls under Assistance Listing 10.519. The programme focuses on fundamental and applied research and training in food and agricultural sciences by enabling institutions to acquire shared-use equipment that supports research, research training, and extension goals. The funding opportunity number is USDA-NIFA-CEGP-32987, and the opportunity category is discretionary with a category of funding activity in Agriculture.

Funding and Benefits

The total program funding available is $2,800,000. NIFA expects to make approximately 10 awards under this opportunity. The award minimum is $25,000, and the award maximum is $500,000. Cost sharing or matching is not required. The funding instrument type is a grant.

Eligibility

Eligibility is limited to institutions as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103. Eligible applicants include:

• Colleges and universities that are public or nonprofit, accredited, and award bachelor’s or higher degrees, including research foundations maintained by such institutions.
• State Cooperative Institutions, including:
  • 1862 and 1890 Land-grant institutions
  • State-certified schools of forestry (McIntire-Stennis Act)
  • State Agricultural Experiment Stations in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and insular areas (Hatch Act)
  • Cooperative extension services established under the Smith-Lever Act
  • Accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine or State Agricultural Experiment Stations conducting animal health and disease research
  • Hispanic-serving Institutions (as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1101a)
  • Eligible institutions in insular areas: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and Virgin Islands of the United States

Deadline and Timeline

The closing date for applications is June 25, 2026. The opportunity was posted on May 18, 2026, and the archive date is July 30, 2026. Applicants should apply via Grants.gov; the site notes that the current platform is a work in progress, and the official application process is through www.grants.gov. The funding opportunity number is USDA-NIFA-CEGP-32987 (version 2).

Contact Information

For questions about preparing application content, contact the NIFA Support team at grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov. Additional information and the full announcement can be found at the NIFA Equipment Grant Program page: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/equipment-grant-program.