1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program

The 1890 CBG program, under Assistance Listing Number 10.216 is designed specifically to build the institutional teaching, research, and extension capacities of the eligible institutions through cooperative programs with Federal and non-Federal entities.  The 1890 CBG Program supports Executive Order 14283, “White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU),” in order to foster excellence and innovation at HBCUs.

Applicants for the 1890 CBG Program must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
Applications may only be submitted by eligible 1890 Land-grant Universities (7 U.S.C. 3152(d)(2)).
The eligible institutions are:

1. Alabama A&M University
2. Alcorn State University
3. Central State University
4. Delaware State University
5. Florida A&M University
6. Fort Valley State University
7. Kentucky State University
8. Langston University
9. Lincoln University (MO)
10. North Carolina A&T State University
11. Prairie View A&M University
12. South Carolina State University
13. Southern University and A&M College
14. Tennessee State University
15. Tuskegee University
16. University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
17. University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
18. Virginia State University
19. West Virginia State University

Faculty may not serve as PD on more than two active 1890 CBG projects. If an applicant has two active projects, at least one project must be scheduled to expire by the end of the current fiscal year. Faculty may submit multiple applications for Standard and/or Collaborative Grants as the lead PD to the 1890 CBG Program in FYs 2026 and 2027. Additionally, there is no limit on the number of grants for which faculty may be listed as co-PD or key personnel.
All Collaborative or Integrated Education, Research, and Extension Projects may subcontract, as deemed appropriate, to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary to conduct a successful project. The subcontract must advance capacity building at the 1890 LGU in the area of the proposed project.
USDA will not accept competitive applications for grant and cooperative agreements submitted for dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.
Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – Submissions of duplicate or predominantly overlapping projects are not allowed. An eligible applicant may submit multiple applications on behalf of the institution whereas they are not essentially duplications of the same project or portions of the same project to multiple programs.