K-8 Health Education: Teacher Professional Development & Curriculum Resources for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools | USDA NIFA EXCA 005982

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 005982

The grant opportunity titled "K-8 Health Education: Teacher Professional Development & Curriculum Resources for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools" is a discretionary, grant-funded initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). Its purpose is to support the creation of teacher professional development modules and standards-based curriculum resources specifically for kindergarten through 8th grade health education in DoDEA schools. The content focus is narrowed to two major health strands that are especially important for student well-being and prevention efforts: mental health, and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) education. In practical terms, the funded work is meant to result in structured training materials teachers can use to build their instructional skills, along with classroom-ready curricular resources aligned to relevant standards so health education is consistent, teachable, and scalable across grades K-8.

The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA NIFA EXCA 005982; CFDA/Assistance Listing: 10.500) is categorized as an agriculture-related funding activity, which reflects NIFA's broader mission area that includes human sciences and educational programming alongside traditional agriculture and natural resources. Even though the end products center on school health education, the program is positioned within NIFA's extension, education, and research ecosystem, meaning the work is expected to advance teaching and educational outreach goals that fit within NIFA's statutory scope.

Eligibility is broad and includes state agricultural experiment stations, state cooperative extension services, and all colleges and universities, as well as other research or educational institutions or organizations. The solicitation also indicates that essentially any other contractor or recipient, whether domestic or foreign, may apply if the proposed work furthers research, extension, or teaching programs connected to food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. This wide eligibility suggests NIFA was open to proposals from higher education, extension networks, nonprofits, and other education-focused entities capable of developing high-quality professional learning and curriculum materials tailored for K-8 health education environments.

From an applicant's perspective, the core deliverable expectation is twofold: (1) professional development modules designed to build educator capacity in teaching sensitive and developmentally appropriate topics like mental health and substance use prevention, and (2) curriculum resources that are standards-based, implying they should be aligned with established learning standards or frameworks appropriate for K-8 health education. Because the intended setting is DoDEA schools, strong proposals would typically be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the unique context of military-connected students and school communities, and to produce resources that can be implemented consistently across a geographically dispersed school system.

Key administrative details in the source data include an original application closing date of September 1, 2016, and a creation date of August 1, 2016. The award ceiling listed is $159,600, indicating the maximum expected amount per award under this announcement. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data, so applicants would not be able to infer competitiveness or likely award count from this summary alone. Overall, the opportunity is best characterized as a targeted curriculum and professional development development grant aimed at improving K-8 health instruction in DoDEA schools, with an emphasis on mental health literacy and prevention education related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "K-8 Health Education: Teacher Professional Development & Curriculum Resources for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.500.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-09-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $159,600.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 005982

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: