The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions by providing them with opportunities to acquire one shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals that may be too costly and/or...

Eligibility is limited to the following institutions, as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 3103:1) College or Universitya) In general.—The terms "college" and "university" mean an educational institution in any State, the District of Columbia, and any insular area which: (i) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; (ii) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; (iii) provides an educational program for which a bachelor's degree or any other higher degree is awarded; (iv) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and (v) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.b) Inclusions.—The terms "college" and "university" include a research foundation maintained by a college or university described in subparagraph (A).2) State Cooperative Institution, including:1862 and 1890 Land-grant institutions;State-certified schools of forestry as stipulated in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 582a et seq. (the McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962);State Agricultural Experiment Stations located in the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Insular Areas in accordance with 7 U.S.C. 361a et seq. (the Hatch Act of 1887);"Cooperative extension services" meaning the organizations established at the Land-grant Colleges and Universities under the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 372–374, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 341–349), and section 209(b) of the Act of October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1428, as amended; D.C. Code, sec. 31–1719(b));Accredited schools or colleges of veterinary medicine or State Agricultural Experiment Stations that conduct animal health and disease research in accordance with section 1433(c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977;Hispanic-serving Institutions as defined in section 1101(a) of Title 20;Eligible institutions in insular areas including, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Virgin Islands of the United States

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