Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Lisa Mensah announced on January 12, 2016 that USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is soliciting applications for Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grants for FY 2016.
Eligible applicants include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications, including: most State and local governmental entities, Federally-recognized Tribes, Non-profits, For-profit businesses, and a consortia of eligible entities.
The Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) outlines that applications are due March 14, 2016.
There is a minimum grant amount of $50,000 and a maximum grant amount of $500,000 for eligible applicants. The grants, which are awarded through a competitive process, may be used to fund telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies which extend educational and medical applications into rural areas.
A few of the prior Nebraska recipients include:
- Educational Service Unit (ESU) 2 in Fremont received $283,248 to improve educational opportunities for high school students and community members by offering distance education courses through an interactive videoconferencing system.
- ESU #10 of Kearney received $126,989 to create a telecommunications infrastructure that supports distance learning for individuals residing in rural, isolated communities. Key project tenets included establishing a robust, cost-effective, reliable telecommunications infrastructure to support proposed distance learning activities; developing curriculum and classes in the areas of Elementary, Middle School and High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); and increasing access to courses and curriculum not currently available at their sites. The project also provides for access to advanced placement vocational training courses in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as foreign language.
- A Telemedicine recipient, CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney, received $155,041 to further expand the number of project partners and the type of services available through the Midwest Telehealth Network.
Details on how to apply can be found online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/distance-learning-telemedicine-grants and on page 1388 of the January 12, 2016 Federal Register. USDA will publish on its website the total amount of DLT funding available for FY 2016.
For more information in Nebraska contact General Field Representative Roger Meeks at (402) 416-4936 or roger.meeks@wdc.usda.gov.
President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.