Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA) and Distance Education Grants for Insular Areas (DEG)

The purpose of the RIIA grants program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Insular Area Institutions (see definition in Part VIII, E.) to carry out teaching and education programs within the broadly defined food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. The term ‘‘food and agricultural sciences’’ means basic, applied, and developmental research, extension, and teaching activities in food and fiber, agricultural, renewable natural resources, forestry, and physical and social sciences, including activities relating to the following: (1) Animal health, production, and well-being. (2) Plant health and production. (3) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and preservation. (4) Aquaculture. (5) Food safety. (6) Soil and water conservation and improvement. (7) Forestry, horticulture, and range management. (8) Nutritional sciences and promotion. (9) Farm enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and profitability. (10) Home economics. (11) Rural human ecology. (12) Youth development and agricultural education, including 4–H clubs. (13) Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier identification and analysis. (14) Information management and technology transfer related to agriculture. (15) Biotechnology related to agriculture. (16) The processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products. The purpose of the DEG program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Insular Area Institutions to: (1) acquire the equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware and software, digital network technology, and infrastructure necessary to teach students and teachers about technology in the classroom; (2) develop and provide educational services (including faculty development) to prepare students or faculty seeking a degree or certificate that is approved by the State or a regional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of Education; (3) provide teacher education, library and media specialist training, and preschool and teacher aid certification to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom or instructional process; (4) implement a joint project to provide education regarding technology in the classroom with a local educational agency, community-based organization, national nonprofit organization, or business; or (5) provide leadership development to administrators, board members, and faculty of eligible institutions with institutional responsibility for technology education. The amount available for support of the RIIA program in FY 2010 is approximately $860,000 and support for the DEG program in FY 2010 is approximately $720,000.