Funding opportunities for veterinary medicine with USDA competitive programs

Brad Fenwick, University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Abstract

Dramatic changes are underway in how public higher education and professional training are funded. The shift from a public to a beneficiary funding model is driving increases in tuition for students, the collection of user fees, and fee-for-service activities and has focused increased attention on the need for funding support from federal grants and contracts. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) was the first federal agency to support university-based research and education. While the funding provided by the USDA is now only a fraction of what is available through other federal sources, the USDA remains an important source of funding dedicated specifically to farm-animal-related research and the training of the next generation of veterinary scientists and educators.