The Veterinary Services Department Grant for Alleviating U.S. Veterinarian Shortages

The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is designed to support education and extension activities and practice enhancement initiatives that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources (e.g., equipment, personnel) needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the U.S. Ultimately, this program will bolster the capacity of private practitioners to provide food animal veterinary services in designated rural veterinarian shortage situations. The purpose of VSGP is to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see Part VIII, D of this RFA for a definition of “insular area”). Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to: 1. Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 2. Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety and public health. 3. Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technicians. 4. To expose students in grades 11 and 12 to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine.

The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is designed to support education and extension activities and practice enhancement initiatives that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources (e.g., equipment, personnel) needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the U.S. Ultimately, this program will bolster the capacity of private practitioners to provide food animal veterinary services in designated rural veterinarian shortage situations. The purpose of VSGP is to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see Part VIII, D of this RFA for a definition of “insular area”). Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to: 1. Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 2. Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety and public health. 3. Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technicians. 4. To expose students in grades 11 and 12 to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine.

Applications may only be submitted by the entities listed below if they carry out programs or activities that will: 1) substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations; or 2) support or facilitate private veterinary practices engaged in public health activities.
Table 4: Eligible Applicants for EET
1. a State, national, allied, regional, or professional food animal veterinary organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
2. a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association;
3. a university research foundation or veterinary medical foundation;
4. a department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of Education;
5. a State agricultural experiment station; or Research Farm (1890 institutions)
6. a State, local, or tribal government agency.

Table 5: Eligible Applicants for RPE
1. A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the United States, such as a clinic or hospital, that provides mixed/large animal veterinary services in a rural area, as defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
2. Clinics or hospitals that employ a current VMLRP awardee from any qualifying year (i.e., those with a current service obligation at the time of this application) and applies with reference to the single shortage area to which they are obligated to serve;
3. A single shortage area designation MUST be included in the proposal title and narrative and in the appropriate field on the form. The following link provides information for FY 2021 shortage situation areas. (VMLRP shortage map webpage)

The Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is designed to support education and extension activities and practice enhancement initiatives that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students to gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources (e.g., equipment, personnel) needed to more effectively mitigate veterinary service shortages in the U.S. Ultimately, this program will bolster the capacity of private practitioners to provide food animal veterinary services in designated rural veterinarian shortage situations. The purpose of VSGP is to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see Part VIII, D of this RFA for a definition of “insular area”). Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to: 1. Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. 2. Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety and public health. 3. Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technicians. 4. To expose students in grades 11 and 12 to education and career opportunities in food animal medicine.