Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

Capacity funding

Capacity (a.k.a. formula) funds are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) provides support for research and extension activities at land-grant institutions through grants to the states on the basis of statutory formulas. Eligibility is limited to the cooperating institutions, most of which are 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant institutions. NIFA capacity grants are subject to the same Us Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and Department regulations, with the exceptions identified in the NIFA Regulations.

These noncompetitive capacity funds are directed by Congress to support designated institutions for research, education, or Extension/outreach on topics of importance to a State or region. To receive these funds a State funding match is required.

The University of Maine is an 1862 land-grant institution and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station (MAFES) administers four capacity grants that support research in agricultural and natural resources sectors: Hatch, Hatch-Multistate, McIntire-Stennis, and Animal Health and Disease.

Hatch-Multistate

“The purpose of Hatch Act funding is to conduct agricultural research programs at State Agricultural Experiment Stations in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas. The specific purpose of Hatch-Multistate funding is to conduct research by institutions within a State and by institutions in multiple States to solve problems that concern more than one State.

This grant is used to support continuing agricultural research at 1862 Land-grant institutions, as well as State agricultural experiment stations. Funds appropriated under this section shall be used to conduct original and other researches, investigations, and experiments bearing directly on and contributing to the establishment and maintenance of a permanent and effective agricultural industry of the United States, including researches basic to the problems of agriculture in its broadest aspects, and such investigations as have for their purpose the development and improvement of the rural home and rural life and the maximum contribution by agriculture to the welfare of the consumer, as may be deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the respective States. Finally, these funds must be used for cooperative research employing multidisciplinary approaches in which a State agricultural experiment station, working with another State agricultural experiment station, the Agricultural Research Service, or a college or university, cooperates to solve problems that concern more than one State.” (nifa.usda.gov)

Find a Hatch-Multistate Project

Researchers can search for active and inactive, archived projects through the National Information Management and Support System (nimms.org). Search keywords and click on the “Project Number” for more information including the outline and current participants in the research committee (“Appendix E”).

Guidelines for Multistate research activities have been developed by the State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors in Cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Experiment station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP).

Hatch-Multistate travel reimbursement

Please review the Hatch-Multistate travel reimbursement program policy and complete the application form to receive funds to assistance with annual project meetings.