Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program

The Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program aims to support innovative, education-based approaches to address disaster preparedness and potential responses to natural, human-made, or technological disasters or disaster threats that pose risks to communities. The program is open to 1862 Land-grant Institutions in the 50 states and the U.S. territories, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. • Eligible institutions may submit a grant application for project activities to be undertaken principally on behalf of its own students or faculty, and to be managed primarily by its own personnel. • Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply, provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. • The program has an estimated funding of $459,564, with an award ceiling of $115,000 and an award floor of $20,000. • The application deadline is June 1, 2026.