The regulations in this subpart apply to the Veterinary Services Grant Program authorized under section 7104 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79).

The purpose of VSGP is to administer a competitive grant program to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortage situations (see § 3430.1202 for definition) in the U.S., which includes insular areas (see § 3430.1202 for a definition of “insular area”). A qualified entity may use funds provided by a grant awarded under this section to relieve veterinarian shortage situations and support veterinary services for any of the following purposes:

(a) To promote recruitment (including for programs in secondary schools), placement, and retention of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students of veterinary medicine, and students of veterinary technology.

(b) To allow veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician students to cover expenses (other than the types of expenses described in 7 U.S.C. 3151a(c)(5)) to attend training programs in food safety or food animal medicine.

(c) To establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs (including faculty recruitment and retention), veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.

(d) To 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.

(e) To provide technical assistance for the preparation of applications submitted to the Secretary for designation as a veterinarian shortage situation under 7 U.S.C. 3151a.

The definitions applicable to the VSGP grants under this subpart include:

Citizen or national of the United States which means:

(1) A citizen or national of the United States, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1401; or,

(2) A national of the United States, as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.

Practice of veterinary medicine means to diagnose, treat, correct, change, alleviate, or prevent animal disease, illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical, dental, or mental conditions by any method or mode including:

(1) The prescription, dispensing, administration, or application of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or medical or surgical technique, or

(2) The use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, or

(3) The use of any manual or mechanical procedure for reproductive management, or

(4) The rendering of advice or recommendation by any means including telephonic and other electronic communications with regard to any of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this definition.

Qualified entity means an eligible entity (see § 3430.1203 for a list of eligible applicants for each project type) that carries out programs or activities that the Secretary determines will:

(1) Substantially relieve veterinarian shortage situations;

(2) Support or facilitate private veterinary practices engaged in public health activities; or

(3) Support or facilitate the practices of veterinarians who are providing or have completed providing services under an agreement entered into with the Secretary under 7 U.S.C. 3151a(a)(2).

Rural area is defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).

Veterinarian means a U.S. citizen or national who has received a professional veterinary medicine degree from a college of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA Council on Education.

Veterinarian Shortage Situation means any of the following situations in which the Secretary, in accordance with the process in 7 CFR part 3431 subpart A, determines has a shortage of veterinarians:

(1) Geographical areas that the Secretary determines have a shortage of food supply veterinarians; and

(2) Areas of veterinary practice that the Secretary determines have a shortage of food supply veterinarians, such as food animal medicine, public health, animal health, epidemiology, and food safety.

Veterinary medicine means all branches and specialties included within the practice of veterinary medicine.

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program or VMLRP means the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Service Act (7 U.S.C. 3151a).

(a) For Education, Extension, and Training projects, eligible entities are:

(1) A State, national, allied, or regional veterinary organization or specialty board 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

(6) A State, local, or tribal government agency.

(b) For Rural Practice Enhancement projects, eligible entities are:

(1) A for-profit or nonprofit entity located in the United States that, or individual who, operates a veterinary clinic providing 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)), and in a veterinarian shortage situation designated under the VMLRP. Eligible veterinarian shortage situation years will be specified in the request for application (RFA).

(2) [Reserved].

(a) Education, Extension, and Training. The purpose of the proposed activities must be to substantially relieve rural veterinarian shortage situations, or facilitate or support veterinary practices engaged in public health activities, in the U.S.

(b) Rural practice enhancement. The purpose will be to support the development and provision of veterinary services to substantially relieve designated rural veterinarian shortage situations in the U.S. Funds may be used to establish or expand veterinary practices, including:

(1) Equipping veterinary offices;

(2) Sharing in the reasonable overhead costs of such veterinary practices, as determined by the Secretary; or

(3) Establishing mobile veterinary facilities in which a portion of the facilities will address education or extension needs.

(a) Construction. Funds made available for grants under this subpart shall not be used for the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility, including site grading and improvement, and architect fees.

(b) Indirect costs. Subject to § 3430.54, indirect costs are allowable for Education, Extension and Training grants. For Rural Practice Enhancement grants, indirect costs are not allowable; however, overhead costs may be requested, not to exceed 50 percent of the award.

There are no matching requirements for grants under this subpart.

In selecting recipients of Education, Extension and Training grants, preference will be given to applications providing documentation of coordination with other qualified entities.

(a) Terms of service requirement. Regardless of award amount, Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grant recipients must commit to spending three years mitigating the veterinarian service shortage applied for, at the full time equivalent percentage described in the shortage nomination forms corresponding to each designated shortage situation. Except in certain extenuating circumstances which NIFA determines to be beyond a grant recipient's control, the three-year term of service must be completed in accordance with all terms and conditions of the award agreement. In the event a recipient feels extenuating circumstances are preventing, or will prevent, him/her from meeting the service obligation, the grantee must contact NIFA for guidance.

(b) Breach. If a RPE grant recipient fails to complete the period of obligated service incurred under the service agreement, that recipient may be subject to repayment or partial repayment of the grant funds, with interest, to the United States.

(c) Waiver. The Secretary may grant a waiver of the repayment obligation for breach of contract if the Secretary determines that such qualified entity demonstrates extreme hardship or extreme need.

The term of a grant under this subpart may not exceed 5 years. The duration of individual awards may vary as specified in the RFA and is subject to the availability of appropriations.