Federal capacity funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provide vital support for a broad base of critically important research and extension programs that address local, state, and national issues.

Funds appropriated under the Hatch Act are to be used to conduct original research contributing to the agricultural industry in the United States. Projects are usually 5-year research plans with significant and attainable impacts that contribute to the overall mission of NMSU ACES and USDA-NIFA.

Prior to developing a capacity project, faculty should work with their department head in the research planning process.

Project directors of both capacity and competitive projects are required to enter and submit project data to NIFA.

A NIFA capacity-funded project is any agricultural research project which is supported by dollars from one of the following five programs:

• Hatch (1862 LGUs only)
• Hatch Multistate (1862 LGUs only)
• McIntire-Stennis
• Animal Health
• Renewable Resources Extension

*Please keep in mind that Multistate projects need to be maintained in REEport and NIMSS. The two systems do not link together and approval and reporting need to be completed in both systems.*