The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The act contains the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF), which creates opportunities for Missouri to respond to the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 through investments in higher education and workforce development. The fund is administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and its allowable uses are described in final rule and overview documents. For more information on SLFRF and other related ARPA funds, please visit the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The General Assembly has appropriated funding to the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development for two new grant programs, which are listed below. For more information, please visit the Missouri ARPA website. You can also view the scoring rubrics, request for proposals, recommendations, and proposal summaries.
Agriculture Innovation & Workforce Development Grant
The Agriculture Innovation & Workforce Development awards will fund projects that implement agriculture innovation and workforce development programs that directly address negative economic impacts on agriculture production, the food or labor supply chain, or agriculture input.
Fourteen proposals were submitted, requesting a total of $21,708,407. Scoring of proposals was completed by staff at the Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development mad the Department of Agriculture. The following list shows the proposals that were approved for funding by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education
| Institution | Proposal Title | Funding Request |
|---|---|---|
| State Technical College of Missouri | Agriculture Technology Center - Phase A, Agriculture Demonstration Farm | $2,000,000 |
| Northwest Missouri State University | Growing Missouri's Dairy Industry Workforce | $1,235,000 |
| University of Central Missouri | Agricultural Certifications to Meet Modern Workforce and Industry Demands | $2,000,000 |
| Missouri State University | Agricultural Innovation Hub | $2,000,000 |
| University of Missouri - Columbia | National Center for Applied Reproduction and Genomics (NCARG) | $2,000,000 |
| Missouri University of Science & Technology | Helping the Agricultural Workforce Harness the Remote-Sensing Data Explosion | $765,000 |
Private MoExcels Grant
Private MoExcels awards will fund projects that allow institutions to reach and serve new populations and to enhance support for underrepresented students in order to give individuals the opportunity to train for entrepreneurship and other in-demand occupations.
Seventeen proposals were submitted, requesting a total of $10,737,793.01. Scoring of proposals was completed by staff at the Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development and the Department of Economic Development. The following list shows the proposals that were approved for funding by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.
| Institutions | Proposal Title | Funding Request |
|---|---|---|
| Rockhurst University | Workforce Development in STEMM + Education | $652,000.00 |
| Webster University | The Impact Center | $428,062.00 |
| Saint Louis University | TGI Academy: Taylor Geospatial Institute Advanced Computing, Analytics, and Big Data Education for Missouri | $1,000,000.00 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Preparing and Credentialing Employees for Tomorrow (PACE for Tomorrow) | $860,833.00 |
| The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | Creating a Center for Equity in Health & Pharmacy Careers | $473,524.00 |
| College of the Ozarks | Entrepreneurship, Work Education, and Workforce Development | $1,000,000.00 |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis | Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) Workforce Development | $324,000.00 |
| Webster University | Building the Education Workforce through Simulation Technology (BEWST) | $105,350.00 |
| Park University | Boosting State Economic Recovery through Adult Learner Pathways to Careers in Health Care | $999,508.00 |
| Central Methodist University | Health Care Professions Programs: Recruiting and Retaining Students for Missouri's Future | $175,000.00 |
| Fontbonne University | Retaining and Growing a Diverse Missouri Healthcare Workforce through an Interprofessional Living Learning Community | $1,000,000.00 |
| Lindenwood University | Community Paramedicine Enhancement Project (CPE2P) | $134,612.00 |
| Missouri Valley College | The Julien School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Missouri Valley College | $578,839.00 |
| Westminster College | Westminster Online | $499,822.00 |
| Drury University | A Workforce Ready to Tackle the Healthcare Shortage | $1,000,000.00 |
| Ranken Technical College | Mobile Technology Education Classroom 4.0 | $510,176.64 |
| William Woods University | Project CLEAR (Creating Leadership & Entrepreneurship Action & Response) | $258,273.36 |