January 2024

VMLRP and VSGP Request for Applications

USDA/NIFA listening session

On January 24, 2024, USDA-NIFA will host a stakeholder listening session from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST regarding administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP). The objectives of the programs are to help veterinarians offset educational debt in return for food animal veterinary services, to ensure food animal veterinary services are available in priority shortage situation areas, and to support training of veterinary students, interns, and residents. The virtual listening session will be held on January 24, 2024 beginning at 11 AM and ending at 3:00 PM EST. Register now for the listening session here.

Appropriations for FY 2024-2025

The federal government is currently in a Continuing Resolution (CR) broken into two expiration dates. Congressional leaders reached an agreement over the weekend on another two-tier, short-term continuing resolution (CR) to extend federal funding. If passed, funding for the Department of Agriculture– and three other federal spending bills will be extended through March 1st. Funding for the remaining eight bills will last until March 8th

Last week, congressional leadership reached an agreement on topline spending for the remainder of FY 2024. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced in a joint statement that they have "secured $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary funding." In a Dear Colleague Letter to House members, Speaker Johnson (R-LA) maintained that the topline levels are consistent with the statutory levels of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (P.L. 118-5). More information about this can be found here.

Administration speeds up loan forgiveness plan

The Biden Administration Department of Education announced that it was speeding up the start of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which would offer a faster path to debt cancellation for those with student loan debt mainly under $12,000. More information can be found here.

2024 USDA Teaching Awards Request for Applications

USDA NIFA has opened the nomination process for the 2024 USDA Excellence in Teaching Awards. To find information about the awards, please click here. Learn more about the 2024 Award Guidelines here. Nominees may find this webinar helpful when thinking about how to prepare their nomination packets. The submission deadline is April 15th, 2024. 

Grants Support Technical Assistance Workshop

USDA NIFA’s second annual grants support technical assistance workshop is scheduled for March 4-8, 2024. Register here.

Advocacy Letters



The AAVMC continues to work closely with a wide array of organizations that share our interests in supporting the advancement of academic veterinary medicine, food security and public health. The letters below reflect some of that recent activity.

• Letter to Congress regarding FY 2024 funding
• FY25 USDA REE community support letter
• Short-Term Pell Bill
• Letter in support of the Advancing Cutting Edge Agriculture Act (ACE Act)
• Comments on Department of Labor Overtime Rule

AAVMC Government Affairs



Please contact: Kevin Cain, Director for Government Affairs at kcain@aavmc.org or 202-371-9195 (ext. 117) with any comments, questions and suggestions about our program.

AAVMC Newsletters

The AAVMC is working hard to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in every dimension of academic veterinary medicine. To foster this goal, the photographs and illustrations which are used in our communications programs are aspirational, and do not necessarily reflect the levels of diversity and inclusion that currently exist.

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