Our rigorous scientific review process includes External Peer Reviewers and Advisory Councils Reviewers to ensure we fund bold science addressing big challenges.
Each Challenge Area has an Advisory Council, comprised of scientists, farmers and industry experts. Council members review research applications and offer recommendations based on a proposal’s merit, alignment with our priorities, potential impact and the Challenge Area’s portfolio balance. The Councils also advise staff on program development, implementation and potential partnerships.
Council members are selected from a competitive pool of applicants nominated through an open solicitation. Each council member serves two- or three-year terms. The Councils meet virtually three times a year. Some Advisory Councils appoint a chair; the names of the Council Chairs are bolded in the list below.
Learn more about our review process
- Soil Health Advisory Council Members
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Maria Bowman, USDA ARS
Chad Ellis, Texas Ag Land Trust
Nick Goeser, ASABE
Jeff Goodwin, Texas A&M University
Britt Lundgren, Stonyfield Farm Inc.
Bianca Mobius Clune, American Farmland Trust
Steven Rosenzweig, General Mills
Michael Vance, Stark Ranch
Michelle Wander, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Sustainable Water Management Advisory Council Members
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Bill Alley, National Ground Water Association
L. Jason Krutz, Mississippi State University
John Pierson, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Jim Eckberg, General Mills
Stephen Smith, Wade Water LLC
Daniel Sonke, Blue Diamond Growers
- Next Generation Crops Advisory Council Members
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Gregory Goins, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Priscila Henriquez, Independent
Evy Jaconis, American Pulse Association
Jim Kirkwood, Independent
Jeff Lakner, Independent
Philip Pardey, University of Minnesota
Adrian Percy, NC State University
John Phillips, First Americans Land Grant Consortium and American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Katy Rainey, Purdue University
Amber Sciligo, The Organic Center
- Advanced Animal Systems Advisory Council Members
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Lisa Becton, National Pork Board
Sebastian Belle, Maine Aquaculture Association
Barry Bradford, Michgian State University
Brooke Humphrey, Phibro Animal Health
Gary McMurray, Georgia Institute of Technology
Don Ritter, Mountaire Farms
Hongwei Xin, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Joao Costa, University of Kentucky
Raghavendra Amachawadi, Kansas State University
Debbie Bouchard, University of Maine
Candace Croney, Purdue University
- Urban Food Systems Advisory Council Members
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Luis Bettencourt, Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, University of Chicago
Kate Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald-Canepa, LLC
Mike Hamm, Michigan State University
Andrew Harig, Food Marketing Institute
Dean Kopsell, University of Florida
Erin McDonald, New York City Mayor’s Office
Ronda Rutledge, Sustainable Food Center
Gary Stutte, SyNRGE
Ashley Zanolli , Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ReFED: Rethink Food Waste
- Health-Agriculture Nexus Advisory Council Members
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Ann Beaulieu, AgroFresh
Kitty Cardwell, National Institute of Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, Oklahoma State University; Advisory Council Chair
Katy Franklin, ReFED
Emily Engelhard, Feeding America
Rosetta Newsome, Consultant
Lorrene Ritchie, Nutrition Policy Institute and Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
Brian Roe, Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University
- AgMission Advisory Council Members
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Dorn Cox, Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment
Rob Trice, The Mixing Bowl
John Reilly, MIT
Ranveer Chandra, Microsoft Azure Global
Jim Krogmeier, Purdue University
Jane Zelikova, Colorado State University, Soil Carbon Solutions Center
Stephen Wood, The Nature Conservancy
Andy Knepp, Corteva Agriscience
John Mesko, Potato Sustainability Alliance
Lauren Brey, Edge Dairy Cooperative
Sara Place, Elanco
Matt Russell, Iowa Farm Service Agency
A.G. Kawamura, Orange County Produce LLC