Refine Results
Priority Areas
Consortia
Program
Location
Year

FFAR Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey Announces Retirement 

Krysta Harden Joins FFAR Board of Directors 

FFAR Vet Fellows Third Cohort 

Year Awarded  2021

Total award amount   $10,000 per student

Location   Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders   American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) announced the 14 recipients of the 2021 Veterinary Student Research Fellowships (Vet Fellows) in partnership with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). This fellowship creates opportunities for veterinary students to pursue research on global food security and sustainable animal production.

FFAR Awards Third Cohort of Vet Fellows 

Rapid Response to Coffee Leaf Rust 

Year Awarded  2021

FFAR award amount   $150,000

Total award amount   $431,103

Location   Hilo, HI

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   The Hawaii Coffee Association, Hawaii Coffee Growers Association, The Maui Coffee Association, Purdue University, United Ka'u Farmers Cooperative , The Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Grantee Institution   Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council

Coffee leaf rust disease is threatening the Hawaii coffee industry, the state’s second top commodity. Caused by the emerging Hemileia vastatrix fungus, coffee leaf rust attacks the leaves of coffee trees, ultimately reducing coffee trees’ yields. To address this threat, Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council researchers are investigating the fungus and developing tactics to mitigate its spread.

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Christina Grozinger 

Year Awarded  2021

Total award amount   $100,000

Location   State College, PA

Matching Funders   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution   Penn State University

Dr. Christina Grozinger was awarded the 2021 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research for research seeking to understand the primary factors driving declines in wild and managed bee populations. She is working to develop approaches that can be used to support bees in urban, agricultural and natural landscapes. The Grozinger Lab uses an integrative approach encompassing genomics, physiology, behavior, chemical ecology and ecology.

FFAR Grant Enhances Dairy Industry Sustainability 

FFAR Awards $2 Million Grant to Improve Sustainability in Corn Production 

Year Awarded  2021

FFAR award amount   $2,044,214

Total award amount   $4,089,857

Location   Ames, IA

Matching Funders   Iowa State University, Bayer Crop Science, The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Purdue University and Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Grantee Institution   Iowa State University

Maize breeding programs have increased corn yields over the years by altering plant characteristics (traits). Yet, our knowledge on which traits have been changed is limited while their impact on sustainability is relatively unknown. Led by Dr. Sotirios Archontoulis, Iowa State University researchers are examining corn hybrid characteristics at an unprecedented scale to analyze yield trends in the U.S. Corn Belt, which includes most of the Midwest.

Accelerating Breeding Technology to Develop New Crops 

Year Awarded  2021

FFAR award amount   $385,512

Total award amount   $535,512

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Accelerated Crop Breeding

Matching Funders   Limagrain Europe

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Editing a plant’s genes can help the plant thrive during drought, extreme heat and other climate change-related crises. While this technology is key to future food security, it is expensive and relies on time-consuming tissue culturing – putting it out of reach of smaller labs. Due to the expense, gene editing is almost exclusively used on major crops such as corn. Researchers are developing accessible gene editing technology that also allows faster plant growth.

FFAR Accelerates Breeding Technology to Develop New Crops 

ID: GIR-0000000003