Awarded Grants
Below is a listing of our awarded grants that tackle big food and agriculture challenges.

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6 Grants found

An Integrated Approach to Improve Whole Herd Pig Survivability

Automated Computer Vision System for Tracking Individual Pig Activity and Locomotion in Nursery/Finisher Group Housing

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Stolen Kiss – an advanced breeding solution for the animal welfare trait of genetic castration

Impacts of the Rearing Environment on Keel Bone Integrity, Spatial Awareness Abilities of Laying Hens

A Practical Phenotypic Solution to Reduce Keel & Skeletal Bone Damage in Laying Hens

Addressing keel bone fractures in laying hens housed in cage-free aviary systems using nutrition and management interventions

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An Integrated Approach to Improve Whole Herd Pig Survivability

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $999,772

Total award amount   $1,999,772

Location   Des Moines, IA

Matching Funders   National Pork Board

Grantee Institution   National Pork Board

An estimated 30-35 percent of pigs die before reaching the market and mortality rates are increasing. An interdisciplinary team is studying the causes of swine mortality on commercial farms and finding methods to improve pig survivability.

Automated Computer Vision System for Tracking Individual Pig Activity and Locomotion in Nursery/Finisher Group Housing

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $49,999

Total award amount   $99,998

Location   Des Moines, IA

Matching Funders   University of Nebraska

Grantee Institution   National Pork Board

Technological advances allow livestock producers to capture unprecedented amounts of data about pigs in their care. An interdisciplinary team is developing technology that continually tracks individual pigs and logs information about their activities for future analysis and selection.

Stolen Kiss – an advanced breeding solution for the animal welfare trait of genetic castration

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $499,443

Total award amount   $514,675

Location   St. Paul, MN

Matching Funders   DNA Genetics LLC and Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   Recombinetics, Inc.

Male piglets are castrated to improve the quality of meat for consumers, but this practice is also a concerning animal welfare issue. Recombinetics/Acceligen and Hendrix Genetics are using a genome editing method to create swine that remain in a pre-pubertal state, thus eliminating the need for surgical castration. The project aims to eliminate the need for surgical castration and improve animal health, management and meat quality.

Impacts of the Rearing Environment on Keel Bone Integrity, Spatial Awareness Abilities of Laying Hens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $215,999

Total award amount   $431,999

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Keel, or breastbone fractures are a prevalent concern when raising hens in cage-free housing systems. University of California, Davis researchers are exploring the impacts of poultry housing design, particularly vertical space, on the prevalence of keel bone injuries in egg-laying hens.

A Practical Phenotypic Solution to Reduce Keel & Skeletal Bone Damage in Laying Hens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $243,296

Total award amount   $486,594

Location   Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Matching Funders   Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   University of Edinburgh

Keel, or breastbone fractures, which cause pain and decrease egg production, are a challenge to raising hens in cage-free housing systems. To improve the health and productivity of egg-laying hens and prevent these fractures, University of Edinburgh researchers are developing an x-ray-based measurement system for on-farm use to breed hens with stronger bones.  

Addressing keel bone fractures in laying hens housed in cage-free aviary systems using nutrition and management interventions

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $490,093

Total award amount   $490,093

Location   West Lafayette, IN

Matching Funders   Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   Purdue University

Keel, or breastbone fractures are painful and decrease egg production and are a common concern for cage-free hens. Purdue University researchers are assessing the impact of nutritional interventions on the gut microbiome and testing management interventions to reduce keel bone fractures in laying hens housed in cage-free systems.