Grants Archive

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

Advancing methods for accelerated heat tolerance selection in peanut

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $274,754

Total award amount $549,507

Location Athens, GA

Program Increasing Climate Resilience in Crops

Matching Funders Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution University of Georgia

Peanut is a high-protein food crop grown mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, and it is directly threatened by increasing global temperature. This research is studying multiple peanut genotypes and varieties to identify genes, molecular mechanisms and photosynthetic processes related to heat stress and tolerance. The researchers are developing an automated model, the Peanut-ThermoTool, to indicate heat tolerance in peanut and rank genotypes for heat tolerance, predicting their capabilities to function during and recover after a period of heat stress. The genotypes possessing heat-tolerance traits will be available in the germplasm collection, serving as genetic resources for heat tolerance in breeding programs.

Exploiting conserved gene regulation mechanisms for genome-wide breeding for heat & broad-spectrum disease tolerance in rice

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $470,459

Total award amount $940,917

Location Fort Collins, CO

Program Increasing Climate Resilience in Crops

Matching Funders Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution Colarado State University

Developing heat and disease resistant crop varieties takes a long time, particularly because these traits are complex and controlled by multiple genes. In addition, reliable genetic markers identifying relevant traits are not readily available, making breeding more challenging. This research is developing a strategy to generate reliable markers of stress-response DNA sequences to efficiently activate genes involved in heat tolerance and disease defenses in rice. The genetic markers could be applied in any crop breeding program, whether in low- or high-income countries.

The Real-time Pen-side Detection of Bovine Respiratory Disease by Chemical Analysis

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $151,082

Total award amount $302,164

Location Beltsville, MD

Matching Funders VRCS, Trace VOC, LLC,

Grantee Institution USDA-ARS

USDA-ARS researchers are analyzing gases emitted from cattle’s breath, known as volatile organic compounds (VOC), to identify signatures associated with early-stage BRD infection. This will enable researchers to develop models and a real-time classifier for disease detection, informing antimicrobial use and other interventions to preserve animal health.

Field-deployable biosensors for antibiotic stewardship

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $250,000

Total award amount $500,000

Location Lafeyette, IN

Matching Funders Tyson Foods, Purdue University, McDonalds, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, LLC, Cactus Operating, LLC

Grantee Institution Purdue University

BRD treatment strategies are complicated by the emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. Purdue University researchers are developing a pen-side biosensor that uses DNA amplification to identify genetic markers of antibiotic resistance.

A rapid chute-side antibiotic resistance detection tool to improve antimicrobial stewardship and optimize risk management while controlling bovine respiratory disease

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $301,416

Total award amount $602,833

Location College Station, TX

Matching Funders Texas A&M University, Next Generation Biotech, Five Rivers, Cactus Feeders

Grantee Institution Texas A&M University

This research is developing a rapid handheld diagnostic to evaluate antibiotic resistance in samples from feedyard cattle suffering from bovine respiratory disease (BRD), an ailment that costs U.S. producers approximately $1 billion annually. Information on the resistance of pathogens to different antimicrobials will enable the selection of appropriate treatment strategies for optimal health outcomes, minimizing potential public health consequences.

Predictive model development to promote science- based, strategic metaphylaxis administration in beef operations

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $213,637

Total award amount $427,268

Location Manhattan, KS

Matching Funders Veterinary and Research Consulting Services, Microsoft, Innovative Livestock Services, Hy Plains Feedyard, BeefAlliance / Five Rivers Cattle Feeding

Grantee Institution Kansas State University

Kansas State University is using the ICASA grant to develop a predictive model that informs metaphylaxis decision-making. White is developing machine learning predictive models to determine cattle’s BRD risk by combining many sources of information available at the time of feedyard placement.

Development of a science-based management strategy to reduce the use of antimicrobials in high-risk beef cattle

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $200,000

Total award amount $400,000

Location Lubbock, TX

Matching Funders Texas Tech University

Grantee Institution Texas Tech University

A prevalent and economically consequential disease affecting cattle is bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which affects about 20 percent of cattle and costs producers $800-900 million annually. A common approach to controlling BRD is metaphylaxis, in which a group of animals receive antibiotics simultaneously to manage the disease in a population. This research is developing a science-based management strategy that administers metaphalyaxis to only the animals that need treatment.

A Novel Platform Technology for Biologicals with Antimicrobial & Regenerative Properties Based on the Stem Cell Repertoire of Secreted Biomolecules

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $642,202

Total award amount $1,400,000

Location Ithaca, NY

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders New York Farm Viability Institute, Elanco

Grantee Institution Cornell University

Mastitis, a common and costly udder infection in dairy cattle is a major economic problem for dairy farmers. Cornell University researchers are exploring compounds secreted by stem cells as a potential therapy for mastitis.

Sustainable Production of High-Performance Feed Supplements

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $653,035

Total award amount $1,410,000

Location St. Paul, MN

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders Launch Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, private equity financing and Sasya, Inc.

Grantee Institution University of Minnesota

As consumer demand for animal protein increases, meat producers are under tremendous pressure to increase productivity, while maintaining profitability. As a result, many producers rely on feed supplements to encourage faster growth, reduce disease and improve feed efficiency. This Seeding Solutions grant awarded to Sasya, Inc. supports the development of sustainable, cost-effective, multi-species feed supplements that are safe for livestock, the environment and human consumption.

FFAR Grant to Develop Vaccine for Tilapia Lake Virus

Year Awarded 2021

FFAR award amount $790,326

Total award amount $1,830,312

Location Gainesville, FL

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders Curtiss Healthcare

Grantee Institution University of Florida

Tilapia provides protein for billions of people each year. These fish are under threat from tilapia lake virus, a highly contagious virus that causes high mortality rates among tilapia and poses a global threat to food security. University of Florida researchers are developing a vaccine delivery system that will prevent the spread of tilapia lake virus and other diseases in the aquaculture industry.

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

193 Grants found

Unlocking Avian Flu Resistance: Investigating Genetic Resilience in Fayoumi & Commercial Chickens

Development & Evaluation of Precision-guided Sterile Insect Technique (pgSIT) Strains for Biotechnology-enhanced Control of Screwworm

Decreasing pulmonary-associated mortality in feedlot cattle using refined case definitions and predictive analytics: emphasizing acute interstitial pneumonia and late day BRD

Lungs as a potential source and relationships of ruminal, colonic & fecal concentrations of fusobacterium necrophorum to liver abscesses in feedlot cattle

Antimicrobial resistance & use tracking through swine production flows on farms in the upper Midwest of the US

Protecting the U.S. Dairy and Poultry Industries: Utilizing Ultraviolet Technology to Mitigate Airborne Transmission of Avian Influenza

BPI3Vc-vectored Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) Subunit Vaccine

Understanding HPAI Transmission Risk on Dairy Farms

Addressing Red Crown Rot in Soybeans

Developing a Decontamination Strategy for HPAI-Infected Milk

Protecting Cattle from Asian Longhorned Tick

Pangenome-based Identification of Genetic Variants Conferring Stress Resistance in Tomato Wild Relatives, and Efficient Transfer to Cultivated Tomato

Applied Innovation of Myoinositol to Improve Cattle Fertility & Sustainability of Cattle Production Systems

Development of Prevention, Detection and Response Strategies for the Asian Longhorned Tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis)

Transforming Dairy Cattle Lameness Management through a Combination of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Video Analytics & Genomic, Epidemiological & Extension Approaches

Ten H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Awards

Japanese Encephalitis Virus Program Six Awards

FFAR Vet Fellows Seventh Cohort

Unearthing Maize Genes for Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency & AMF Synergy

Accelerating Perennial Crop Development Through Phenomic & Genomic Selection Applied in Pre-breeding & Advanced Breeding Stages

Accelerating Coffee Breeding Through Developing Tools to Screen for Critical Disease & Pest Resistance

Development of a Vaccine for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Virus in Cattle

Decision Tools Help Producers Analyze Cost of Swine Mortality for Operations Improvement

FFAR Rapid Funding Develops Pest Management Program for Sweet Corn

FFAR Rapid Research Develops H5N1 Waste Stream Surveillance Tool

A multiplexed chemical sensor system to automate non-invasive, in-ovo sex determination for the poultry industry

Leveraging landrace genomics to rapidly engineer thermotolerant cassava

Using novel genes from wild germplasm to boost protein content in cultivated chickpea

Genetic and microbial determinants of nitrogen fixation in a Sierra Mixe landrace of maize

Improving Fiber Hemp Quality Through Enhanced Retting Probiotics & Appropriate Harvest Timing

Improving Hemp Quality Through Harvest Timing & Enhanced Processing

Major enhancement of U.S. swine industry preparedness and responses to large-scale infectious foreign animal diseases through harmonizing biosecurity plans and advancing interpretable machine learning

Addressing On-Farm Bird Flu Outbreaks Linked to Wild Waterfowl

Rapid Response to Novel Resistance-Breaking Strain of Pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum in Cultivated Strawberry

Grant Improves Stress Tolerance in Carrots

Novel Tools for Engineering Apomixis in Soybean

FFAR Vet Fellows Sixth Cohort

Understanding Plant Parasitic Nematode Virulence Mechanisms: A Valuable Approach to Expedite Breeding Durable & Broad-spectrum Crop Resistance

Novel Biobased Antiviral Treatments for Bee Pollinator Health

International Lettuce Genomics Consortium 4: Pre-competitive Foundational Research for Lettuce Breeding

Decreasing Pulmonary-Associated Mortality in Feedlot Cattle Using Refined Case Definitions & Predictive Analytics, Emphasizing Acute Interstitial Pneumonia & Late Day BRD

Metabolomic analysis of blood plasma to identify unique biomarkers indicative of liver abscesses

Associations between feeding & management practices of beef-on-dairy cattle from birth to harvest with liver abscesses

Promoting antimicrobial stewardship through improved understanding of how feedlot cattle are classified based on BRD risk

FFAR Rapid Research Builds Diagnostic Tools & Vaccine for Avian Metapneumovirus

FFAR Research to Protect Vegetable Crops from Invasive Pest

Protecting Vegetable Crops from Invasive Pests

A Novel Cell-Surface-Receptor Strategy for Mitigating Mycotoxins

Modeling for genomic, blood & microbiological markers for liver abscesses in fed beef cattle

Understanding liver abscess pathogenesis & risk-factors of feedlot cattle reared in conventional beef versus dairy management systems

ICASA: Defining the contribution of acidosis to the liver abscess complex using novel challenge model to delineate impacts of diet composition and feeding management on liver abscess pathogenesis

Acoustic Monitoring to Support Mass Cattle Treatment Decisions

An International Collaboration for Combating Fusarium Wilt in Cotton

Elucidating the Genetic Basis for Sub-Tropical Flowering in Hemp

Breeding & Characterizing New Cultivars of Grain & Fiber Hemp

Integrating Genomics, Milk Spectrometry & Microbial Manipulations to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions from Dairy Cattle

Hydrogen Production and Hydrogen Utilization in the Rumen of Beef & Dairy Cattle: Key Rumen Microbiome Measurements to Understand Mechanisms Controlling Methanogenesis & Mitigating Enteric Methane Emissions

Evaluation of the Efficacy, Agronomic Fit & Environmental Fate of Biopesticides for Management of Economically Important Diseases & Arthropod Pests of Hemp

A holistic approach to improving keel bone health of breeders and commercial layer hens

Developing Tomato Lines Resistant to Broomrape, a Critical World-wide Pest

Enabling African Scientists: The African Plant Breeding Academy CRISPR Course

Development of Novel Methanogenesis Inhibitors in Ruminants

Investigating Natural Nitro-Compounds as a Viable Strategy to Reduce Enteric Methane Emission from Ruminants

Grant Investigates Naturally Occurring Compound to Reduce Enteric Methane Emissions

FFAR Vet Fellows Fifth Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Fourth Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Third Cohort

Validation of Efficacy of a Protective DIVA-Compatible Prototype African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine

Field trial of gene-edited rice for drought tolerance

Identifying Proteins Required for Immunity to ASFV

Analyzing the Efficacy of Live-vectored Prototype ASFV Subunit Vaccines

Assessment of the Available Literature & Gap Analysis on the Use of Industrial Hemp as an Animal Feed

Multistate Characterization of Agronomic Performance of Hemp Cultivars, Including Sterility of New Triploid Cultivars

Impact of Spectra & Intensity of LED Supplemental Lighting on Morphology, Growth, Flower Yield & Phytochemical Content of Cannabis Sativa

Breeding & Genetics of Disease Resistance, Flowering Time & Cannabinoid Content in Hemp

Analysis of Terpenes & Neutral Cannabinoids Using Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry & Genotyping of Hemp Using the SureSelect System

FFAR Grant Promotes Sorghum Health Benefits

ICASA: Antimicrobial Use Monitoring and Benchmarking in U.S. Feedyards

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