Grants Archive

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

A Microchip-based Chemical Sensor For Early-Stage in Ovo Sex Determination of Layer Chicks

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $400,000

Total award amount $400,000

Location Davis, CA

Program Egg-Tech Prize

Matching Funders Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution SensIT Ventures

As only female chicks are used for egg production, male chicks are culled after hatching. FFAR's Egg-Tech Prize is developing technology that can determine a chick’s sex before it hatches so male egg can be used for other purposes. SensIT Venture Inc. researchers are developing a chemical sensor chip to detect the volatiles and using machine learning to classify the eggs by gender. This project is one of the six Phase I winners, who received funding to develop the necessary technology to compete for the Prize.

Innovative Techniques for Fast in Ovo Sexing in Poultry By Detection of Gender Specific Volatiles

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $316,370

Total award amount $650,842

Location Leuven, Belgium

Program Egg-Tech Prize

Matching Funders Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution KU Leuven

As only female chicks are used for egg production, male chicks are culled after hatching. FFAR's Egg-Tech Prize is developing technology that can determine a chick’s sex before it hatches so male egg can be used for other purposes. KU Leuven scientists are developing a non-invasive ovo sexing technique that registers volatile organic compounds passing that pass through the eggshell during incubation. This project is one of the six Phase I winners, who received funding to develop the necessary technology to compete for the Prize.

Multidimensional Spectral Mapping for Sex Determination of Avian Eggs

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $269,030

Total award amount $457,919

Location Morrisville, NC

Program Egg-Tech Prize

Matching Funders Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution Microscale Devices LLC

As only female chicks are used for egg production, male chicks are culled after hatching. FFAR's Egg-Tech Prize is developing technology that can determine a chick’s sex before it hatches so male egg can be used for other purposes. Researchers at Microsale Devices LLC are using multidimensional spectral mapping technology that shoots waves of light at the egg and detects the refracted light patterns. Artificial intelligence will be employed to develop an optical fingerprint, or signature, that can determine the sex of eggs. This project is one of the six Phase I winners, who received funding to develop the necessary technology to compete for the Prize.

Orbem.ai: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Meets Artificial Intelligence for Automated and Non-invasive in Ovo Sex Determination

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $400,000

Total award amount $1,149,911

Location Munich, Germany

Program Egg-Tech Prize

Matching Funders Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution Orbem AI

As only female chicks are used for egg production, male chicks are culled after hatching. FFAR's Egg-Tech Prize is developing technology that can determine a chick’s sex before it hatches so male egg can be used for other purposes. Scientists at Orbem Ai are developing specialized technology to examine the organ development of embryos and detect physical differences between the males and females. This project is one of the six Phase I winners, who received funding to develop the necessary technology to compete for the Prize.

Rapid and Non-invasive Egg Sex Indentification Using Artficially Intelligent Platform

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $400,000

Total award amount $400,000

Location Minneapolis, MN

Program Egg-Tech Prize

Matching Funders Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution University of Minnesota

As only female chicks are used for egg production, male chicks are culled after hatching. FFAR's Egg-Tech Prize is developing technology that can determine a chick’s sex before it hatches so male egg can be used for other purposes. A University of Minnesota researcher is analyzing 3D scanner to analyze the geometric shape of the eggs and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to identify the sex of the egg. This project is one of the six Phase I winners, who received funding to develop the necessary technology to compete for the Prize.

Spatializing the Environmental Impacts of U.S. Dairy Supply Chains

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $65,000

Total award amount $130,000

Location Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders Walton Family Foundation, McDonald's

Grantee Institution World Wildlife Fund

Dairy farming and milk production, although essential to the agricultural economy, release greenhouse gas emissions and impact local water bodies. University of Minnesota’s NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NorthStar) researchers are developing localized research models to identify local solutions that improve efficiency and environmental sustainability, information on environmental impacts.

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

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $150,000

Total award amount $300,000

Location Knoxville, TN

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders University of Tennessee

Grantee Institution University of Tennessee Institute for Agriculture

The increasing prevalence of the invasive longhorn tick threatens American farmers, livestock, companion animals and wildlife. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers are mapping the tick's spread and developing response strategies to protect farmers, ranchers and their animals.

Evaluation of feed additives to mitigate the risk of viral-contaminated feed to pigs

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $150,000

Total award amount $300,000

Location Pipestone, MN

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders ADM Animal Nutrition, Antiox, Kemin Industries, PMI Nutrition Additives, Swine Health Information Center

Grantee Institution Pipestone Veterinary Services

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus and Seneca Valley A (SVA) are deadly swine diseases that can spread through contaminated animal feed. Pipestone Applied Research is testing ten commercially available disease mitigants, or feed additives, to assess whether these mitigants can deactivate these and other swine diseases.

Addressing future global dairy demand: Targeting the gut-liver axis to promote heat stress resilience in dairy cattle

Year Awarded 2019

FFAR award amount $736,392

Total award amount $1,470,000

Location Ithaca, NY

Matching Funders AB Vista, Adisseo, Balchem Corporation, Berg + Schmidt, Elanco, Phibro Animal Health, Vetagro

Grantee Institution Cornell University

Heat-stressed dairy cows cost the American dairy industry an alarming $1.5 billion annually. Dairy cows are unable to efficiently produce milk when their body temperatures rise above normal. Heat-stress is also associated with reduced fertility and increases in diseases. Cornell University researchers are identifying nutrition-based solutions that improves dairy cows’ ability to adapt to extreme heat.

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Research: Elizabeth Ainsworth

Year Awarded 2019

Total award amount $100,000

Location Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution USDA-ARS

Dr. Elizabeth Ainsworth, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service researcher and adjunct professor at the School of Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois, is the 2019 recipient of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences. Ainsworth’s pioneering research focuses on how the world will eat in the face of climate change and other threats.

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

158 Grants found

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

Antimicrobial Use Monitoring & Benchmarking in U.S. Feedyards

Investigating waterless decontamination and application potential in transportation biosecurity

What is the cost of disease for grow-finish producers?

FFAR Vet Fellows Sixth Cohort

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

High-throughput in-ovo sexing of chicken eggs using hyperspectral imaging & Raman spectroscopy

Project Ella

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

Field trial of rice gene-edited rice for drought tolerance

Elucidating the genetic basis for sub-tropical flowering in hemp

Breeding and Characterizing New Cultivars of Grain and 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

Using sensors & psychological profile to increase compliance of wean to market barn biosecurity

Development of an effective & practical biosecurity entrance system

Self-vaccinating pigs to save labor, improve efficacy & enhance biosecurity: Mhp, IAV, Ileitis & Erysipelas evaluations

Comparison of a rail-mounted automated power washer to a commercial manual power washing crew in terms of cleanliness, manpower & water usage efficiency

Determining the economical & epidemiological benefit of cleaning & disinfecting market haul trailers within the U.S. swine industry

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

Using the power of functional genomics and genetics to reduce keel bone damage

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

Grant Improves Stress Tolerance in Carrots

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

Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Round One Projects

Plant-XR: A New Generation of Breeding Tools for Extra-Resilient Crops

Identifying Proteins Required for Immunity to ASFV

Analyzing the Efficacy of Live-vectored Prototype ASFV Subunit Vaccines

Fast Tracking Climate Solutions from Global Germplasm Banks

Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize & Wheat for Improved Livelihoods

Harnessing Translational Research Across a Global Wheat Improvement Network for Climate Resilience

Assessment of the Available Literature and 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 and intensity of LED supplemental lighting on morphology, growth, flower yield, and phytochemical content of Cannabis Sativa

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

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

FlockFocus Camera-Based Technology Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare

FFAR Grant Promotes Sorghum Health Benefits

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

ICASA: Liver abscesses in feedlot cattle; further delineation of the etiology and pathogenesis

ICASA: Fecal microbiota transplant to reduce post-weaning diarrhea and antibiotic use

ICASA: Novel Strategies to Improve Understanding of Liver Abscess Formation and Mitigation in Beef Cattle

ICASA: Pathogen-host interaction during the development of liver abscesses; local and systemic immune and metabolic responses during Fusobacterium necrophorum challenges

Novel Strategies to Improve the Understanding of Liver Abscess Formation in Beef Cattle

ICASA: Improving the efficacy of vaccination against mycoplasma hyosynoviae by identifying optimal application times

Improving the Efficacy of Vaccination Against Mycoplasma Hyosynoviae by Identifying Optimal Application Times

ICASA: Risk Factors for Lameness in Finishing Pigs

ICASA: Development of a non-invasive model to induce liver abscess formation in cattle

Genomic foundation for neodomestication and breeding of a halophytic grain crop, Distichlis palmeri

Fecal Microbiota Transplant to Reduce Post Weaning Diarrhea & Antibiotic Use

Risk Factors for Lameness in Finishing Pigs

Pathogen-Host Interaction During the Development of Liver Abscesses; Local & Systemic Immune & Metabolic Responses During Fusobacterium Necrophorum Challenges

Defining the Contribution of Acidosis to the Liver Abscess Complex Using a Novel Challenge Model to Delineate Impacts of Diet Composition & Feeding Management on Liver Abscess Pathogenesis

Further Delineation of the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Liver Abscesses in Feedlot Cattle

Development of a Non-Invasive Model to Induce Liver Abscess Formation in Beef Cattle

High protein aquatic plants for controlled environment indoor farms

Mitigating antibiotic use in aquaculture through vaccination

More Beans (MB): A Next Generation Legume for Healthy Urban Food

High dimensional phenomics and automation to transform cost and timeframe of early stage domestication of wild plants

Creating Science-Based Strategies for Gene Editing Communications

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