Grants Archive

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

Protein-Based Thermotolerance Markers for Sustainable Legume Protein Production

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $941,689

Total award amount $1,890,189

Location Raleigh, NC

Matching Funders Benson Hill Biosystems, North Carolina Soybean Producers, Golden Leaf Foundation, United Soybean Board, VIB

Grantee Institution USDA-ARS

Extreme weather devastates soybean crop yields and nutritional content. USDA researchers are leveraging the natural genetic diversity of soybean plants to improve the sustainability, nutrition and flavor profiles of crops in response to climate change.

Harnessing Endophytes to Improve Crop Efficiency and Production

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $292,230

Total award amount $584,461

Location Athens, GA

Matching Funders University of Georgia Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia Department of Crop Soil Science, University of Georgia Institute of Plant Breeding

Grantee Institution University of Georgia Research Foundation

Agricultural production is not advancing fast enough to meet projected demands for food. Meeting these needs requires agricultural innovations and beneficial microorganisms are a promising way to increase crop growth, boost stress resistance and prevent diseases. Scientists and farmers must first understand how microorganisms work. University of Georgina Research Foundation Inc. is studying how crops are affected by the microbes that live inside them and how the environment impacts this relationship.

Ecology and Evolution of Bacterial Leaf Streak of Maize

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $148,479

Total award amount $296,978

Location Fort Collins, CO

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders Colorado State University

Grantee Institution Colarado State University

Bacterial leaf streak, a new pathogen in the U.S., is causing yield losses for western corn belt growers. There has been little research on management strategies to limit the spread or severity of bacterial leaf streak. Colorado State University researchers are investigating bacterial leaf streak to better understand the pathogen and how to mitigate it.

Crops of the Future Initial Project: Leafy Greens

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $2,500,000

Total award amount $5,097,530

Location Davis, CA

Matching Funders BASF Vegetable Seeds, Bejo Zaden B.V., Benson Hill Biosystems, Inc., Enza Zaden Research and Development, B.V., Gautier Semences, Keygene, N.V., Progeny Advanced Genetics Inc., Ramiro Arnedo S.A., Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V., Sakata Seed Corporation, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Takii and Company Ltd., Tanimura & Antle Value Added LLC, Vilmorin S.A.

Grantee Institution University of California Davis

Downy mildew is a damaging pathogen that threatens the $3 billion lettuce industry, causing losses for farmers in the field and post-harvest and requiring expensive chemical control measures. University of California, Davis researchers are using genomics approaches help leafy green plants resist downy mildew.

Developing CRISPR-Cpf1 Genome Editing Technologies for Crop Improvement

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $282,843

Total award amount $565,686

Location College Park, MD

Matching Funders Syngenta

Grantee Institution University of Maryland College Park

Plant genome editing can increase agricultural productivity and help agriculture adapt to climate change. University of Maryland-College Park researchers are developing CRISPR-Cas12a based plant genome editing systems with broadened targeting range and improved editing activity and specificity. If successful, these tools could accelerate plant breeding for generating high-productivity crops with stress resistance to climate change.

Development of a Farmer-Focused Disease Prevention and Preparedness Tool

Year Awarded 2018

FFAR award amount $87,691

Total award amount $183,206

Location Minneapolis, MN

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Primary Fund

Grantee Institution University of Minnesota

In 2014, a specific a strain of avian influenza, H5N2 HPAI, destroyed nearly 50 million birds, costing the industry more than $3.75 billion. University of Minnesota researchers are developing a nationwide tool to improve outbreak response and help producers mitigate foreign animal diseases on farms.

Identifying Short-term Solutions for Managing Allium Leafminer in Allium

Year Awarded 2017

FFAR award amount $65,000

Total award amount $130,000

Location Ithaca, NY

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders New York Farm Viability Institute

Grantee Institution Cornell University

The Allium Leafminer (ALM), an invasive fly species, threatens Allium crops such as onions, garlic, leeks, scallions and chives. The emerging pest has the capacity to devastate entire fields. Cornell University researchers are identifying effective insecticides and tactics for controlling pest in Allium crops for both organic and conventional Allium production. The project is also developing best practices for predicting and scouting for ALM and arming growers with the latest information to prevent crop damage.

The Validation of a Novel qPCR Assay for the Detection of Brucella suis

Year Awarded 2017

FFAR award amount $149,136

Total award amount $299,095

Location Laramie, WY

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders University of Wyoming

Grantee Institution University of Wyoming

Swine brucellosis is an infectious disease affecting swine and cattle that can create significant costs for livestock producers. No gold standard test exists for accurately detecting swine brucellosis in living animals. Texas A&M and University of Wyoming researchers are developing a faster, more accurate diagnostic test for detection of swine brucellosis.

Shielding U.S. Palm Industries from the South American Palm Weevil Invasion

Year Awarded 2017

FFAR award amount $150,000

Total award amount $300,000

Location Riverside, CA

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders UCR, ISCA, California Date Commission, Bard Valley Medjool Data Growers Association

Grantee Institution ISCA Technologies Inc.

The South American Palm Weevil is threatening California's palm trees and date palm trees. ISCA Technologies and UC Riverside researchers are developing environmentally-friendly pest controls to curb the spread of weevils.

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.

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

164 Grants found

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

Japanese Encephalitis Virus Program Six Awards

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

Improving Hemp Quality Through Harvest Timing & Enhanced Processing

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

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

FFAR Vet Fellows Sixth Cohort

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

Field trial of rice gene-edited rice for drought tolerance

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

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

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

Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Noninvasive Wellness Monitoring of Broiler Growout Using Continuous Audio Analytics (2022)

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

FFAR Awards Cornell University a Grant to Treat Udder Infection in Dairy Cattle

Scalable breeding for plant growth to address the challenges of climate change

FFAR Grant Helps Heat-Stressed Dairy Cows Weather Increasing Temperatures

Improving Protein Content & Quality in Peas

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