Matching Funders Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, ADM, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), Elanco, Genus plc, JBS USA, the National Dairy Herd Information Association, Nestlé and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC)

Grantee Institution University of Wisconsin–Madison

Cows and other ruminant animals produce enteric methane as part of their natural digestive process. This methane is the single largest source of direct greenhouse gases in the dairy sector. University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are combining interventions addressing breeding, data on milk composition and rumen microbes to selectively breed U.S. dairy cattle with lower emissions.

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

Year Awarded 2023

FFAR award amount $1,066,820

Total award amount $3,221,254

Location Champaign, IL

Matching Funders Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, ADM, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), Elanco, Genus plc, JBS USA, the National Dairy Herd Information Association, Nestlé, the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Grantee Institution University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Cows and other ruminant animals produce enteric methane as part of their natural digestive process. This methane is the single largest source of direct greenhouse gases in the beef and dairy sectors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers are studying how diets and different additives affect hydrogen production, which is essential to producing enteric methane, and how changes in hydrogen affect the amount of enteric methane produced.

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

Year Awarded 2023

Total award amount $125,930

Location St-Hyacinthe, QC

Program Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Matching Funders Swine Health Information Center & Pork Checkoff

Grantee Institution University of Montreal

One of the biggest farm biosecurity challenges is the enforcement of safe and hygienic behaviors from barn workers and visitors. To better understand biosecurity compliance, this research is using social and behavioral sciences to adapt interventions and establish improved biosecurity behaviors.

Development of an effective & practical biosecurity entrance system

Year Awarded 2023

Total award amount $179,933

Location Columbia, MO

Program Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Matching Funders Swine Health Information Center & Pork Checkoff

Grantee Institution University of Missouri

A common practice to minimize the introduction of disease in swine barns is for everyone entering a swine facility to use a shower-in and shower-out system. However, it is a challenge to enforce the use of these systems across all farm workers and personnel. This research is evaluating the effectiveness of an innovative, easy-to-use biosecurity-effective entry system for commercial pig farms to replace the laborious shower-in and shower-out system to provide a simplified, effective alternative for barn entry and exit.

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

Year Awarded 2023

Total award amount $119,018

Location Lubbock, TX

Program Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Matching Funders Swine Health Information Center & Pork Checkoff

Grantee Institution Texas Tech University

Pigs commonly receive vaccines by intramuscular injection, which requires significant skilled labor that is in short supply and costly to producers. This research is developing and testing the efficacy of an automated, self-administering, needle-free vaccination system for four common pathogens, which has the potential to offer producers a faster, less labor intensive and more effective way to vaccinate swine and improve overall barn biosecurity.

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

Year Awarded 2023

Total award amount $61,100

Location Pipestone, MN

Program Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Matching Funders Swine Health Information Center & Pork Checkoff

Grantee Institution Pipestone

Barn washing is a critical biosecurity measure. However, the traditional use of commercial power washing crews who move their washing equipment from one farm to another can transfer pathogens from barn to barn, presenting a biosecurity risk. To establish improved barn washing protocols that could be managed onsite by producers, this research is testing a robotic washing system that reduces the labor needed from outsourced washing crews and, thereby, the risk of disease transmission.

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

Year Awarded 2023

Total award amount $28,875

Location Mahomet, IL

Program Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Matching Funders Swine Health Information Center & Pork Checkoff

Grantee Institution Lowe Consulting, Ltd.

Trailers hauling pigs to market have the potential to transmit diseases. Yet, transportation vehicles are not always cleaned and disinfected to prevent contamination, thereby threatening wean-to-market biosecurity. This study is using modeling to determine the minimum number of transport vehicles that need to be decontaminated to stop specific pathogens from spreading.

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

Year Awarded 2023

FFAR award amount $1,499,686

Total award amount $2,999,372

Location Davis, CA

Program Layer Hen Keel Bone Health Program

Matching Funders Hy-Line International; Open Philanthropy

Grantee Institution University of California, Davis

This research is bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the complex, multi-faceted challenge of keel bone damage. The research team is aiming to decrease the occurrence of keel bone damage by examining the birds’ housing environments and assessing the key relation and role of genetics. The researchers are identifying genetic markers associated with keel bone damage in breeding flocks raised under different housing environments and improving genetic selection to promote resistance to keel bone fractures. They are also evaluating the effects of housing design interventions on the development, type and prevalence of keel bone damage. Finally, the researchers are exploring alternative housing designs and conducting economic analyses to determine the costs and gains from the proposed adjustments to breeding and housing designs.

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

Year Awarded 2023

FFAR award amount $1,489,326

Total award amount $3,991,105

Location Edinburgh, UK

Program Layer Hen Keel Bone Health Program

Matching Funders Hy-Line International; Lohmann Breeders GmbH; Open Philanthropy; Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Universidad de Granada; University of Alberta

Grantee Institution University of Edinburgh

The research consortium is using genetic selection to address keel damage. The team is using x-ray images and machine learning to refine and validate the measurements of bone quality and keel damage in living hens to inform the selection of hens to reduce keel bone damage. This work is also examining if breeding programs for improved keel health need to vary depending upon poultry housing design. The consortium’s work also is exploring the relationship of age at puberty on bone strength by manipulating diet and light to delay puberty and measuring the resulting effects on bone quality. Finally, they are determining whether a diet that produces lower homocysteine, an amino acid, increases collagen strength and improves keel quality.

Development of Novel Methanogenesis Inhibitors in Ruminants

Year Awarded 2023

FFAR award amount $324,519

Total award amount $758,776

Location State College, PA

Grantee Institution Penn State

Cows and other ruminant animals produce enteric methane as part of their natural digestive process. This methane is the single largest source of direct greenhouse gases in the beef and dairy sectors. Addressing enteric methane emissions is critical to slowing the effects of climate change while also helping the dairy and beef sectors meet their sustainability goals. This project aims to develop feed additive options that will deliver the greatest enteric methane mitigation potential that is practical for producers.

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

100 Grants found

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

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

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

Acoustic Monitoring to Support Mass Cattle Treatment Decisions

Developing a model protocol for tracking antibiotic use & AMR surveillance across a large-scale commercial swine production system

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

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

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

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

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

Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Round One Projects

Grant Aims to Close Biosecurity Gap in U.S. Swine Production

Identifying Proteins Required for Immunity to ASFV

Analyzing the Efficacy of Live-vectored Prototype ASFV Subunit Vaccines

FlockFocus Camera-Based Technology Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare

Audio-Based Monitoring Technology Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare

OPTICFLOCK Camera/Computer System Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare

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

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

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

FFAR Grant Helps Heat-Stressed Dairy Cows Weather Increasing Temperatures

Grant Supports Production of Sustainable, Cost-Effective Feed Supplements

ICASA Awards Grants to Develop Animal-Health Monitoring and Diagnostic Technologies

FFAR Grant to Develop Vaccine for Tilapia Lake Virus

Precision Bred Adaptation of Elite Taurine Breeds of Beef & Dairy Cattle

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks in South Texas

Noninvasive Wellness Monitoring of Broiler Growout Using Continuous Audio Analytics

Development of an Automated Broiler Gait Score and Flock Activity Assessment System

Smart Monitoring of Broiler Welfare using Camera Technology and Machine Learning

Innovative On-Farm Broiler Welfare Assessment Using Imaging Techniques

Flockfocus – Developing Automated Surveillance Tools to Safeguard Chicken Welfare

OpticFlock: Automated Monitoring of Broiler Chicken Behavior That Prioritizes Animal Welfare

Environmental Enrichment Effects on Pig Welfare

FFAR Grant Supports Climate Smart Beef and Dairy Production

A Systematic Approach to Improve Heifer Selection and the Sustainability of Beef Production.

Tools to Detect and Understand Spread of African Swine Fever Virus

Age Susceptibility and Lateral Transmission of Turkey Arthritis Reovirus

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

En-ovo Sex Determination By Fiber Optic Volatiles Analysis and Machine Learning

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

Multidimensional Spectral Mapping for Sex Determination of Avian Eggs

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

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

Spatializing the Environmental Impacts of US Dairy Supply Chains

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

FFAR Awards $1.4 Million to Purdue University, University of California, Davis and University of Edinburgh Researchers to Improve Health and Productivity of Egg-Laying Hens

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