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

Refine Results
Priority Areas
Consortia
Program
Location
    See more
Year
    See more
Order

79 Grants found

Hide map

Integrating On-farm Solar Arrays to Enhance Groundwater Resources, Produce Energy & Diversify Farm Income 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $881,526

Total award amount   $1,763,053

Location   Lawrence, KS

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc., Kansas State University, Michigan State University, Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc.

The High Plains Aquifer provides irrigation to support a $3.5 billion agricultural economy across eight states, but due to decades of groundwater extraction, water levels have fallen dangerously low across much of the aquifer. Researchers at the University of Kansas are studying the integration of solar panel arrays outfitted with rain collection gutters on farmland to recharge groundwater and provide marketable electricity to growers.

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

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $232,728

Total award amount   $465,456

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   University of California, Davis

Grantee Institution   University of California, Davis

Branched broomrape is a parasitic weed threatening the United States’ supply of processing tomatoes. The weed can completely decimate tomato crops, creating significant economic losses for growers. Current processing tomato varieties are not resistant to the weed. University of California, Davis researchers are developing a tomato variety with branched broomrape resistance.

FFAR Grant to Improve Sorghum & Strengthen Nutritional Security 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $809,879

Total award amount   $1,619,758

Location   Entebbe, Uganda

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO)

Grantee Institution   National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO)

Developing sorghum varieties with high iron and zinc in the grain for human consumption and reduced levels of hydrogen cyanide, an anti-nutrient, to increase the bioavailability of nutritious foods in the region.

Uniting Urban Agriculture Operations to Increase Food Security 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,667

Location   New York City, NY

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

Grantee Institution   NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

The New York City urban agriculture community is fragmented, with little understanding of who is growing food and how it is being distributed. Consistent data collection and access is the first step to understanding urban agriculture systems and promoting equitable food access. Led by Marianna Koval, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business researchers are developing a data collection tool to establish a baseline understanding of local food production in New York City.

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

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $1,000,000

Total award amount   $2,645,427

Location   Manhattan, KS

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Elanco Animal Health, Kansas State University, Kansas State University Innovation Partners and MEDIAN Diagnostics, Inc.

Grantee Institution   Kansas State University

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious, fatal disease in pigs that spreads rapidly. There is no commercially available treatment or vaccine for the virus, and the threat to U.S. swine production is significant. To protect U.S. herds, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine researchers are developing and validating a vaccine to protect pigs from ASFV.

A new methods of managing human waste for improved soil health, carbon sequestration, contaminant removal, and social acceptability 

Year Awarded  2022

Location   Brattelboro, VT

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Rich Earth Institute, University of Michigan

Grantee Institution   Rich Earth Institute

Synthetic fertilizers accelerate crop growth and are commonly used in agriculture; however, these products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, wastewater is also a source of pollution, and only a fraction of the vast quantity of nutrients flowing through modern wastewater treatment systems is captured for beneficial reuse. A significant portion of regional fertilizer needs could be met by reclaiming the nutrients present in wastewater. The Rich Earth Institute is producing biochar from wastewater material to potentially be used to develop safe, renewable fertilizers that enhance agricultural productivity, support soil health, reduce nutrient pollution and mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration.

Transforming Wastewater to Crop Fertilizer 

Year Awarded  2022

FFAR award amount   $330,256

Total award amount   $660,517

Location   Brattelboro, VT

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Rich Earth Institute, University of Michigan

Grantee Institution   Rich Earth Institute

Synthetic fertilizers accelerate crop growth and are commonly used in agriculture; however, these products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, wastewater is also a source of pollution, and only a fraction of the vast quantity of nutrients flowing through modern wastewater treatment systems is captured for beneficial reuse. A significant portion of regional fertilizer needs could be met by reclaiming the nutrients present in wastewater. Rich Earth Institute is producing biochar from wastewater material to potentially be used to develop safe, renewable fertilizers that enhance agricultural productivity, support soil health, reduce nutrient pollution and mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration. This grant furthers the work of a previous FFAR Seeding Solutions grant to Rich Earth Institute

Performance-Based Financing Models for Sustainable Water Management in the Great Lakes Basin 

Year Awarded  2022

FFAR award amount   $600,000

Total award amount   $1,200,000

Location   Ann Arbor, MI

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Great Lakes Protection Fund

Grantee Institution   University of Michigan

Though fertilizer runoff can cause water pollution, the demand for high crop yields often stymies conservation practices. One possible answer lies with encouraging private financiers to incentivize farm sustainability efforts by identifying the full lending risks associated with fertilizer emissions. Researchers are exploring this potential solution by linking a water quality modeling and monitoring system in the Lake Huron drainage basin to sustainability-based financial products for farmers.

FFAR Grant Promotes Sorghum Health Benefits 

Year Awarded  2022

FFAR award amount   $846,991

Total award amount   $1,721,129

Location   Clemson, SC

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Clemson University and Carolina Seed Systems, Inc.

Grantee Institution   Clemson University

(FFAR) is providing a $846,991 Seeding Solutions grant to Clemson University to study sorghum plant properties that enhance beneficial compounds in commercial sorghum, while preserving the crop’s dual use as animal feed.

Plant-Based Precision Irrigation Management for Improved System-Level Sustainability 

Year Awarded  2022

FFAR award amount   $753,206

Total award amount   $1,507,062

Location   Athens, GA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   University of Georgia

Grantee Institution   University of Georgia

Cotton, which contributes billions to the United States’ economy, faces escalating threats from climate change-induced droughts. Cotton growers urgently need water management strategies to maximize productivity while minimizing water use. University of Georgia researchers are developing cotton-based precision irrigation scheduling strategies to ensure optimal water use to improve water use efficiency, ensure yield stability and enhance economic productivity.