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

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363 Grants found

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

Antimicrobial Use Monitoring & Benchmarking in U.S. Feedyards

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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

ICASA Grant Analyzes Antimicrobial Data on Farms

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An International Collaboration for Combating Fusarium Wilt in Cotton

Field trial of rice gene-edited rice for drought tolerance

FFAR Grant Protects Wheat Yields from Wheat Stem Sawfly

Elucidating the genetic basis for sub-tropical flowering in hemp

Breeding and Characterizing New Cultivars of Grain and Fiber Hemp

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Researchers Investigate the Promise of Food Procurement

Irrigation Innovation Consortium Funds Seven Research Projects

An Integrative Approach to Biofortification of Staple Crops

FoodShot Global Challenge #1 Innovating Soil 3.0, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Colorado)

The Impact of Nutrition and Metabolic Capacity on Honeybee Health

Integrating Community and Modeling Efforts to Evaluate Impacts and Tradeoffs of Food System Interventions

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Increasing Motivation and Promoting Persistence in Farmer Conservation

FFAR Grant Develops Premium Strawberry Flavors for Indoor Growing Environments

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Novel Farmer-to-Farmer Learning Approaches to Cultivate a Culture of Conservation in the Mississippi River Basin

Equipping Conservation Professionals and Farmers with Tools to Deliver Edge of Field Practices

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

Scaling Quantified and Verified Soil Health, Climate and Natural Resources Outcomes from U.S. Agriculture in an Innovative Ecosystem Services Market Program

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

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Huaijun Zhou

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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

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Kirchner Food Fellowship HBCU 2023-2024 Cohort

Kirchner Food Fellowship Inaugural HBCU Cohort (2021-22)

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FFAR Vet Fellows Fifth Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Fourth Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Third Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Second Cohort

FFAR Vet Fellows Inaugural Cohort

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FFAR Program Aims to Catalyze Development of Underutilized Crops, India

FFAR Program Aims to Catalyze Development of Underutilized Crops, Davao del Sur, Philippines

FFAR Program Aims to Catalyze Development of Underutilized Crops, UK

Food Waste Challenge, Oregon

Food Waste Challenge, Ohio

AgMission™ Funds Global Producers’ Consultation to Improve Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption

Food Waste Challenge, Florida

FFAR, NPB Seek to Improve Air Quality on Pig Farms, Indiana

FFAR, NPB Seek to Improve Air Quality on Pig Farms, South Dakota

Protecting Florida Corn from Tar Spot Outbreak

Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Round One Projects

Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program (ISU OAP)

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

FFAR Awards $2 Million Grant to Improve Sustainability in Corn Production

Impact of Prairie on Reducing Interacting Stressors on Pollinator Health

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FFAR & WUR Launch Nature-Based Future Challenge

New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award

Periodic Table of Food Initiative

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

Determining Environmental and Biological Conditions Influencing Lettuce Discoloration, Yield and Leaf Quality

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

Increasing Water Productivity, Soil Carbon, and Sustainability of Integrated Multi-Crop Systems Using Field-Scale Research

Advancing DEI in Sharing Carbon & Ecosystems Services Information

Enhancing Tools to Model Climate and Environmental Impacts in Organic Agriculture Systems

University of Wisconsin-Madison Organic Grain Resource and Information Network

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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

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

Understanding the roots of soil health

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FlockFocus Camera-Based Technology Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare 

Audio-Based Monitoring Technology Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare 

OPTICFLOCK Camera/Computer System Advances Broiler Chicken Welfare 

Integration of Agroforestry as a Transformative Solution to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Organic Farms

University of Tennessee Receives FFAR Grant to Help Address Food Waste Challenges

FFAR Grant Addresses Food Waste Reduction Challenges

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Oregon Tilth

Rethinking seafood by-product: A path to provide sustainable nutrition and improve resource utilization

Pollinator Health Extension and Metrics in the Pacific Northwest

Invasive Weeds, Fire, and Livestock Grazing – Understanding the Impact of Interacting Stressors on Native Pollinator Health in Range and Pasturelands

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OATS (Organic Agronomy Training Service)

FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Champaign, Illinois)

Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) Reinvestment

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FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Maryland)

Developing Novel Strategies for Improved Control and Sustainability of Grapevine Bunch Rot Management

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FoodShot Global Challenge #3 Bioactive Foods GroundBreaker Prize (Massachusetts)

Expanding OpTIS, a remote sensing tool to accelerate soil health and climate-smart practices

FFAR Grant Advances Equitable Food Access

The Ohio State University Study Examines Soil Organic Carbon-Enhancing Practices

FFAR Grant Combats Disease in Lettuce Crops

Development of new alphaamylase immunoassays to preserve wheat grain value and accelerate breeding for climate resilience

Urban farming at the Water, Food, Energy Nexus: soil health practices with agrivoltaic impacts on crops, soils, carbon, and water

UC Davis Receives FFAR Grant to Help Improve Vineyard Soil Health

Advancing Water Policy for Agricultural Sustainability

Accelerating Breeding Technology to Develop New Crops

Leveraging landrace genomics to rapidly engineer thermotolerant cassava

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

FFAR Awards Grant to Reduce Water Waste in Crop Irrigation

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

Increasing Dietary Fiber in Wheat Crop

Protecting Soil Health and Food Safety in Almond Orchards

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Genvax Technologies is Developing an African Swine Fever Vaccine

Tuskegee University Endowment

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

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

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

Establishing Predictive Genomics to Improve Pollinator Health

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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

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

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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

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ICASA: Risk Factors for Lameness in Finishing Pigs

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

Recycling nutrients for robust agricultural supply chains

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Kirchner Food Fellowship HBCU 2022-23 Cohort

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

AgMission CIAT Grant Evaluates the Risk of Climate Disruption for Key Crops across Geographies

Grant Quantifies Farm Risk Mitigation Through Improved Soil Health

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: David Lobell

Expanding development of a predictive model to quantify the risk reduction associated with specific soil health practices for use by private & public lenders & insurers to incentivize the transition to resilient, climate-smart agriculture

PIP Indoor Tomato Farming Project

FFAR-OCP Disruptive Fertilizer Technology Fellowship First Cohort

Enabling African Scientists: The African Plant Breeding Academy CRISPR Course

A Big Data Tool for Urban Tree Crop Selection Under Climate Change

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Improving biological nitrogen fixation in wheat using the natural variation present in crop wild relatives

Enhancing the sustainability of finfish aquaculture to increase production and public acceptance

Breeding drought & heat tolerant wheat

Digging deeper: Removing the barriers to soil compaction mitigation

Enhancing Human Health and Nutrition from Soil to Society Using Quinoa as a Model Crop Species

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Green fertilizers for urban spaces: use of human urine to generate high value fertilizers

Nutrient carrier minerals for efficient and circular use of phosphorus in tropical crop production systems

Dairy, Soil & Water Regeneration Grant Promotes Integrated Research to Support Dairy Industry Commitment to Sustainability

U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative: Improving Dairy On-Farm Sustainability through Improved Soil Health and Manure Management

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Next-generation phenotyping and genomics for identifying, breeding, and managing more sustainable beef cattle

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

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Leveraging Phasic Environment and Nutrient Solution Management to Improve Resource Use Efficiency of Indoor Vertical Farming

Enabling sustainable soil and water management through microbe-powered RF soil sensing

Agroecosystem responses to climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity in the United States and Latin America

Targeted On-Demand Disease Management Practices/Therapies

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Rodolphe Barrangou

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Establish Power-to-Food by Cultivating and Processing Hydrogenotrophic Single Cells to Design New Sustainable Protein Supply Chains Without Arable Land

Holistic Irrigation Strategies for Climate-Smart Agriculture

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship Inaugural Cohort

Quantifying the Advantages of Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Compared to Conventional Continuous Grazing in the U.S. Southeast & Northern Great Plains

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 Research Tackles Peanut Allergy

AgMission/Precision Conservation Management MOU

Strategic Fallowing for Sustainable Water and Thriving Agriculture

FFAR Grant Examines Management Practices Effect on Soil Health

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

FoodShot Global Challenge #2 Precision Protein, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Netherlands)

SKY HIGH Consortium Agreement

FoodShot Global Challenge #1 Innovating Soil 3.0, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Netherlands)

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FoodShot Global Challenge #2 Precision Protein, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (South Carolina)

Creating Science-Based Strategies for Gene Editing Communications

Reinvigorating Soybean Yield for 21st Century Agriculture

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

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Improving Protein Content & Quality in Peas

Grant Supports Production of Sustainable, Cost-Effective Feed Supplements

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Scaling Crops for Sustainable Water Management: Building Supply Chains

Capitalizing on the Unique Viscoelastic Properties of Corn Zein for A New Commercial Plant-Based Protein

Food and Agricultural Vulnerability Index

Field-deployable biosensors for managing animal health

FFAR Funds Dashboards to Track Food Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Developing Public School Curricula and Training High School Students and Teachers as Ambassadors for Pollinator Protection

Addressing keel bone fractures in laying hens housed in cage-free aviary systems using nutrition and management interventions

An Open Source Framework and Community for Sharing Data and Algorithms

Consumer Understanding of Advances in Animal Welfare

A Multi-Scale Approach to Unearth the Root of Plant Disease Resistance

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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

The Queen Exposome And Its Influence on Downstream Colony Disease Response

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Fermentation to unlock the potential of underutilized Indigenous plants – an integrated traditional ecological knowledge innovation toward bio- and techno-functional benefits

Improving soil health by engineering a rhizobacterium to depend on a plant and stimulate its immune system

Creating a nitrogen fixing symbiont for cereal crops

Building our understanding of soil health practice adoption through knowledge co-production with farmers

Rapid Response to Coffee Leaf Rust

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Christina Grozinger

FFAR and OFRF Renew Partnership to Improve Soil Health Research

New Crops ATLASS (Analytics Telenetwork: for Landscape, Agronomic, and Sociocultural Scalability)

FFAR Grant to Develop Vaccine for Tilapia Lake Virus

ICASA Grant to Identify Causes of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Cattle

ICASA Awards Grant to Beef Alliance to Evaluate Antibiotic Use Strategies in Beef Cattle

FFAR Grant Improves Soil Health Through Phosphorus Management

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FFAR & Rodale Institute Enhance Soil Health to Increase Crop Nutrients

OFRF and FFAR Fund Research to Enhance Organic Potato Nutrition

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

Genome Editing Wheat for Durable & Sustainable Disease Resistance

Finding the Proper Levers: Identifying Leverage Points for Tranformation in Urban Food Systems Through Participatory Modeling

Modeling the Future of Food in Your Neighborhood

Environmental and Nutritional Benefits of Food Recovery and Redistribution: A Pilot Assessment in New York’s Capital Region

Evaluating Food Access Strategies in Austin To Improve Healthy Food Consumption and Food Security

Conservation of an Endophytic Insect-pathogenic Fungus for Plant Protection in Organic Cropping Systems.

Cover Crops for Soil Health: Demonstration of On-Farm Trial

Biosolarization: Harnessing the Sun and Organic Matterfor Weed Control

Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks in South Texas

Noninvasive Wellness Monitoring of Broiler Growout Using Continuous Audio Analytics

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

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Zachary Lippman

Integrating Community and Modeling Efforts to Evaluate Impacts and Tradeoffs of Food System Interventions 2020

FFAR Grant Supports Climate Smart Beef and Dairy Production

Uncovering the Genetic Architecture of Inducible Chemical Defenses in Crop and Wild Sunflower for the Sustainable Control of Pests and Pathogens

Engineering crops for cultivation in controlled environments

The Effect of Farm Management and Floral Foraging Traits on Exposure of Crop Pollinators to The Multiple Interacting Stressors of Pesticides, Parasites and Inadequate Nutrition

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Next-generation tools and strategies for genetic improvement of farmed oysters

Harnessing the soil microbiome to increase soil health and plant productivity

Open Market Consortium: Creating Economic Opportunities for Small and Mid-size Growers

FFAR Funds Novel Supply-Demand Technology, Connecting Institutional Buyers to Specialty Crop Farmers

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FFAR Grant Examines Carbon Farming Effect on Soil Health

FFAR Grant Addressing Surface and Groundwater Pollution on Farms

Kirchner Food Fellowship 2020-21 Cohort

Kirchner Food Fellowship 2019-20 Cohort

Kirchner Food Fellowship 2018-19 Cohort

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FFAR and NYSTAR Grant Helps RIT Examine Degradable Mulching Films

Growing Policy From The Ground Up: Building, Deploying, and Testing Networks to Strengthen Urban Food Systems

Precision Irrigation Scheduling for Specialty Crops

FoodShot Global Challenge #1 Innovating Soil 3.0, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Maine)

A community-based microfarm aggregation model for transforming agricultural production and enhancing asset-based economic development in post-industrial urban areas

FFAR Grant Provides Technical Training to Enhance Soil Health

Evaluation of Best Management Practices for Bumble Bee and Monarch Habitat

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Metagenomic Probes for the Rapid Identification of the Microbiome Community in A Wheat Rhizospheremodel System

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

Improving the Nutritional Quality of Tomatoes

Harnessing Multi-Trophic Chemical Ecology to Obtain Sustainable Pest Control and Improved Soil Health

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

Ecosystem Services Market Consortium

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

Effects of Multiple Stressors on Pollinator Health in the Southern Plains

Neglected honey bee interactions: neonicotinoids, Varroa destructor, and Best Management

A Pipeline for Streamlined Development and Testing of Novel Controls for the Honey Bee Parasitic Mite Varroa Destructor

Stopping A New Threat to The Lettuce Industry in Florida: Fusarium Wilt

Improving Dairy Feed Efficiency, Sustainability and Profitability by Impacting Farmer’s Breeding and Culling Decisions

Developing Tools for Selection and Management of Landscapes to Promote Healthy Bee Populations

Lawns-to-Wildflowers: A Citizen Science Movement for Pollinator Health

FFAR Awards $9.4 Million to Spur Next Leap in Agriculture: Improved Soil Health to Optimize Economic and Environmental Results for US Farmers

Evaluating Food Access Strategies in Austin, Texas

Identifying Short-term Solutions for Managing Allium Leafminer in Allium

A Practical Phenotypic Solution to Reduce Keel & Skeletal Bone Damage in Laying Hens

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Defining Stressors to Manage Plasticity & Quality in Leafy Greens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $994,035

Total award amount   $1,989,030

Location   Newark, NJ

Matching Funders   AeroFarms

While current plant breeding research focuses on adapting plants to their environments, AeroFarms, Rutgers University and Cornell University, are investigating how to harness environmental conditions indoors to improve characteristics in plants. The project is improving the quality, taste and nutrition of leafy greens crops.

Enhancing Animal Protein through Crops and Cattle

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $1,000,000

Total award amount   $2,402,000

Location   Lincoln, NE

Matching Funders   UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Platte River-High Plains Aquifer

The availability of land for livestock foraging has decreased as farms move toward monocultures. University of Nebraska researchers are integrating livestock and crop production systems. Researchers are investigating various outputs including yields, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions and the economic feasibility of adopting these new practices to improving land use efficiency.

Fostering Innovative, Sustainable Urban Farming Methods to Meet Food Needs

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $294,988

Total award amount   $590,189

Location   Berkeley, CA

Matching Funders   The Regents of the University of California

Ensuring urban agriculture can sustainably feed urban populations in the future requires understanding current urban agriculture challenges from a policy and systems perspective. University of California, Berkeley researchers are improving the sustainability and resilience of urban farms by building soil health, conserving water and promoting beneficial insects. The project will also evaluate the effectiveness of existing food access and food distribution methods for meeting food needs of urban food insecure communities and develop policy recommendations in collaboration with community stakeholders.

Innovation at the Nexus of Computational, Membrane and Plant Biology

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Urbana-Champaign, IL

Matching Funders   The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Modern agriculture uses large amounts of fertilizer to maximize crop yield. However, up to 70 percent of applied Nitrogen is not absorbed by plants, resulting in extensive air and water pollution. The current understanding of the Nitrogen process in plants is limited by the lack of information at the molecular level. University of Illinois researchers are developing new approaches to understand the plant nitrogen uptake process.

Individually-targeted incentives, diet quality and health outcomes among adults

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Kingston, RI

Matching Funders   University of Rhode Island

Despite efforts, diet has proven resilient to change and new approaches are needed to prevent diet-related illness. University of Rhode Island researchers are exploring whether individually targeted incentives can increase the adoption of healthier food patterns to cost-effectively improve health. Researchers are using an individual’s past food choices to inform the targeted food incentives to improve food quality purchases.

Improving Simulations of Water Dynamics and Crop Yield in the Corn Belt

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Ames, IA

Matching Funders   Iowa Crop Improvement Association

Currently, about 70 percent of crop yield losses in the Midwest are related to inefficient water use. Crop models help optimize water use and quality; however, today’s models do not account for groundwater. This important source of water can reduce the need for irrigation in dry years and enhance nitrogen and yield loss in wet years. Iowa State University researchers are improving simulation models that help farmers manage water use and predict impacts and design mitigation strategies that improve water quality, soil health and productivity.

Impacts of the Rearing Environment on Keel Bone Integrity, Spatial Awareness Abilities of Laying Hens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $215,999

Total award amount   $431,999

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   Open Philanthropy Project

Keel, or breastbone fractures are a prevalent concern when raising hens in cage-free housing systems. University of California, Davis researchers are exploring the impacts of poultry housing design, particularly vertical space, on the prevalence of keel bone injuries in egg-laying hens.

Mitigation of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus in Kansas and U.S. High Plains

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $50,000

Total award amount   $120,623

Location   Manhattan, KS

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   KS Wheat Commission

Although management methods for wheat streak mosaic (WSMV) are known, wheat farmers continue to experience yield and profit losses as a result of WSMV. Kansas State University researchers updating best management practices for wheat farmers threatened by the pathogen and identifying optimal disease resistant wheat varieties.

Investing in our future: training taxonomists and wild bee conservation

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $546,511

Total award amount   $1,093,084

Location   Durham, NH

Program   Pollinator Health Fund

Matching Funders   Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, UNH and UNH, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

The University of New Hampshire researchers are creating the first comprehensive guide to wild bees found in New England. The project is classifying wild New England bees and developing resources to further education, including information on regionally specific planting recommendations and a bee identification course applicable to researchers in multiple states.

Plant-Nanoparticle Hybrids: Optimize Crop Engineering and Nutrient Delivery

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Berkeley, CA

Matching Funders   The Regents of the University of California

Genome editing has revolutionized our ability to modify living systems and meet the growing demand for food. However, genetic engineering of mature plants remains a challenge. The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley are optimizing crop engineering and nutrient delivery tools to produce sustainable and high-yielding crops.