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

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81 Grants found

Reducing Wheat Allergenicity: Paving the Way to Non-Allergenic Wheat

Pangenome-based Identification of Genetic Variants Conferring Stress Resistance in Tomato Wild Relatives, and Efficient Transfer to Cultivated Tomato

Applied Innovation of Myoinositol to Improve Cattle Fertility & Sustainability of Cattle Production Systems

Transforming Dairy Cattle Lameness Management through a Combination of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Video Analytics & Genomic, Epidemiological & Extension Approaches

Kernza® Supply Chain from Farm to Fork: Building Systems to Trace the Ecological, Nutritional and Community Benefits of Kernza® Production in Fields and Food Products

Unearthing Maize Genes for Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency & AMF Synergy

Accelerating Perennial Crop Development Through Phenomic & Genomic Selection Applied in Pre-breeding & Advanced Breeding Stages

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Row Crops to Perennial Pasture: Feeding the World, Conserving Water, Enhancing Soil and Safeguarding the Climate

Advancing Knowledge and Adoption of Climate-Smart Practices in Semi-Arid Perennial Cropping Systems

UC Davis Receives FFAR Grant to Help Improve Vineyard Soil Health

Improving Soil Health on Vineyards

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 & Food Safety in Almond Orchards

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A Novel Cell-Surface-Receptor Strategy for Mitigating Mycotoxins

Transforming Wastewater to Crop Fertilizer

Transforming Wastewater to Crop Fertilizer

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A Multi-Source Remote Sensing-Based Framework & Decision-Support Tool for Flash Droughts & Floods Under Climate Change

Using Solar Panels to Enhance Groundwater

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

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

Uniting Urban Agriculture Operations to Increase Food Security

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

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

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

FFAR Grant Promotes Sorghum Health Benefits

Cotton-Based Precision Irrigation Improves Sustainability

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

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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

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

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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Kansas State University Provides Data on Nitrogen Management Practices in the Great Plains

FFAR Grant Improves Soil Health Through Phosphorus Management

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Nitrogen SAVings through soil hEalth (NSAVE): Leveraging regenerative agriculture to reduce nitrogen inputs, increase farmer profits & mitigate climate change

FFAR Research Tackles Peanut Allergy

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

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

FFAR Grant Addresses Food Waste Reduction Challenges

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Breeding drought & heat tolerant wheat

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

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

A Novel Platform Technology for Biologicals with Antimicrobial & Regenerative Properties Based on the Stem Cell Repertoire of Secreted Biomolecules

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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Grant Supports Production of Sustainable, Cost-Effective Feed Supplements

FFAR Grant to Develop Vaccine for Tilapia Lake Virus

FFAR & Rodale Institute Enhance Soil Health to Increase Crop Nutrients

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

Genome Editing Wheat for Durable & Sustainable Disease Resistance

Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future

FFAR Grant Quantifies Organic Carbon to Improve Agricultural Productivity

FFAR Grant Examines Carbon Farming Effect on Soil Health

FFAR Grant Addressing Surface and Groundwater Pollution on Farms

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

FFAR Grant Provides Technical Training to Enhance Soil Health

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

Reducing Food Waste by Reshaping Consumer Behavior Using Data-Informed, Dynamic Economic Incentives

Value-Added and Nutritionally Superior Extruded Foods from Agricultural Waste Streams

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Integration of Small Farmers into Technology-enabled, Rapid-response Fresh Food Supply Chains

Employing Regional Produce Cooperatives to Enhance Household Nutrition and Reduce Food Insecurity

Blackfeet Innovation Pathways to Food Sovereignty: Sustainability through Indigenous Applied Research Partnerships

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

Prairie Strips for Healthy Soils and Thriving Farms

Protein-Based Thermotolerance Markers for Sustainable Legume Protein Production

Closing the Gap in Delivery of Fruit and Vegetable Benefits

Automated Individual Poultry Vaccination to Aid in Antibiotic Removal

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Advanced Harvest Techniques Facilitate Food Safe Soil Health Practices in Almond Orchards

An Open Source Plant Chemogenomics Set

A novel desiccant system enables energy-efficient drying to reduce postharvest loss of agricultural commodities and foods

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Defining Stressors to Manage Plasticity & Quality in Leafy Greens

Enhancing Animal Protein through Crops and Cattle

An Open Source Framework and Community for Sharing Data and Algorithms

Fostering Innovative, Sustainable Urban Farming Methods to Meet Food Needs

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FFAR Grant Quantifies Organic Carbon to Improve Agricultural Productivity 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $1,000,000

Total award amount   $2,070,000

Location   Urbana-Champaign, IL

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   University of Illinois , the University of Minnesota and Ag Air Imaging, LLC

Grantee Institution   University of Illinois, University of Minnesota

While also providing environmental benefits, carbon retention in the soil is critical for effective water retention, nutrient absorption and root development. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded a $1 million grant to the University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota to develop an integrated technique to monitor soil organic carbon, a measurable component of soil organic matter, in the U.S. Corn Belt.

FFAR Grant Examines Carbon Farming Effect on Soil Health 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $616,178

Total award amount   $1,281,584

Location   Petaluma, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Mad Agriculture and Colorado State University

Grantee Institution   Point Blue Conservation Science

Through sustainable farming techniques, carbon can be stored long term in the soil, a process referred to as carbon sequestration. Employing carbon farm practices can further improve soil health and environmental health by increasing carbon sequestration. Knowledge gaps about commonly recommended management practices make it difficult to quantify how the carbon farm process affects carbon levels. Providing additional information about this process will help resource managers and policymakers prioritize programs and funding.

Grant Outcome

This project created a practical guide called Range-C to help track carbon in rangeland soils and turned it into training materials now used by field staff and technical service providers across more than 70 properties in seven states. The team also shared their data and findings with California state agencies to help improve tools that estimate carbon storage, supporting better land management decisions.

FFAR Grant Addressing Surface and Groundwater Pollution on Farms 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $316,000

Total award amount   $632,231

Location   Avondale, AZ

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Stroud Center and the Science Technology and Research Institute of Delaware (STRIDE)

Grantee Institution   Stroud Water Research Center

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemical compounds used in hundreds of applications. Due to their high thermal stability, resistance to chemical degradation and related waste disposal, PFAS is an environmental concern. Stroud Center researchers, in collaboration with STRIDE Center for PFAS Solutions, are examining the occurrence and migration of biosolid-derived PFAS in soil and water on agricultural fields.

Grant Outcome

Researchers tested soils, biosolids, groundwater and nearby waters on farms and found that fields treated with biosolids had higher levels of PFAS than untreated fields. The study highlighted the need for careful selection biosolids-based fertilizers to protect farmland and water quality.

FFAR Awards Grant to Reduce Water Waste in Crop Irrigation 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $650,000

Total award amount   $1,300,000

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   University of California, Davis

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Sensors currently available to growers to measure plant water status are prohibitive. UC Davis researchers are developing a small sensor sensitive enough to measure as little as a one percent change in leaf thickness and volumetric water content at the same time. These two measurements provide growers with clear, consistent data to calculate the plant’s water status.

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

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $1,000,000

Total award amount   $2,044,872

Location   Pullman, WA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Lundberg Family Farms, Washington State University

Grantee Institution   Washington State University

Despite its popularity and nutritional content, quinoa is still underutilized because it is imported, even though nutritious, high-quality varieties can grow and thrive in this country. Washington State University researchers are growing new quinoa varieties and analyzing them for amino acid and micronutrient concentrations. The researchers are testing soil and nutrient management practices that enhance the crops’ nutritional values while also improving yield. Thousands of quinoa varieties are being evaluated in diverse soil types and unique environments.

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

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $927,581

Total award amount   $1,855,162

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Benson Hill

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Plants need nitrogen to grow. Although the majority of earth’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, plants cannot access this form of nitrogen. We awarded a grant to the University of California, Davis to study a Mexican corn variety, Sierra Mixe, that obtains atmospheric nitrogen with the help of microbes, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.

FFAR and NYSTAR Grant Helps RIT Examine Degradable Mulching Films 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $779,982

Total award amount   $1,560,000

Location   Rochester, NY

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)

Grantee Institution   Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT researchers are developing an alternative to plastic mulch that decomposes faster and can be more easily disposed of on farms. The resulting mulch has the potential to cut costs for farmers while drastically reducing the amount of waste they produce. It could also reduce pesticide use, conserve water and increase crop yield and quality.

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

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $999,680

Total award amount   $2,110,858

Location   Amherst, NY

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Appetite For Change, John Hopkins University, Massachusetts Avenue Project, University at Buffalo, University of Minnesota, Urban Fruits & Veggies LLC

Grantee Institution   Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Urban food systems promote community health by providing affordable and healthy food to low-income communities, yet there are limited resources for local governments that support urban food systems. SUNY researchers on behalf of the University at Buffalo are testing inclusive organizing models that advance policies supporting urban agriculture.

Precision Irrigation Scheduling for Specialty Crops 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $500,000

Total award amount   $1,323,242

Location   Boulder, CO

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   The University of Arizona Yuma, Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, University of California, Western Growers Association

Grantee Institution   GeoVisual Analytics

Farmers growing specialty crops deal with a multitude of complexities such as lacking access to cost-effective irrigation guidance tools. Specialty crops are often over-irrigated which can jeopardize food security. GeoVisual Analytics researchers are improving irrigation guidance and grower adoption of precision irrigation technologies by analyzing data and field measurements.

Increasing Dietary Fiber in Wheat Crop 

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $479,997

Total award amount   $959,997

Location   Davis, CA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Bay State Milling, California Wheat Commission, Limagrain Cereal Seeds

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Diets lacking fiber can lead to life-threatening health concerns. The federal Dietary Guidelines recommends that women consume 25 grams of fiber daily and men consume 38 grams; yet Americans only consume 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber. University of California, researchers are investigating ways to increase wheat dietary fiber using modified starch synthesis enzymes.