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

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434 Grants found

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Evaluation of the Efficacy, Agronomic Fit & Environmental Fate of Biopesticides for Management of Economically Important Diseases & Arthropod Pests of Hemp 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $210,000

Total award amount   $420,000

Location   Geneva, NY

Matching Funders   BioWorks

Because federal laws restricted hemp cultivation and research until recently, commercial hemp production lacks best practices, including effectively and safely managing pests and diseases. Academic and industry partners are collaborating to identify biopesticides – biologically derived crop protection products – that can control hemp’s major pest and disease threats. Researchers are studying the effectiveness of biopesticides, their compatibility with other crop protection products and the ability of hemp plants to tolerate biopesticide applications.

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, United Kingdom

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 Layer Hen Keel Bone Health program seeks to improve welfare in commercial laying hens and increase farmer productivity. This research 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.

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 Fellows Program 2023 Cohort 

Year Awarded  2023

Location   Raleigh, NC

Matching Funders   North Carolina State University

A unique three-year fellowship that prepares up to 48 graduate students to be the next generation of food and agriculture scientists by using an interdisciplinary approach to career readiness. Fellows work with university and industry representatives, as well as their peers, to conduct urgent research and engage in professional development.

Development of Novel Methanogenesis Inhibitors in Ruminants 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $324,519

Total award amount   $758,776

Location   State College, PA

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   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.

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.

Kirchner Food Fellowship HBCU 2023-2024 Cohort 

Year Awarded  2023

Location   Jacksonville, FL & Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders   Kirchner Group, the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund and individual donors.

The Kirchner Fellowship HBCU cohort is part of a $1 million five-year collaboration between the Kirchner Impact Foundation and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research to increase diversity within the venture capital industry by training HBCU students to become agriculture technology venture capitalists. Kirchner HBCU fellows invest capital in early-stage food and agriculture companies applying ground-breaking technologies to provide sustainable solutions to address global food challenges.

FFAR Grant Develops Premium Strawberry Flavors for Indoor Growing Environments 

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $1,800,000

Total award amount   $1,800,000

Location   Columbus, OH

Matching Funders   AeroFarms, BASF, Benson Hill, Fluence by OSRAM, GreenVenus and Priva

Grantee Institution   The Ohio State University

Researchers are identifying strawberry compounds that contribute to premium flavors and varieties that will thrive in controlled environment agriculture. Through innovative breeding techniques and advanced cultivation practices, the research team aims to unlock the full potential of strawberries in indoor farming, revolutionizing the crop variety landscape.

FFAR Vet Fellows Fifth Cohort 

Year Awarded  2023

Total award amount   $10,000 per student

Location   Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders   American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) announced the 13 recipients of the 2023 Veterinary Student Research Fellowships (Vet Fellows) in partnership with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). This fellowship creates opportunities for veterinary students to pursue research on global food security and sustainable animal production.