Sonny Perdue Sworn in as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
 On Tuesday, April 25, Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by
fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas
in a brief ceremony at the Supreme Court building. Perdue's wife, Mary Ruff Perdue, held the Bible as he took the oath of office. He later addressed employees at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) before getting to work on his first day. USDA also launched his official Twitter handle: @SecretarySonny.
“As secretary, I will champion the concerns of farmers, ranchers, foresters,
and producers, and will work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm
families," said Perdue. "I am proud to have been given this opportunity
and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work as we continue to
move the USDA and our nation forward.”
Read the release on the USDA website.
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Webinar: AFRI Foundational -- Critical Agricultural Research and Extension
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational Program is designed to support research and extension efforts that quickly yield solutions for critical programs that impede the efficient production of agriculturally important plants and animals that can be rapidly implemented by producers. The application deadline will be summer-fall of 2017. Roughly $3 million will be available to fund proposals. The webinar is an opportunity to learn more about the CARE program and its application process. A webinar will be held on May 2 at 1 p.m. EDT. To access Adobe Connect, and contact Olivia Kwong, (202) 720-7536 for more information.
 2017 National Health Outreach Conference
The 2017 National Health Outreach Conference planning team invites you to Annapolis, Maryland on May 2-4. The conference theme, "Navigating the World of Health: A Sea of Opportunity," will set the stage to explore new ideas, best practices, promising research, and innovative educational outreach.
This conference seeks to provide a multidisciplinary and ecological view of health and wellness research, practice, and outreach education. The conference will offer a combination of workshops, seminars, research updates, theoretical perspectives, and thought-provoking dialogue to engage participants in the dynamic and complex world of health.
Check out the concurrent sessions and speakers that will be available. Take a look at the pre-conference sessions too. Conference registration.
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Webinar: 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants
NIFA will host a
webinar for interested applicants concerning the FY 2017 Request for
Applications for the 1890 Institution
Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program. CBG is intended to strengthen teaching,
research, and extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences by
building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions,
including Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central
State University. More information on this
funding opportunity is available on NIFA’s
website. The webinar will be held on
May 3 at 10 to 11 a.m. EDT.
To access Adobe Connect, enter the meeting room as a guest with your first and last name. No software downloads are needed, but you do need Flash installed on your computer.
Webinar: Higher Education Challenge Grants Program
On May 3, NIFA will host a webinar for interested applicants
concerning the FY 2017 Request for Applications for the Higher
Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program. HEC focuses on improving
formal, baccalaureate, or master’s degree level food, agricultural, natural
resources, and human sciences education and first professional
degree-level education in veterinary medicine. More information on
this funding opportunity is available on NIFA’s
website. The webinar will be held on
May 3 at 1 to 2 p.m. EDT.
To
access Adobe Connect, enter the meeting room as a guest with your first and last
name. The process should require no software downloads, but you will need to
have Flash installed on your computer.
 Conference on Preparing Winning Grants
On May 11, Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, in collaboration with NIFA's Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, will host the “1st Conference on Preparing Winning Grants." This workshop will focus on NIFA’s Food Science and Nutrition competitive grant programs, with an emphasis on mentorship and successful grant writing.
Program Highlights include:
- A focus on nutrition, food science, and food safety research, education, and extension.
- New investigators, 1890 Land-Grant Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities, and 1994 Tribal College faculty are highly encouraged to attend.
- Successful NIFA Food Science, Nutrition, and Food Safety Awardees will be assigned as mentors.
Date: May 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT
Location: Delaware State University at Dover Downs, Dover, Delaware
Meeting Registration
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Our Farms, Our Future Conference
Save the Date: April 3-5, 2018
Mark your calendars for an important national sustainable agriculture event one year from now, the Our Farms, Our Future Conference, hosted by SARE and National Center for Appropriate Technology (NACAT)/ATTRA. This national event will bring together a diverse agricultural community: farmers and ranchers, agricultural
professionals, agribusiness, students, researchers, scientists, agency
representatives, and nonprofit leaders. Every decade, SARE hosts a conference
to look at the progress of sustainability in agriculture, and to understand the trajectory for the future.
Watch the conference website for more details, or join the SARE Outreach group to receive updates by email.
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 FY 2017 RFA Released for Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grant Program
The Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grant Program provides funding
for food safety training and education for small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers affected
by the Food Safety Modernization Act. View the RFA for details.
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Agriculture
and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts Challenge
Area
The AFRI -
Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts (SBEBP) Challenge Area is designed to
achieve the long-term goal of advancing bioeconomy by facilitating development
of regional systems for the sustainable production of bioenergy, industrial
chemicals, and biobased products from renewable sources, and by building a strong
workforce, increasing stakeholder engagement, and informing policy makers.
In FY 2017, this Challenge Area is soliciting applications in two priority
areas: 1) Lignin or nano-cellulosic co-products from biomass feedstocks; and 2)
Biomass feedstock genetic development and evaluation. Applications are invited
from eligible entities to submit single-function research projects,
multi-function integrated Research, Education, and/or Extension projects and
Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. View the RFA for details.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative -- Resilient Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate
The AFRI Resilient Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate (RACC) Challenge
Area focuses on sustainable increase in agricultural productivity and the
availability and accessibility of safe and nutritious food. In FY 2017, the
AFRI RACC Challenge Area will invest in one priority area, Climate, Land Use,
and Land Management. Through these investments, NIFA will address the
understanding of underlying processes, drivers and consequences of land use
change, including biophysical and biogeochemical processes, climate feedbacks
and environmental outcomes, and social, behavioral, economic and land use
interaction. Applications for this Challenge Area will support multi-function
Integrated Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. View the RFA for details.
NSF -- NIFA Plant Biotic Interactions Program
The Plant Biotic Interactions (PBI) program supports research on the
processes that mediate beneficial and antagonistic interactions between plants
and their viral, bacterial, oomycete, fungal, plant, and invertebrate
symbionts, pathogens and pests. This joint NSF-NIFA program supports projects
focused on current and emerging model and non-model systems and agriculturally
relevant plants. View the RFA for details.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative -- Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences Education and Literacy Initiative
The AFRI Food,
Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences Education and Literacy
Initiative (ELI) focuses on the professional development of secondary school
teachers and educational professionals, as well as the training of undergraduate
students and predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows. The goal of the AFRI ELI
Program is to develop the next generation of research, education, and extension
professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. View the RFA for details.
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