NIFA recently published a set of frequently asked questions regarding new agency flexibilities that may help our partners cope with current social distancing efforts taking place across the country. The document states that awardees are authorized to continue to charge salaries, stipends, and benefits to currently active USDA NIFA awards consistent with the recipient’s policy of paying salaries (under unexpected or extraordinary circumstances) from all funding sources, Federal and non-Federal. This includes both “competitive” and “capacity” funds. Further, it provides instructions to project directors if a project cannot work towards its science objectives during this time and what they should do if a competitively awarded project cannot be completed within its original time frame or budget. We will publish additional guidance as future questions arise and events unfold.
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News
Meet NIFA’s Acting Congressional and Stakeholder Affairs Officer
For the past four years, Mitch Adams has worked for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as a Legislative Analyst. In this role, Mitch served as the liaison on legislative matters with Congress, various Executive Branch agencies and other USDA departments.
Prior to his time with FSIS, Mitch worked for the House of Representatives for eight years, advising two Members of Congress from his home state of Iowa. In these roles, he served as the Senior Legislative Assistant focusing on agriculture, energy, transportation, and environmental issues. Mitch has worked successfully with federal agencies, congressional leadership, local and state governments, community leaders, organizations, and institutions to address priorities important to constituents across Iowa. He is proud to come from one of the nation's leading agricultural and energy producing states.
Mitch holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Northern Iowa. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, playing soccer, being outdoors, and spending time with his wife Sarah. Say “hello” virtually.
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2020 EFNEP Conference
Nearly 200 Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Coordinators from across the nation came together to share accomplishments, exchange best practices and engage in discussions and collaborations to further nutrition education initiatives to improve human health and well-being.
Congratulations LEAD21 Graduates
Be sure to congratulate Steve Smith and Steve Thomson, NIFA’s newest LEAD21 graduates. Over the past year, they met regularly with their peers, both in-person and virtually, to enhance their leadership capacity. LEAD21 purpose is to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics, and extension who can lead more effectively in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current positions or future leadership positions.
Home Learning Opportunities
Cooperative Extension has resources and tools to keep your kids engaged with learning from home. A wide variety of youth-led learning resources are available for you and your family for at-home learning. Here are two resources: Iowa State University Extension and Purdue University Extension.
Uber to Launch New Fleet of Cars Piloted by Specially-Trained Canine Drivers
In a bid to attract even more customers to their platform, Uber has just announced that they will be launching a new ride service that allows passengers to request a canine driver. The service, which is being called UberArf, will employ a team of specialized mid- to large-sized pups as drivers in several major US cities. The pups will reportedly be receiving a wage of four treats and three belly rubs per hour, although Uber representatives declined to comment on whether this constituted “equal pay”. Read the full Good News Network article.
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Revolutionizing the World’s Inefficiencies in Fish Farming
Aquaculture and especially fish farming, play a key role in securing food security in the United States and around the world. However, for fish farming to be sustainable and economically viable, drastic improvements to current labor-intensive and resource-inefficient operations are required.
Florida Atlantic University’s (FAC) associate research professor at Harbor Branch Bing Ouyang and team of researchers are deploying a solution with a $1.2 million, four-year integrative project grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation. The group designed, developed, and deployed the initial prototype of a Hybrid Aerial Underwater Robotic System, a transformative collaborative robotic system.
"Our solution can be summarized as the Internet of Aquaculture," Ouyang said. “The Autonomous Unmanned Platform is integrated with underwater sensors to collect water quality data from various locations in the fish farm and sending the results back to a land-based site.” Read the full FAC article.
Paul Wills stands next to Bing Ouyang. Image courtesy of Florida Atlantic University.
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Study Finds Depression in Rural Mothers Affects the Whole Family
A 30-year-long study led by a WSU researcher found low-income mothers in rural areas who face depression are more likely to experience other health problems, as well as distrust their doctors. Mental health issues were found to be stigmatized in rural areas more than urban areas, specifically depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. The research project started in 1999 and focuses on the impacts of the welfare system, health changes and resilience among low-income families living in rural areas. The project follows about 450 families total over the course of the study, with some families being interviewed for about three years. The study is funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information read the full Daily Evergreen article.
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John Krasinski brings ‘Some Good News’ in a New YouTube Series
Looking for some good news these days? John Krasinski has got you covered. The co-star of “The Office” launched a YouTube series on Sunday afternoon called “Some Good News” that focuses on feel-good stories, rather than the more dire, doom-and-gloom reports. Watch the first YouTube episode.
A screenshot from John Krasinski's new YouTube series "Some Good News." YouTube/SomeGoodNews
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Seven Tricks to Make Zoom Meetings Great
Now that everyone is teleworking, Zoom has become a household name. It’s a great platform for videoconferencing and one that I’ve been using for years. It’s a must-have for attending daily—sometimes hourly—remote meetings with coworkers around the world. One of Zoom’s greatest strengths is that it’s reasonably easy to start using right out of the gate. Once you’ve got the hang of it, though, there’s also a lot of cool little tricks and features under the hood. Read the full Fast Company article.
Fun Facts Every Disney Fan Should Know
For nearly a century, Walt Disney's name has been synonymous with fun. From the creation of Mickey Mouse and his legendary slate of animated classic films to his titular amusement parks around the world and Disney+ emerging as one of the premier streaming services on the market, there's never been a better time to be a Disneyphile. Read the full Mental Floss article.
How to Create a Meaningful Connection While Apart
Author Priya Parker shares tools for creating meaningful connections with friends, family and coworkers during the current situation—and she shows how we can take advantage of gatherings that are unique to this moment of social distancing. "We don't necessarily need to gather more," she says. "We need to gather better." Watch the Ted Talk Video.
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