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Editor: Kelly Sprute July 15, 2020
Making a Difference
 Purdue University graduate student Josiah Davidson collects a nasal swab from a calf to test for bovine respiratory disease. Photo courtesy Suraj Mohan.
Purdue University Team to Develop Rapid Sensor Technology for Cattle Disease
Bovine respiratory disease, one of the most prevalent and costly illnesses in the beef and dairy industries, accounts for about half of all feedlot deaths in North America and costs producers as much as $900 million a year, according to Purdue University. Quickly diagnosing the illness could improve the well-being of animals and save producers significant money. With current tests, it can take four or more days to deliver results. Purdue University researchers, led by Mohit Verma, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, are developing technology to reduce the diagnosis time to about 30 minutes. Their work is being funded by a $1 million Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS) grant from USDA's National Institute of Food & Agriculture. For more information, read the Purdue article.
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Leadership Transition for NIFA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced that Dr. Parag Chitnis will serve as Acting Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) upon the departure of Dr. Scott Angle.
“Dr. Chitnis brings more than 31 years of scientific research and experience to the Director’s office. He has been instrumental in providing steady leadership and support to NIFA during its transition to Kansas City last fall, in addition to playing a lead role on NIFA’s Project CAFÉ (Collaboratively Achieving Functional Excellence) initiative which aims to help NIFA maximize business operations to better serve its customers,” said Secretary Perdue. “We thank Dr. Angle for his many contributions to NIFA and service to USDA and U.S. Agriculture.” For more information, read the USDA press release.
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NIFA Career Opportunities
We are hiring! Remember to check out NIFA's Career Opportunities webpage, where there is a direct link to all open positions. You can also explore NIFA jobs at the USAjobs.gov website. Current openings in Kansas City, Missouri:
Program Assistant, GS 5-7
Closing date: 7/16/2020
Administrative Officer, GS 11
Closing date: 7/09/2020
Lead Staff Accountant, GS 13
Closing date: 07/21/2020
Internal Controls Officer, GS 13
Closing date: 07/21/2020
Biological/Social Science Specialist (National Program Leader), GS 13-15
Closing date: 9/30/2020
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UMass Receives USDA Education and Workforce Development Grant
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Food Science has been awarded a five-year, $482,549 grant to fund an experiential learning program for undergraduates, including independent research opportunities with faculty mentors and paid summer internships with industrial partners in the greater Boston area. UMass Amherst's Food Science Undergraduate Experiential Learning Scholars program received one of 26 grants totaling $11.6 million from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Part of NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative's education and workforce development effort, the yearlong UMass Amherst program is designed to prepare students for a career in food science. For more information, read the UMass article.
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University of Connecticut Students Will Showcase Innovative Agriculture throughout Connecticut
A group of students from the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) received an IDEA grant from the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research. Their project will help bridge the communication gap between agriculture and consumers. Approximately two percent of the population is involved in agriculture, but we all need to eat every day. There is a growing disconnect between agriculture and consumers because they are not involved in agriculture. Misinformation about food and agriculture is also increasing. Connecting consumers to farms expands their access to relevant information. For more, read the UConn article.
Left to right: Jonathan Russo, Alyson Schneider, and Zachary Duda. Image courtesy of UConn.
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Development of Biomarkers of Dietary Intake and Exposure
The following Requests for Application (RFAs) have been released as part of a joint initiative of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This collaborative effort will build upon mission-relevant research of both agencies to develop and enhance disease prevention strategies to improve the health of this Nation. Its objectives are to: 1) support the discovery and validation of dietary biomarkers of intake and exposure, and 2) develop an inventory and database on the food specific molecular signatures. Contact information for additional questions can be found within each RFA. For more information:
- Development of Dietary Biomarkers of Intake and Exposure
- Biomarkers of Dietary Intake and Exposure Coordinating Center
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NIFA Invests $6.4 Million for Research on Pests and Beneficial Species in Agriculture
NIFA recently awarded 15 grants for pests and beneficial species research to help manage pests and beneficial species that affect agricultural crops. NIFA investments help to develop better strategies to foster beneficial insects and microbes that have potential to combat pests. Funded grants support research to promote beneficial organisms associated with pests, as well as to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that inform interactions between plants, pests, or beneficial species. This research will lead to innovative, environmentally-sound strategies to manage agricultural pests and beneficial species. These grants are a part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
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NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension that solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our land-grant and non-land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.
If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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