NIFA Update - Nov. 17, 2021

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

NIFA Update Banner

Editor: Kelly Sprute                                                                                November 17, 2021

Making a Difference

Aerial drone courtesy of Getty Images.

Aerial drone courtesy of Getty Images.

Adaptive Swarm Robotics Could Revolutionize Smart Agriculture

Texas A&M University researchers are working to establish a configurable, adaptive, and scalable swarm system consisting of unmanned ground and aerial robots designed to assist in collaborative smart agriculture tasks.

The use of adaptive swarm robotics has the potential to provide significant environmental and economic benefits to smart agriculture efforts globally through the implementation of autonomous ground and aerial technologies. A project led jointly by Kiju Lee, Muthukma Bagavathiannan, in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and Juan Landivar in the AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the National Robotics Initiative 3.0 program.

“Current trends in precision agriculture and smart farming mostly focus on larger machinery or a single or a small number of robots equipped and programmed to perform highly specialized tasks,” Lee said. “This project will serve as a critical pathway toward our long-term goal of establishing a deployable easy-to-use swarm robotic system that can serve as a universal platform for broad agriculture applications.” For more information, read the Texas A&M Today article.

NIFA News

Native American Heritage Month graphic.

NIFA Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

This November, NIFA joins together to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. During this month, we acknowledge the people, culture, and contributions of the Native American community. Through numerous programs and services, read how NIFA supports the tribal community through promoting education, youth development, and environmental conservation. For more information, read this NIFA blog.

Native American Heritage Month graphic.


Golden trophy awards, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

USDA Announces National Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) recently honored four public university faculty with national teaching awards recognizing excellence in agricultural sciences teaching and student engagement. Anna Dilger of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Nick Fuhrman of the University of Georgia were named national recipients of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences. James C. Anderson II of the University of Georgia and Erica Irlbeck of Texas Tech University were named recipients in the national Teaching and Student Engagement category. The awards, which celebrate university faculty for their use of innovative teaching methods and service to students, will be presented as part next week at the APLU Annual Meeting. For more information, read this NIFA press release.

Golden trophy awards, courtesy of Adobe Stock.


Your Feedback Matters graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock.

NIFA Solicits Commodity Board Co-Funding Topics for 2022

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has posted a notice soliciting submission of co-funding topics from Commodity Boards for inclusion in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) FY2022 Requests for Applications (RFAs). While we accept submissions year-round, we ask that you submit your topics by January 11, 2022 to ensure that we can review them for the FY 2022 AFRI RFAs. The NIFA Commodity Board website includes Frequently Asked Questions as well as the approximate timeline for the FY2022 program and other relevant information.

Your Feedback Matters graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock.


NIFA flower identifier

NIFA Career Opportunities

We are hiring! The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recruits a diverse group of talented, creative, motivated professionals who are invested in shaping the future of food and agricultural science. We offer a variety of benefits and services to our employees that focus on work-life balance, career enhancement, and health and well-being. NIFA has career opportunities in a variety of scientific disciplines covering engineering, food science, forestry, education, animal and crop sciences, and many other agriculture-related disciplines. NIFA job openings are listed on USAJobs. Current NIFA job openings are for Kansas City, Missouri, or location negotiable after selection.

Student Trainee (Biological Science) (GS 4)
This is a temporary appointment.
Closing Date: November 26, or when we have received 70 applications.
View the job announcement.

Student Trainee (Social Science) (GS 4)
This is a temporary appointment. Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Closing Date: November 26, or when we have received 70 applications.
View the job announcement.

USDA Messages

USDA graphic symbol

USDA Announces New Initiatives Serving Indian Country

During the historic White House Tribal Leaders Summit, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several new initiatives that expand USDA’s commitment to serving Indian Country through equitable policies and programs. “USDA respects the unique nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government and tribal nations,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Today we launch initiatives that reframe and reimagine how USDA supports Indigenous agriculture and tribal communities. These are among the bold actions by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that USDA appropriately engages tribal nations in a way that aligns with their sovereignty and our nation’s trust and treaty responsibility.” For more information, read the USDA press release.


Navajo dreamcatcher graphic, courtesy of Getty Images.

USDA Initiatives to Serve Tribal Nations

Actions to strengthen both sovereignty of Tribal nations in USDA programs, and relations with USDA were announced at the White House Tribal Nations Summit. USDA’s Rod Bain talks with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Office of Tribal Relations Director Heather Dawn Thompson about how USDA’s is rethinking its priorities for Tribal Nations. For more information, listen to this USDA broadcast.

Navajo dreamcatcher graphic, courtesy of Getty Images.


Grocery bag full of fresh food, courtesy of Getty Images.

Increasing U.S. Efforts in Assuring Global Food Security

The United States through its various international food aid programs is boosting its effort to reduce global food insecurity. USDA’s Rod Bain talks with U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power and Deputy Agriculture Secretary Jewel Bronaugh how the U.S. can do more to fight global food insecurity. reports. For more information, listen to this USDA broadcast.

Grocery bag full of fresh food, courtesy of Getty Images. 

News for You

National Extension Tourism graphic

National Extension Tourism Winners

The inaugural National Extension Tourism (NET) Awards were presented to two teams at the 2021 NET Conference in Savannah, Georgia, on November 10. This award recognizes an extension or outreach individual or a team for their work in any aspect of tourism development, or for accomplishments relative to scholarly and creative activities, teaching and/or research effectiveness. The NET Awards Committee oversees the awards nomination and selection process. The NET conference was supported in part by a grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant. View the winners online at the National Extension Tourism Network.


The Organic Ag Institute graphic, a University of California program.

Organic Ag Institute Begins Forming Knowledge Network

After pioneering the organic movement in the 1970s, California now leads the nation in number of organic farms, total organic acreage and overall organic crop value. Now, with the creation of the Organic Agriculture Institute, the University of California will be able to leverage its vast capacity for research, extension and education to further improve the sustainability, resilience and profitability of organic agriculture in the state. In its first major public initiative, the Organic Agriculture Institute, a program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, is conducting a statewide needs assessment for organic agriculture. The Institute recently received a planning grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to conduct a formal needs assessment through summer 2022. For more information, read the University of California article.

The Organic Ag Institute graphic, a University of California program.


University of Georgia Professor Bob Kemerait, courtesy of UGA.

Plant Pathologist Recognized for Improving the World, One Peanut at a Time

When University of Georgia (UGA) peanut pathologist Bob Kemerait does something, he does it wholeheartedly. Kemerait has been instrumental in the continuing development of the Peanut Rx tool that was created by peanut scientists at UGA and in neighboring states to help producers make critical crop decisions. On Nov. 9, the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture honored Kemerait with the 2021 Southern Region Excellence in Extension Award. For more information, read the UGA CAES newswire article.

University of Georgia Professor Bob Kemerait, courtesy of UGA.


Glass of chocolate milk, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Keeping Chocolate Milk Smooth and Stable Without Carrageenan

Fat-free chocolate milk processed for the first time with high-pressure jet technology exhibits enhanced viscosity, stabilizing cocoa particles in the fluid, and eliminating the need for adding a controversial emulsifier. That’s the conclusion of a team of Penn State University researchers, whose study suggests that the new technology can preclude the use of carrageenan in chocolate milk. The widely used food additive, helps keep the liquid smooth and well-mixed even after days sitting on a store shelf, is not desired by many consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Dairy Council partially funded this research. For more information, read the Penn State news article.

Glass of chocolate milk, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Partner Funding Opportunity

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID logo

Understanding Global Insect Production Request for Information

The Interagency Insect Protein Working Group is pleased to announce the launch of the joint Understanding Global Insect Production Request for Information (RFI) with The U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The release of this RFI comes at an opportune time where the world is working to cut emissions and adapt to climate change. Market trends and early research suggest that insect production in some form could play a beneficial role in many of the sectors we work in, however, we need more information to make informed and evidence-based decisions. For more information, read the Understanding Global Insect Production RFI.

Webinars

Webinar graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock. 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program Request for Applications Informational Webinar December 3, 12 p.m. ET

NIFA staff will provide an overview of the FY2022 Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program Request for Applications to interested applicants on December 3, at 12 p.m. ET. Program staff will be available to answer any questions. For more information, go to the Hispanic-Serving Institutions webinar announcement.

Webinar graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock. 


Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities (AgrAbility) Webinar December 9, at 1 p.m. ET

NIFA will host a webinar for applicants interested in applying to the Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities (AgrAbility) competitive program on December 9, at 1pm ET. The webinar will focus on the FY 2022 Request for Applications, general program guidelines and application process. For more information, go to the AgrAbility webinar announcement.

Tweet of the Week

Did you miss National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day? Don't worry, you can still prevent foodborne illnesses.