Williams Named NIFA Associate Director of Operations

NIFA Acting Director Dr. Dionne Toombs announced Drenda Williams as the new Associate Director for Operations. In this role, she will provide oversight of the agency's operations for a workforce of over 340 employees and an operating budget above $100 million.

Since May 2020, Drenda has served NIFA as the Director of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, Acting Associate Director of Operations and Acting Senior Policy and Operations Officer, making significant agency impacts in civil rights, operations, policy, and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. As a USDA career employee of more than 28 years, she previously used her extensive leadership experience at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in critical agency functions including operations, administrative transformation, Farm Bill programs, performance targets and policy development.

Drenda started her career as one of the first USDA 1890 National Scholars at Lincoln University, where she obtained a B.S. in agriculture with an emphasis in natural resources as a first-generation college graduate.

Crop Protection and Pest Management Program

The purpose of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program is to address high priority issues related to pests and their management using IPM approaches at the state, regional and national levels. The CPPM program supports projects that will ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent and safe for human health. The outcomes of the CPPM program are effective, affordable and environmentally sound IPM practices and strategies needed to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities. ​Closing Date: February 13, 2023.

Woman spraying crops from pests, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Methyl Bromide Transition Program

The Methyl Bromide Transition Program addresses the immediate needs and the costs of transition that have resulted from the phase-out of the pesticide methyl bromide. Methyl bromide has been a pest and disease control tactic critical to pest management systems for decades for soilborne and postharvest pests. The program focuses on integrated commercial-scale research on methyl bromide alternatives and associated Extension activity that will foster the adoption of these solutions. Projects should cover a broad range of new methodologies, technologies, systems and strategies for controlling economically important pests for which methyl bromide has been the only effective pest control option. Closing Date: February 13, 2023. 

Covered fields, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Food Safety Outreach Program

The Food Safety Outreach Program will complement and expand the national infrastructure of the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach and Technical Assistance Competitive Grants Program. The Food Safety Outreach Program will build upon that national infrastructure with a sustained focus on delivery of customized training to members of the target audiences. Awardees will develop and implement food safety training, education, Extension, outreach and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, underserved farmers, small processors, and small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers. Grant applications will be solicited directly from those in local communities to include those from community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, food hubs, farm cooperatives, Extension and other local groups. Closing Date: February 16, 2023.

Worker in egg farm inspects eggs, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

AgrAbility - Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities

The AgrAbility program increases the likelihood that farmers, ranchers, farm workers and farm family members with disabilities will experience success in agricultural production. The program supports projects between State Cooperative Extension System and private, nonprofit disability organizations who work in partnership to provide agricultural education and assistance directed at accommodating disability in farm operations for individuals with disabilities and their families who engage in farming and farm-related occupations. Closing Date: January 19, 2023.

Disabled farmer, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

We Want to Hear from You about NIFA’s Grants Modernization Initiative

As part of NIFA’s Grants Modernization Initiative, we are examining NIFA’s current external facing grants management system capabilities and exploring two new grants management solutions – eRA and GrantSolutions. As part of our process, we are considering a number of factors such as what advantages our current systems have in meeting our customers’ needs; what are the “gaps” in our current systems’ capabilities; how familiar our external stakeholders are with the eRA (Commons) and GrantSolutions systems; and what grants management features are most important to our customers’ experience.

We welcome your feedback on NIFA’s Grants Modernization Initiative. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about NIFA’s current grants managements systems or the grants management systems NIFA is considering adopting in the future (eRA or GrantSolutions), please send them to NIFAGrantsMod@usda.gov.

Grants modernization process graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock.

National 4-H Conference Information Session

Join NIFA for a virtual information session December 7 at 4 p.m. EST to learn more about the 2023 National 4-H Conference being held in April 2023, including the registration process, schedule and key events, chaperone roles and travel logistics. For more information about National 4-H Conference, visit our website. Registration is required. Register Now.

NIFA 2023 National 4-H Conference Save the Date graphic.

NIFA Invests $59M to Improve Dietary Health and Nutrition Security

NIFA announced an investment of $59.4 million to support the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program’s (GusNIP) Produce Prescription and Nutrition Incentive programs, which provide incentives to income-eligible individuals and families to procure fresh fruits and vegetables. The awards follow through on a commitment made in the administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. 

                          Mom and daugther shopping for produce. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Helping Keep Fisheries Healthy and Productive

November 21 was World Fisheries Day, a day that highlights the critical importance of healthy ocean, river and lake ecosystems and sustainable stocks of fisheries worldwide. With support from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the nation’s Land-grant Universities play a critical role in helping solve some of the most pressing challenges to keeping fisheries healthy and productive. Read here to learn about work being done at Mississippi State University and the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

World Fisheries Day NIFA Graphic.

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Impacts of NIFA-funded research and Extension programs on our blogs page.

AFRI Food and Agriculture Nonformal Education Webinar

Join NIFA staff for an information webinar November 29 at 4 p.m. EST about the AFRI Food and Agriculture Nonformal Education program. This program area priority will support content development and activities for non-formal education to foster development of technology-savvy youths. Projects must develop activities that cultivate interest and competencies in STEM and in food and agricultural sciences supported by the six Farm Bill AFRI priority areas . Data science, including artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics as well as gene editing, and biotechnology will be supported in this program area priority.

NIFA webinar graphic.

Texas A&M Developing a Public Hemp Germplasm Collection for Southern U.S.

Texas growers tried hemp. They used Colorado germplasm and European germplasm without much success. Now a team of Texas A&M AgriLife breeders is trying to fill a gap in breeding that hasn’t been met in Texas for more than 60 years. Read more about how Texas A&M AgriLife researchers are working to develop new varieties that can handle the heat and drought issues of Texas.

Russell Jessup, Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder, looks at hemp plants that are a part of his cultivar research with Texas A&M AgriLife.
Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife.

Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Impacting Communities through Workforce Development

A program that has been making an impact in southeast Missouri since 2021 is the Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Southeast Missouri Workforce Development Program. This program trains men and women in learning and developing personal and professional leadership and interpersonal skills to upskill workers and prepare them for long-term success. Read more about this effort here.

Educator and program participant working together, courtesy of Lincoln University

It’s not often that we learn about a scientist who is so inspired by her NIFA-funded research that she is moved to pen poetry. Learn more about how drought research conducted by Jess Gersony, assistant professor at Smith College, inspired six poems that have been published in four literary journals.

Meet Angelica Van Goor

Angelica is a national program leader for NIFA's Division of Animal Systems. "I had such a positive experience at NIFA as a AAAS Science Policy Fellow (2018-2019) that I had to come back. This really is my dream job!"