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News from NIFA
Living the Farm Dream
The nation’s Land-grant Colleges and Universities work through their Extension programs to ensure the nation has a secure and stable food supply and to educate and support farmers and ranchers. The 1890 Land-grant Universities (LGUs) stand as a crucial link to minority farmers as well as to new and beginning farmers who may not have a background in agriculture. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports these efforts in a variety of ways, including both capacity funding and competitive grants.
Kentucky State University (KSU), which is an 1890 LGU, has multiple programs working to improve both farming and farmers in the state. Learn more about Susan Miller, a third-generation farmer, who is benefitting from Kentucky State programs.
Susan Miller,
courtesy of Kentucky State University.
Read More:
Impacts of NIFA-funded research and Extension programs on our Blog page.
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1994 Tribal Scholarship Opportunities for Tribal College and University Students
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program seeks to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and related disciplines. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program combines classroom study with paid work experience that leads to employment at USDA.
Applications are currently being accepted for four Tribal Scholarship Opportunities with NIFA. Two of these positions have an explicit Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge component and will be housed within the Institute of Bioenergy, Climate and Environment and the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition. Additionally, a third position will be based in NIFA’s Office of Communications and the final one will be part of NIFA’s Equal Opportunity Staff. The application deadline is April 30 and the application package should be submitted via email to 1994@usda.gov.
Who’s Eligible?
Individuals must plan to attend, currently attend, or have recently graduated from a Tribal College or University. A recent graduate is someone who does not yet have a bachelor’s degree and who has graduated with an associate degree within the last two years. Find more information on completing an application package here.
Female student smiling at camera,
courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Award Announcements
NIFA Invests $5M for Higher Education Challenge
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced an investment of $5 million for 18 projects as part of the Higher Education Challenge (HEC). The HEC program strengthens institutional capacities, including curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, instruction delivery systems and student recruitment and retention, to respond to identified state, regional, national or international educational needs in the food and agricultural sciences, or in rural economic, community and business development. It focuses on improving formal, baccalaureate, or master’s degree level food and agricultural sciences education, and first professional degree-level education in veterinary medicine (DVM). Learn more about the program and recipients here.
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NIFA Invests $300K in Response to Extreme Weather Events Across the U.S.
NIFA will provide $300,000 — through the Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems program — for a hurricane-related project at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Rapid responses to extreme weather events are critical to maintaining a secure, accessible, safe, nutritious, affordable and abundant food supply. Innovative Extension and applied research efforts are needed to alleviate the impacts of extreme weather and disasters across the food and agricultural system. Funded through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, this program is designed to rapidly deploy strategies and fill knowledge and information gaps to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains during and after extreme weather and disasters.
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FY 2023 Distance Education Grant / Resident Instruction Grants Informational Technical Assistance Webinar
On April 5 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, NIFA professionals will host a technical assistance webinar for applicants interested in applying for Resident Instruction Grants (RIIA) and Distance Education Grants (DEG). These NIFA-administered competitive grants programs focus on improving formal, postsecondary agricultural sciences education in the following eight insular areas: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Virgin Islands of the United States. Register.
NIFA webinar graphic.
Renewable Resources Extension Act–National Focus Fund Projects Technical Assistance Webinar
On April 6 at noon EDT, staff with the Renewable Resources Extension Act – National Focus Funds program will host a webinar to discuss the program’s Request for Applications and answer audience questions. Register.
AFRI Technical Assistance Webinar Foundational Plant Sciences
Join NIFA staff on April 10 at 2 p.m. EDT for a technical assistance webinar regarding Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) - Foundational Plant Sciences program. Register.
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Technical Assistance RFA Q/A Session
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program team will host an informal Q/A sessions to answer any additional questions on April 11 at 2 p.m. EDT. Register.
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Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems
NIFA staff will host a webinar for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program on April 11 at 2:30 p.m. EDT. This program is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events. Register.
Equipment Grants Program Technical Assistance Webinar
NIFA staff will host a technical assistance webinar on April 11 at 4 p.m. EDT for people interested in learning more about the Equipment Grant Program. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire one major piece of equipment/instruments that support their research, training, and Extension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. Register.
Multicultural Scholars Program FY 2023 RFA Technical Assistance Webinar
NIFA staff for the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) will host a webinar for applicants interested in applying to MSP competitive program on April 12 at 4 p.m. EDT. The webinar will focus on the MSP Request for Applications and general program guidelines for FY 2023. Register.
NIFA Stakeholder Listening Session - Research Facilities Act Program
On April 13 at 3 p.m. EDT, NIFA will hold a virtual, open, public listening session with remote participation only to collect stakeholder input on the implementation of a new competitive grant. The purpose of the Research Facilities Act Program is to assist eligible institutions with the construction, modification, acquisition, modernization, refurbishment, or remodeling of their agricultural research facility to conduct research in the fields of food and agricultural sciences. NIFA is particularly interested in achieving the most impact and identifying suggested priorities in the program. Register.
AFRI Bioenergy, Natural Resources and Environment (BNRE) Program Area Technical Assistance Webinar
On April 25 at 3 p.m. EDT, program staff with the program area priorities in the Bioenergy, Natural Resources and Environment program area of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science program will be holding a technical assistance webinar. Register.
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Application Deadlines
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April 10: Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program
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April 13: Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program
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April 13: Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
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April 17: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – National Workforce Strategy Development
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April 17: Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Application
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April 17: Pre-Application Deadline: Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program
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April 19: Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program
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April 27: Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program – Organic Transitions
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April 27: Supplemental and Alternative Crops
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April 27: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
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April 28: Higher Education Challenge Grants Program
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April 28: Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program
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May 3: Equipment Grant Program
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May 4: The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Nutrition Incentive Program
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May 4: The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Nutrition Incentive Program - Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Centers
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May 5: Distance Education Grants for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas
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Impact of NIFA-Funded Research and Outreach
Clemson Researchers Help Provide Easier Access to Specialty Crop Big Data
Specialty crops may never rival row crops in the number of acres planted, but there’s no reason they can’t use the same technological advances – such as big data.
In the United States, the specialty crop industry is valued at $36 billion. The competitiveness and sustainability of this industry is currently threatened by declining land availability, labor shortages, pests, diseases, increasing costs, supply shortages and climate change. To help the industry overcome these challenges and ensure an adequate food supply, two Clemson University agriculture researchers have joined colleagues on a research initiative focused on expanding existing resources by providing easier access to “big data.” Learn more about this NIFA supported research.
Peach orchard at Clemson University’s Musser Fruit Research Center.
Image courtesy of Clemson University.
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News from USDA
USDA Seeks Nominees to Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers
USDA is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers. This committee recommends solutions to challenges faced by minority farmers and ranchers and is part of USDA’s commitment to advance equity for all, especially for farmers and producers in underserved communities. All nomination packages received by April 24 will be considered. For more information, email acmf@usda.gov. Additional guidance on submitting nominations can be found on the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers website.
USDA graphic symbol.
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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request. If you need interpretation or translation services please visit NIFA language services or contact Lois Tuttle, Equal Opportunity Specialist, at Lois.Tuttle@usda.gov or (443) 386-9488 no later than 10 days prior to the event.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension that solves 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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