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Happy National 4-H Week!
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has proclaimed October 1-7 as National 4-H Week! 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States – a network of 500,000 volunteers and 3,500 4-H professionals that provides caring and supportive mentoring to six million 4-H’ers.
Did you know that National 4-H Week grew out of an initiative born during World War II? Learn more about the history of National 4-H Week as well as some exciting current 4-H efforts in Hawaii and South Dakota.
4-H members at a recent National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. USDA photo.
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News from NIFA
Advancing Environmental Justice Through Improved Responses to Extreme Weather Events
Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, heatwaves and flooding, which can have devastating consequences for communities, ecosystems and economies.
These extreme events often disproportionately affect marginalized communities, intensifying environmental injustices.
Read more on how USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is supporting programs that address these disparities.
Flooding from Hurricane Irma. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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Award Announcements
NIFA Invests $8.2 Million in Food and Agricultural Nonformal Education
NIFA is supporting 11 projects that provide formal or nonformal education experiential learning for students to enter or gain skills applicable to the food and agriculture fields. These projects will help students develop the critical thinking, problem solving, digital competency, international experiences and communication skills needed for future employment and/or higher education. Data science, including artificial intelligence, automation and robotics — as well as gene editing and biotechnology — are supported in this program area priority.
NIFA Invests $7.6 Million in Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems
NIFA is investing $7.6 million in 13 projects addressing critical data science challenges. These projects will focus on intersections between data science/artificial intelligence and agricultural areas to enable systems and communities to effectively utilize data, improve resource management and integrate new technologies and approaches to further U.S. food and agriculture enterprises.
NIFA Invests $5 Million in AgVets Program
NIFA is investing $5 million to support 11 projects focused on veterans. The Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets) program specifically targets military veterans interested in pursuing careers across the food and agricultural sector. Equipping veterans with the necessary skills, training and experience that lead to meaningful employment opportunities strengthens personal finances and rural economies.
NIFA Invests $3.8 Million in Rural Food Animal Veterinary Medicine Across the U.S.
There is a critical shortage of food animal veterinarians in both private and public practice, particularly in rural communities. NIFA is supporting 22 Veterinary Services Grant Program Awards with $3.8 million to help mitigate these veterinary service shortages.
NIFA Invests $3.6 Million for 4-H Military Grants
NIFA is investing $3.6 million across five projects at three Land-grant Universities relating to youth and 4-H military programs. These projects will work to foster positive youth development programs and services, both on and off military installations. Awardees: Kansas State University (2 awards); North Carolina State University (two awards); and Purdue University.
NIFA Invests Nearly $1 Million in Laying Hen and Turkey Research
NIFA is supporting two projects to improve efficiency and sustainability of laying hen and turkey production through integrated collaborative research and technology transfer. Awardees: North Carolina State University; and Nutramaize, LLC, Indiana.
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NIFA graphic.
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Impact of NIFA-Funded Research and Outreach
Virginia Tech Poultry Geneticist Honored with Lifetime Research Award
Dr. Paul Siegel, a professor emeritus in Virginia Tech’s School of Animal Science, received the 2023 Golden Goose Award in recognition of his more than 60 years of research in poultry genetics.
Shortly after joining Virginia Tech, Siegel initiated a pedigreed growth selection study, selecting birds for either high or low body weight when the birds were eight weeks of age. He has selectively bred and maintained the lines continuously for more than 65 years.
Several years later, he started another long-running experiment, this time involving a chicken’s immune response, where he separated chickens into high- and low-immune function lines. Read more about Siegel’s lifetime of research.
Support for his work came from Hatch Act funds and USDA Multistate Funds, which are both guided by USDA NIFA.
Since 2012, the Golden Goose Award has recognized researchers whose federally funded work has resulted in breakthroughs with tremendous human and economic benefits. Those include the development of life-saving medicines and treatments, game-changing social and behavioral insights, and major technological advances related to national security, energy, the environment, communications and public health. The award has been under the stewardship of American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2017.
Siegel with his high- and low-weight chickens. Image courtesy of John McCormick, Virginia Tech.
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News from USDA
USDA Launches Nutrition Hub to Combat Diet-Related Diseases in Underserved Communities
USDA has announced its new Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health) in support of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot effort to end cancer.
This new virtual center will accelerate research on diet-related chronic diseases, including cancer. A long-term goal of the center is to translate research into impactful solutions that improve public health and wellbeing, particularly in underserved communities.
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and NIFA are investing $1 million to hire two full-time Nutrition Hub co-directors, one employed by ARS, and one employed by Southern University. This leadership structure enables a close partnership between USDA and Southern University to plan and carry out Hub activities that leverage the strengths, resources and relationships of both organizations. The funding will also support a full-time graduate student at Southern University. Learn more about the new nutrition hub.
USDA logo.
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Facebook Post of the Week
Recently, NIFA's Dr. Dionne Toombs, associate director for programs, had the opportunity to perform the coin toss at SC State University's inaugural Ag & Land-Grant Celebration.
The Ag and Land-Grant Celebration provides a platform for the university to showcase its past accomplishments and educate South Carolinians on the institution’s impact of providing relevant services and programs that empower communities.
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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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