Making a Difference

Continuing Battle Against Invasive Species

Nearly every terrestrial, wetland and aquatic ecosystem in the United States has been invaded by species that are non-native to it and whose introduction and continued presence causes economic, social or environmental harm. People, businesses and governments spend considerable time, money and other resources trying to control these unwanted invaders. Recent studies estimate that invasive species have cost North America $2 billion per year in the early 1960s to more than $26 billion annually since 2010. The total global estimated cost of these non-natives tops more than $1.288 trillion over the past 50 years. 

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is supporting research, education and Extension efforts to effectively manage invasive species with funding from multiple programs. Learn more about some NIFA supported projects here.

Invasive species word cloud. Graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Leading NIFA With Passion and Purpose

As we conclude Black History Month and recognize the beginning of historic contributions of women’s accomplishments across the nation, we highlight the first Black female associate directors at NIFA. NIFA Associate Director for Programs Dr. Dionne Toombs and Associate Director for Operations Drenda Williams share similarities in their journey to senior leadership with USDA. Their journey to career success did not go exactly as they planned, but each has achieved significant accomplishments during their USDA careers. Learn more about Dr. Toombs and Williams and their respective careers.

NIFA Associate Directors Dr. Dionne Toombs, left, and Drenda Williams. NIFA Image.

Meet NIFA SBIR/STTR Representatives on America’s Seed Fund Road Tour–South 

In April, staff from NIFA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs will join the South leg of America’s Seed Fund Road Tour to help small businesses, innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, small technology firms and others navigate the over $4 billion in early-stage funding opportunities through America’s Seed Fund.

The tour — which features programming as well as 1:1 in-person meetings — will stop in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas from April 2-5. Visit the America's Seed Fund Road Tour website to register.

NIFA Publishes New Application Development Guide for Prospective Grantees

NIFA has published a new Application Development Guide to help prospective grantees develop their application packages. This new resource was made available this week during NIFA’s annual Grants Support Technical Assistance Workshop, where staff demonstrated an overhauled Grants website section designed for an improved user experience. Learn more on the NIFA website.

NIFA and Homeland Security Working Together on U.S. Agricultural Security

Recently, professionals in NIFA’s Institute of Food Production and Sustainability participated—at the invitation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—in an advisory meeting to plan the trajectory of an emerging research project: “Systematic Mapping of Cross-Border Threats to Enhance U.S. Agricultural Security.” Division of Plant Systems—Protection Division Director Dr. Rubella Goswami, Dr. Amer Fayad, a national program leader in Plant Systems Protection and Dr. Michelle Colby, a national program leader in the Division of Animal Systems, represented NIFA at the meeting.

The project is being conducted by the Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense (CBTS) Center of Excellence, led by Texas A&M University and managed by the Office of University Programs, which is part of DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate. The purpose of the consultation was to seek input and to establish the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria and finalize the scope and objectives of the research.

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Cornell Study Shows Cows Have Potential as Therapeutic Research Model

Research involving animal models – for purposes such as developing new vaccines or regenerative medicines – generally employs mice, but new Cornell University research has identified another species that could be valuable to supplement this type of work.

Supported by NIFA funding, a multi-disciplinary team at Cornell has found that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow of cows share more common stem cell-related gene expression profiles with human MSCs than do those from mice. Their study, “Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Bovine Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Reveals Tissue-source and Species-specific Differences,” was published recently in iScience. Read more about their work.

Scientist with samples in a laboratory. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

USDA Releases 2022 Ag Census Data

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level. The information collected directly from producers shows a continued decline in the total number of U.S. farms. However, the data also show a rise in the number of new and beginning (operating 10 or fewer years on any farm) as well as young (under the age of 35) producers. Find the full Census of Agriculture report as well as publication dates for additional ag census data products can be found on the NASS website.

Ag Census Graphic courtesy of USDA NASS.