NIFA Update--April 24, 2024

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture sent this bulletin at 04/24/2024 05:30 PM EDT

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Maggie Lawrence, Editor

April 24, 2024

Buff breasted saltator. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Making a Difference

Tropical Birds Could Tolerate Warming Better Than Expected

How climate change will impact wildlife species including birds is a research question that scientists are trying to answer. Supported by funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have made discoveries in how bird species can handle thermal variation.

Read more about a first-of-its-kind study of “warm-blooded” endotherms that found tropical birds can handle thermal variation just fine.

Buff-breasted saltator. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Water pouring into hands. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Protecting Our Water

Water continues to be one of the most critical challenges facing agriculture and communities.

Supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Land-grant Universities are working to discover new ways to increase water efficiency, reduce water use and protect water quality. NIFA supports research, education and Extension efforts that provide basic knowledge and learning opportunities needed to address agricultural water quality and quantity issues through a variety of funding opportunities, including both competitive grants and capacity funding. Read more about some recent NIFA-supported projects and their impacts.

Water pouring into hands. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Nominations Being Accepted for NIFA Hall of Fame

NIFA is seeking nominations for the NIFA Hall of Fame, which was created at the agency's five-year anniversary in 2014. May 30 is the deadline for nominations.

Inductees into the NIFA Hall of Fame have worked, coordinated or supported activities exemplifying NIFA’s synergy of excellence in any combination of research, education and Extension approaches on local, regional, national or international levels. Inductees have also demonstrated a measurable and positive impact on the lives of citizens and NIFA's mission to invest in and advance agricultural research, education and Extension to solve societal challenges.

Nominations will be evaluated based on three weighted areas: 1) measurable impact on NIFA; 2) synergy of research, education and/or Extension; and 3) endorsement/letters of support.

Nominations must consist of a completed NIFA Hall of Fame Nomination form and up to three endorsements/letters of support. Find NIFA Hall of Fame background information and criteria as well as a link to the nomination form here.

Nominations must be e-mailed to the Admin Operations Team at AdminOpsTeam.NIFA@usda.gov no later than May 30. Please include “Hall of Fame Nomination Submission” in the email subject line.

SARE Fellows Program Now Accepting Applications

Applications are now being accepted for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Fellows program. The SARE Fellows program is a unique professional development opportunity for agricultural professionals to:

Build new relationships with colleagues across the nation.
Deepen their understanding of the concepts and intentions of sustainable agriculture.
Visit with innovative producers and partners nationwide who are striving to sustain agriculture for future generations.
Increase their awareness about educational opportunities and approaches in sustainable agriculture.

NIFA Invests $180K in Response to Extreme Weather Events Across the U.S.

NIFA has funded — through the Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems program — an Inquiring Systems, Inc. project related to flooding incidents. 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.

April 29, 3 p.m. EDT: Technical Assistance Webinar: New Beginning for Tribal Students Grant Program RFA
May 2, 12 p.m. EDT: Demystifying the Panel Review Process for Grant Funding
May 14, 3 p.m. EDT: NIFA Climate Change Priority Team Celebration: Accomplishments and the Path Forward
May 29, 2 p.m. EDT: Tribal Research Partnerships: Indigenous Agroforestry, Food Security and Sovereignty
June 12, 2 p.m. EDT: Technical Assistance Webinar: AFRI Animal Systems
June 25, 6 p.m. EDT: Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems

May 2: Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program
May 3: Equipment Grant Program
May 13: Research Facilities Act Program
May 14: The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Nutrition Incentive Program
June 6: Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Soybean plant in field. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Plant Sensors Could Act as An Early Warning System for Farmers

Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have discovered signals that reveal when plants are experiencing stresses such as heat, light or attack from insects or bacteria.

The sensors detect two signaling molecules that plants use to coordinate their response to stress: hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid. The researchers found that plants produce these molecules at different timepoints for each type of stress, creating distinctive patterns that could serve as an early warning system.

Researchers say farmers could use these sensors to monitor potential threats to their crops, allowing them to intervene before the crops are lost. Read more about this NIFA-supported research.

Soybean plant in field. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

USDA Partners With Reinvestment Fund to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Foods Across Country

USDA has announced it is partnering with Reinvestment Fund to help organizations strengthen local food financing programs and improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities across the country.

Through funding made available primarily by the American Rescue Plan, Reinvestment Fund has selected 16 public-private partnerships to receive $40.3 million in grants under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Local & Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program to expand access to nutritious and affordable foods in 20 states and Washington, D.C. Read more about the program and sponsored projects.

Grants Modernization Stakeholder Survey

You’re invited to take part in a short survey to assist with NIFA’s Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI). Your participation in this survey is a crucial component in ensuring that our GMI is successful and that we can work to improve your experience over time. We want all voices to be heard, so please share your experiences with NIFA’s grants management systems. We want this to work for you!

This survey is designed to take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

My Vet Candy: USDA's Game-Changing Program Tackles Vet Student Debt Crisis
Farm and Dairy: Ohio State Offers Online Food Business Central Course
RuralRadio.com: What Is Sheep GEMS?
Farms.com: Mississippi State Scientists on Nationwide Team to Digitize Crop Nutrient Management
CNHI: Cornell Scientists Identify Bird Flu Infecting Dairy Cows
Lab Manager: Finding Ways to Preserve Food Quality and Ensure Food Safety
Lake Sun Leader: From Watering Via Ice Cubes to Spritzing With Hydrogen Peroxide – 4 Misguided Plant Health Trends On Social Media
AAHA Trends Magazine: KSU Rural Scholarships Aim to Attract Food Animal Veterinarians
Farms.com: Plant Sensors Could Act as an Early Warning System for Farmers

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 X (formerly Twitter) @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.

If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.

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