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Nominations Being Accepted for National Teaching Awards
NIFA is accepting nominations for the Teaching Awards portion of the National Food and Agricultural Sciences Teaching, Extension and Research Awards (TERA) program. Through a partnership with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the TERA program funds annual awards to recognize faculty from a college or university who exhibit sustained, meritorious and exceptional teaching at the post-secondary level within the agriculture, natural resources, veterinary and human sciences. Nominations must be submitted electronically and received by NIFA no later than Sept. 30.
Launched in 1992, the TERA program focuses national attention on the role of teaching, Extension and research in recruiting and retaining the scientific and professional expertise essential to the future growth and progress of the nation's food and agricultural system. Find more information about the awards and evaluation criteria here.
Faculty member and student discussing drones. USDA image.
Recent Federal Register Notices
NIFA last week published two notices in the Federal Register, each related to extending and revising previously approved information collections.
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Oregon State Research Shows Daily Almond Snack Improves Health of People with Metabolic Syndrome
Research done at Oregon State University (OSU) shows that a daily dose of almonds improved key health markers for people with metabolic syndrome.
The OSU findings, published in Nutrition Research, showed that eating 2 ounces of almonds – about 45 nuts – daily led to signs of better cardiometabolic and gut health.
This NIFA-supported research is important because almost 40% of U.S. adults are estimated to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome has also recently been linked with cognitive dysfunction and dementia. Read more about their research findings.
Almonds in a bowl. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.
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USDA Welcomes 2025 Class of E. Kika De La Garza Fellows
Last week, USDA welcomed 30 faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and Hispanic-Serving School Districts around the nation as the 2025 class of E. Kika De La Garza (EKDLG) Fellows.
The EKDLG Fellows came to Washington, D.C. to learn how USDA services and programs can benefit them, their students and their communities. USDA recognizes that HSIs are at the forefront of building and sustaining the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce. “To develop agricultural leaders in both the public and private sectors, HSIs must take positive steps to engage and create partnerships to build capacity,” said Dr. Lisa R. Ramírez, director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.
E. Kika De La Garza Education, High School and Science Fellows spent last week meeting with leaders from different USDA agencies learning more about national and regional issues, policymaking and research. Following that weeklong session, Science Fellows will spend this week collaborating with top scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Learn more about the E. Kika De La Garza Fellows program.
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United States and Global Macroeconomic Projections from 2024 to 2034
USDA’s Economic Research Service released its International Macroeconomic Data Set recently. It provides historical and 10-year projected macroeconomic variables for 181 countries, as well as regional and income groupings, measured in Gross Domestic Product. Find the complete report here.
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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 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.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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