|
Making a Difference
WVSU Healthy Grandfamilies ‘A Godsend’ For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Healthy Grandfamilies, a free program offered by West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service, provides information and resources to grandparents and even great-grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. A decade into its existence, Healthy Grandfamilies continues to expand and find new ways to reach its audience. With annual funding from the State of West Virginia, and additional funding from sources such as the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the program is offered through a network of county coordinators and coalitions who conduct the sessions statewide.
Read more to hear from participants how the program is improving families’ lives in West Virginia.
Judy Wilson and her great-grandchildren. Image courtesy of West Virginia State University.
|
|
NIFA’s First Programs Are Moving to eRA
NIFA announces the following programs will be transitioning new Funding Opportunity Announcements to the eRA grants management system in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2026.
- Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative
- Equipment Grants Program
- Farm Business and Benchmarking Program
- Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program
- Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grants Program
- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
- Renewable Resource Extension Act National Focus Fund Program
- Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program
- Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program
What Does This Mean for You?
If you are planning on applying for one of the above opportunities, you should register for eRA Commons as soon as possible. Please see our announcement for more information on how to create an account with eRA Commons.
Important Note: Only new applications to the above programs are moving to eRA at this time. Prior awards will continue to operate using previous systems and processes.
Upcoming Training
The eRA team will host training to provide an introduction and high-level overview of eRA and its capabilities. This training is available to any potential grant applicants or current grant recipients. The training is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, 2-4 p.m. EDT. To join, register on our event page.
Looking Ahead
NIFA is working to include additional programs throughout FY 26 and beyond. Keep an eye out for more updates as we continue to modernize our grants management system. For updates and announcements on NIFA's Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI) and eRA migration, visit the GMI webpage.
|
|
Dr. Nancy Cox to Deliver 2025 William Henry Hatch Memorial Lecture
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Director Dr. Jaye Hamby has announced that Dr. Nancy Cox, retired vice president for Land-grant engagement at the University of Kentucky, will deliver the 2025 William Henry Hatch Memorial Lecture Sunday, Nov. 9 in Philadelphia at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) annual meeting.
Cox is a well-respected leader in agriculture research and education and across the industry. This honor recognizes her outstanding career and her continuing vision for the future of ag innovation and discovery to serve the people, improve agriculture and enhance the lives and livelihoods of America’s farmers.
The lecture is one of three rotating lectures presented by NIFA and APLU that honor three historic Land-grant University figures: William Henry Hatch, Seaman A. Knapp and Justin Smith Morrill.
This year's lecture commemorates the vision of Hatch, a Missouri Congressman who championed the Agricultural Experiment Station Founding Bill that became law in 1887, and celebrates the accomplishments of the Experiment Station System that the Hatch Act created. The William Henry Hatch Memorial Lectureship honors outstanding contemporary leadership in research and outstanding contributions as a researcher.
Cox joined the University of Kentucky in 2001 as the associate dean of research for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) from Mississippi State University. She became dean in 2014, and in 2020, Cox was named Kentucky’s first vice president for Land-grant engagement. As vice president, she initiated a process to consider how the university extends the ethos of Land-grant service and mission throughout every corner of the campus community.
Her accomplishments include:
- Leading the creation of innovative programs and partnerships, such as the Racetrack Safety Program and James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits.
- Shepherding a more than $65 million partnership with USDA to develop a forage animal production research facility.
- Directing a comprehensive re-examination of the Cooperative Extension Service to strengthen its capacity to meet Kentucky’s growing needs.
- Fostering the largest gift in the institution’s history, $100 million from The Bill Gatton Foundation, which will enhance scholarships, academic programming and research.
- Launching a nearly half-billion-dollar capital transformation of the Martin-Gatton CAFE currently underway.
This is the 45th lecture in the series that began in 1980.
Dr. Nancy Cox, 2025 Hatch Memorial Lecturer. Image courtesy of University of Kentucky.
|
|
|
Repurposing Poultry Processing Water for Hydroponic Use
The poultry industry produces an average of 62 billion gallons of nutrient-rich wastewater annually, at a cost of $247 million for conventional treatment. Researchers at Auburn University have developed new methods for safely using poultry processing wastewater for food-grade hydroponic crop production. By eliminating pathogens, like salmonella, the research team was able to use wastewater from a poultry processing plant to grow romaine lettuce safe for human consumption. The breakthrough promises not only a cost-effective means of irrigating crops with poultry byproduct water, but also better water conservation. Read more about this work supported by NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
Chicken at Auburn University’s poultry research center. Image courtesy of Auburn University.
|
|
|
USDA Solicits Nominations to the Tribal Advisory Committee
USDA is accepting nominations to serve on the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee. Authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, the Tribal Advisory Committee is tasked with providing advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on matters relating to Tribal and Indian affairs. The nomination period for membership to serve on this advisory committee will be open through September 22, 2025. Specific information and nomination instructions are available in the Federal Register.
|
|
Public Comment Open on USDA Reorganization Plan
A public comment period continues so stakeholders may provide feedback on USDA’s reorganization plan, as outlined in Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins’ memorandum issued July 24. All stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov. The comment period closes Aug. 26.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
