WASHINGTON, D.C. June 29, 2017 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today awarded $16 million for 42 grants to support research, teaching, and extension activities at the 1890 historically black land-grant colleges and universities.
NIFA made the awards through the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) program, which focuses on building and strengthening research, teaching, and extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 land-grant institutions. Additionally, CBG focuses on strengthening the partnerships among the universities, government agencies, and private industry through food and agricultural science, and advancing cultural diversity in the scientific and professional workforce by attracting more students from underrepresented groups.
"Today's announcement signifies our continuing partnership with the 1890 land-grant universities to ensure the sustainability of our country's agricultural future," said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. "The next generation of leaders will be shaped because of our commitment to research, education, and extension outreach."
NIFA awards competitive grants to the 1890 land-grant institutions that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-institutional importance in sustaining all components of agriculture, including farm efficiency and profitability, ranching, renewable energy, forestry (both urban and agroforestry), aquaculture, organic agriculture, rural communities and entrepreneurship, human nutrition, food safety, family and consumer sciences, biotechnology, and conventional breeding.
Fiscal year 2016 grants include:
Extension
- Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama $347,440
- Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, $597,478
- Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware, $247,474
- Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi, $247,399
- Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi,$246,408
- Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri,$467,858
Research
- Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama, $496,918
- Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama, $297,478
- Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, $592,493
- Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, $579,479
- Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, $297,477
- Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, $596,530
- Langston University, Langston, Oklahoma, $495,235
- Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, $296,804
- Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, $596,395
- Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, $589,101
- Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, $297,451
- Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $284,621
- Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, $297,479
- Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, $297,476
- Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, $497,479
- Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, $297,479
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, $497,479
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, $597,479
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, $297,475
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia, $416,248
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia, $295,274
- West Virginia State University, Institute, West Virginia, $597,406
- West Virginia State University, Institute, West Virginia, $296,942
Teaching
- Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama, $147,479
- Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware, $597,465
- Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware, $45,000
- Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, $597,479
- Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, $591,724
- Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, $147,469
- Langston University-Tulsa, Langston, Oklahoma, $597,479
- Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, $147,471
- North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, $147,479
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, $297,416
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, $297,479
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, $147,479
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia, $297,479
Project details can be found at the NIFA website.
Among the recipients, Southern University will identify novel anti-cancer and neuro protective antioxidants from the roselle plant. Past awardees, such as Fort Valley University, discovered ways to advance goat milk production. As a result, the researchers discovered a method of reducing goat cheese fat by 19 percent, which will help in developing reduced-fat goat cheese products. Researchers at Tennessee State University determined how the dietary intake of American ginseng may prevent childhood obesity.
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NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension and promotes transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA's integrated research, education, and extension programs support the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel whose work results in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate climate variability, and ensure food safety. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural science visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts.
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