Formula Grant NI25AHDRXXXXG039

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY APPROVED PLAN OF WORK ENCOMPASSES A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD AND REPRESENTS A JOINT EFFORT BY THE TWO CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF OSU'S COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (CFAES), THE OHIO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION (OARDC) AND OSU EXTENSION. CFAES RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED IN NINE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS ON OUR CAMPUSES IN COLUMBUS AND WOOSTER, ELEVEN RESEARCH STATIONS AND FIELD LABS, AND IN ALL 88 COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WHILE THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE BUCKEYE STATE, CFAES RESEARCH REACHES BEYOND AGRICULTURE AND COVERS ENVIRONMENTAL, WATER QUALITY AND SOCIETAL ISSUES THAT RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES FACE. CFAES RECENTLY UPDATED OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, INCLUDING THE GOALS LISTED BELOW TO GUIDE OUR WORK AND ACTIONS AT ALL LEVELS AND WITH INVOLVEMENT OF RESEARCH FACULTY IN ALL AREAS. GOAL 1 STUDENT/LEARNER FIRST PHILOSOPHY, CFAES TEACHING REACHES ACROSS THE LIFESPAN FROM YOUTH SERVED THROUGH 4-H PROGRAMS TO STUDENTS PURSUING DEGREES ON CAMPUS TO 2 MILLION PLUS LIFELONG LEARNERS IN EXTENSION PROGRAMS. GOAL 2 INNOVATIVE SCHOLARSHIP TO SUSTAIN LIFE, CFAES RESEARCH PROJECTS AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS ADDRESS OUR CRITICAL ISSUES WHICH COVER AREAS IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS, ECONOMIC VITALITY, FOOD SECURITY AND P RODUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS HELPING PEOPLE THRIVE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN. GOAL 3 CAPACITY BUILDING OF OUR PEOPLE AND OUR COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET AND CFAES STRIVES TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR PEOPLE. CHANGING WORKFORCE DYNAMICS, COVID-19 PRESSURES, MARKET COMPETITION, ECONOMIC DRIVERS, AN INCREASING DESIRE FOR A MORE BALANCED APPROACH TO HOW LIFE AND WORK INTERFACE, AND A NEED FOR DIVERSIFYING OUR TALENT. GOAL 4 PARTNER OF CHOICE, CFAES WANTS TO ENGAGE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. GOAL 5 RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP IN A ONE-COLLEGE MODEL, CFAES CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM AND IMPROVE OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ACROSS OUR THREE CAMPUSES. A NEW SCIENCE BUILDING PROVIDING MODERN RESEARCH SPACE WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED ON THE WOOSTER CAMPUS AND THE NEW CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE RESEARCH COMPLEX HAS RECENTLY OPENED AT WATERMAN FARM ON THE COLUMBUS CAMPUS. THE JOINT POW WAS DEVELOPED AROUND THESE GOALS AS WELL AS FIVE CRITICAL ISSUES. 1 HEALTH AND WELLNESS, EXPLORING HEALTH RELATED ISSUES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND INITIATIVES, HEALTH INEQUITY, CHRONIC DISEASE AND OBESITY PREVENTION, COMMUNITY NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND FARM SAFETY. 2 ECONOMIC VITALITY, ISSUES RELATED TO ECONOMIC VITALITY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION, ENHANCING RURAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASING BROADBAND ACCESS IN RURAL AREAS, THE EFFECTS OF TRADE POLICIES ON FOOD AND AG INDUSTRIES, AND THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT. 3 FOOD SECURITY AND PRODUCTION, WE WILL EXPLORE ISSUES RELATED TO MITIGATING FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE AND FOOD PRODUCTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND FOOD SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY INCLUDING DIGITAL AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE, IMPROVED FOOD ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION, CROP IMPROVEMENT AND RESILIENCY, WEED AND PEST CONTROL, PLANT BREEDING AND DISEASE RESISTANCE, NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS, NEW FOOD PRESERVATIVES, AND ANTIMICROBIAL FOOD PACKAGING. 4 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. RESEARCH TOPICS COVER AREAS SUCH AS SOIL HEALTH AND REMEDIATION, BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS, REDUCTION OF PESTICIDE USE, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF POLYMERS AND BIOPLASTICS, WATER QUALITY AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT, AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM HEALTH, AIR QUALITY AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BIOPRODUCTS AND RENEWABLE FUELS. 5 THRIVING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, PROGRAMS UNDER THIS CRITICAL ISSUE ARE RELATED TO POSITIVE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL AGES. A MAJOR FOCUS IS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 4-H AND FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS. PROJECT ABSTRACT