College of agriculture and environmental sciences (CAES) at NCA & T encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research necessary to advance american agricultural technology, solve the problem of…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University $12.676 million under the Payments to 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Tuskegee University program (CFDA 10.205) on October 1, 2025.

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at NC A&T conducts innovative and interdisciplinary research using digital and precision instruments, cloud-based statistical analytics platforms, and artificial intelligence technologies to advance agricultural technology, address food insecurity, and promote sustainable practices. Research activities span agricultural economics, animal science, soil science, plant science, human nutrition, food science, and bioenergy. Work is performed at multiple locations including the university farm in Greensboro, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, the Center of Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies in Kannapolis, and on-campus laboratories. The college is completing an urban food complex and high-tech greenhouse to enhance research, teaching, and outreach capabilities. Research priorities include enhancing food safety, nutrition, and health through development of functional foods and whole grain cereals to improve human health, reduce obesity, increase immunity, and prevent diseases. The college disseminates results through NC Cooperative Extension, scientific conferences, and peer-reviewed publications to reach growers, consumers, and scientists across North Carolina and the nation.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Place of performance is Greensboro, North Carolina 27411. The formula grant requires submission of an approved Plan of Work and an Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results, with funding released quarterly upon compliance with program and administrative requirements.

College of agriculture and environmental sciences (CAES) at NCA & T encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research necessary to advance american agricultural technology, solve the problem of food insecurity and promote sustainable practices. CAES uses digital and precision instruments, cloud based statistical analytics platform along with artificial intelligence technologies to conduct cross cuttingedge research on the university farm, at the center for environmental farming systems in goldsboro (CEFS), at the center of excellence in post-harvest technologies (CEPHT) in kannapolis, and on campus in laboratories where investigations include agricultural economics, animal science, soil science, plant science, human nutrition, food science and bioenergy. The completion of urban food complex and high-tech green house will enhance the college's capabilities in research, teaching and outreach. The CAES engages in frontier research and promotes integrative, cross-disciplinary approaches, including outreach activities that build critical mass and enhance impact among growers, consumers, and scientists across north carolina and the nation. Our portfolio of solution-driven, cutting-edge research generates new knowledge and technologies that are shared with all north carolinians through NC cooperative extension. The results are also disseminated within the scientific community through conferences and peer-reviewed publications. By transforming scientific discovery into practical, everyday solutions, we enhance quality of life and empower individuals and communities to live healthier, more prosperous lives. To move forward with this aim we are focusing on four integrative clusters (PRIORITIES): enhancing food safety, nutrition and health: CAES researchers will focus on developing new food products to improve human health, reduce obesity, increase immunity and prevent diseases. The research will focus on the production of functional foods, whole grain cereals, human health and human nutrition, food allergies, food production processes, bioactive compounds of food, post-harvest technology and food security. Enriching youth, family and community well-being: CAES researchers are dedicated to working with both NC's rural and urban populations; offering a wide variety of research-based programs to overcome the challenges of families and communities. Researchers will focus on healthy eating habits, early childhood development, parenting and childhood obesity, community-based activities for disaster preparedness. Environmental and natural resources: researchers will investigate an advanced biological system to produce alternative energy, treat agricultural and industrial waste, and protect and improve water quality. CAES researchers will also study the efficient way irrigate crops, add aesthetic value of the land via landscaping, and will be involved in a multistate weather resilience project to study the impact of weather and natural disasters on farmers and communities. Researchers will be developing adaptation and mitigation solutions to improve agriculture and natural resources. Improving plant and animal agricultural systems: in animal systems, researchers will study the efficiency of different feeding sources to improve animal productivity and GUT health. Also, researchers will study to find the solution for viral, bacterial, and parasitic effects in animals and poultry. In plant systems, the focus will be on sustainable agriculture, alternative and high value crop production, season extension, weather resilience practices, value added agriculture, digital agriculture, soil health, pest control, and agroeconomics. Subrecipient activities include collaborating with the university of north carolina at greensboro to understand the physiological and molecular responses to drought stress of indigenous vegetables with untapped potential for nutrition, health, and food security in the face of global change.