Activities to be performed with the funds from the award

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff $7.049 million on October 1, 2025, under the Payments to 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Tuskegee University program (CFDA 10.205), a formula grant supporting agricultural research and infrastructure at eligible 1890 Land-Grant Institutions.

The recipient will enhance the aquaculture research station with an indoor hatchery, several research laboratories, feed processing and storage rooms, machine shops, and a greenhouse rigged to demonstrate aquaponics design and production. The facility will serve as a multiuse, multidisciplinary demonstration site and ecosystem incorporating all three departments of the School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences, hosting departmental tours, recruitment and outreach events including the Aquatic Sciences Day for local high schools, and field days demonstrating current research projects. The award funds purchase of new farm equipment for all three farms (Lonoke, Marianna, and on-campus in Pine Bluff) and repairs to existing equipment. The Department of Human Sciences will design and renovate a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen at UAPB, a 3,500 square feet space featuring induction cooktops, industrial ovens and ranges, reach-in refrigerators and freezer equipment, food storage equipment, vent hoods, granite-topped counters, cooking equipment, commercial carts and shelving, and round tables for classroom-style seating. The award includes acquisition of a fish processing facility property in Eudora, Arkansas. Funding also enhances laboratory spaces, updates fume hoods to current compliance standards, increases the number of 1890 faculty researchers, and supports employment of undergraduate and graduate students on faculty research projects to enhance students' hands-on work experience. Period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

To enhance the aquaculture research station to include an indoor hatchery, several research laboratories, feed processing and storage rooms, machine shops, and a greenhouse often rigged to demonstrate aquaponics design and production. IT is for departmental tours and a venue to host recruitment and outreach events such as the aquatic sciences day for local high schools and field day to demonstrate current research projects. As demand from the aquaculture industry has changed over the past several years, we will repurpose this facility into a multiuse multidisciplinary demonstration site and ecosystem that incorporate all three departments of the school of agriculture, fisheries, and human sciences. In addition, purchase new farm equipment for all three farms (lonoke, marianna and on-campus in pine bluff) and much needed repairs to existing equipment. The department of human sciences program will begin the kitchen layout for a teaching kitchen space to design and renovate a state-of-the-art 'teaching kitchen' at uapb. The proposed 3,500 square feet space will feature induction cooktops, industrial ovens and ranges, reach-in refrigerators and freezer equipment, food storage equipment, vent hoods, granite-topped counters, cooking equipment, commercial carts and shelving, and round tables for classroom-style seating. In addition, acquisition of property (fish process in facility) in eudora, AR. As IT relates to research, funding to enhance our overall lab spaces and ensure that our fume hoods are updated and in compliance with current day standards. Wherein, we will increase the number of 1890 faculty researchers in 1890 as well as employ more undergraduates and graduate students to work on faculty research projects throughout safhs. To enhance our students' ability for hands-on work experiences needed for the workforce. Moreover, funding will allow hiring and retaining our existing highly skills personnel to assist US in carrying our land-grant mission. Lastly, funding to better expose our undergraduate and graduate students to local, regional and national conferences. Deliverables and expected outcomes from the activities. To enhance the 1890 research, we will be renovating the poultry science building on campus, which has been down for the past 10 years. This renovation will allow classroom instruction and lab space to conduct cutting-edge research in the unit. Upgrades to all the outdated computers to more modern computers throughout the units within safhs. Enhance our overall lab spaces and ensure that our fumes are updated and in compliance with current standards. Hire and retain our existing highly skills personnel to assist US in carrying our land-grant mission. Exposing our undergraduate and graduate students to local, regional and national conference intended beneficiaries of the activities. Local high schools and field day to demonstrate current research projects from uapb faculty and interaction with our state and private fish culture stakeholders. All three farms (lonoke, marianna and on campus in pine bluff) needed repairs to existing equipment, to better serve our clientele base and assist our researchers in their effort of conducting cutting-edge evidence base research. To enhance our students' ability to reach on-hands work experience that is needed to prepare them for the workforce once they graduate from uapb. Hence, enhancing our uapb students, faculty and staff and overall local and statewide clientele in learning the fundamentals of delicious cooking meals while gaining knowledge of nutrition, sustainability, and kitchen safety.