The purpose of hatch capacity funding is to conduct agricultural research programs at state agricultural experiment stations in the 50 states, the district of columbia, and the insular areas

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Wyoming $2.7 million through the Hatch Act formula grant program (CFDA 10.203) on October 1, 2025, to support agricultural research conducted by the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station (WAES).

The funding supports fundamental and applied research on agricultural, natural, and community resource issues affecting Wyoming, the region, the nation, and the world. WAES uses Hatch capacity funding to conduct research across multiple disciplines including soil and water conservation, plant and animal production and health, food processing and safety, forestry and range management, aquaculture, human nutrition, rural and community development, and sustainable agriculture. The station maintains four Research and Extension Centers distributed across Wyoming that conduct research projects focused on priorities and services of interest to farmers, ranchers, consumers, and communities. Research activities integrate with educational and community engagement components and involve collaboration with faculty across nine departments within the University of Wyoming's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The award period runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with all work performed in Laramie, Wyoming. The total obligation is $2.7 million. Under Hatch Act terms, funds are expected to be fully expended in the fiscal year of appropriation, with up to 100 percent carryover permitted for up to one year after the end of the appropriation year.

Hatch activities are broad and include research on all aspects of agriculture, including soil and water conservation and use; plant and animal production, protection, and health; processing, distribution, safety, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products; forestry, including range management and range products; multiple use of forest rangelands, and urban forestry; aquaculture; home economics; human nutrition; rural and community development as IT relates to agriculture; sustainable agriculture; and molecular biology and biotechnology inasmuch as work can contribute to agricultural advancements. Waes is concerned with finding solutions to contemporary issues affecting wyoming and the region through high-quality research, creative scholarship, responsive service, and statewide engagement, empowering the people of wyoming to make choices that enhance their quality of life. Waes uses hatch funding to support fundamental and applied research on agricultural, natural, and community resource issues related to the current and future needs of wyoming, the region, the nation, and the world. Waes maintains four research and extension (R & E) centers around the state that conduct research projects focused on priorities and services of interest to farmers, ranchers, consumers, and communities, and that have strong educational and community engagement components. Waes seeks to increase research engagement by collaborating with diverse research partners with mutual interests; increasing RE search integrated with other college mission areas; and enhancing research relevance by continuing to update and expand wyoming production agriculture research priorities. To that end, waes collaborates with college research faculty in nine departments-agricultural & applied economics, animal science, botany, ecosystem science & management, family and consumer sciences, molecular biology, plant sciences, veterinary sciences, and zoology & physiology-to conduct hatch-funded projects addressing at least one of four critical issues: 1) communities, families & youth; 2) community socio-economic prosperity; 3) human health, wellness & nutrition; and 4) natural systems, food & fiber production. Hatch project proposals are submitted to the national institute of food and agriculture (NIFA) for final approval after a rigorous peer review process, and approval by the associate dean and director of the wyoming agricultural experiment station. NIFA-approved projects are uploaded into the NIFA reporting system (NRS) where project results are reported on an annual basis and NIFA again reviews and approves these submissions. This multistep peer-review, evaluation, results reporting, and approval process ensures that projects are relevant, methodologically sound, and meet the criteria required for funding under hatch guidelines.