Vaes is committed to developing and implementing research that addresses societal needs, expectations, and future pressures and opportunities

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University $1.959 million on October 1, 2025, under the Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202).

The award supports research addressing agricultural viability, profitability, and sustainability; biotechnology, biomaterials, and bioenergy; food, nutrition and health; and natural resources. Research activities include developing low-input and profitable indoor agricultural production systems, improving the sustainability and profitability of small ruminant production, identifying novel genes to improve crop tolerances to environmental stresses including drought and heat, using genetic and genome approaches to breed new crops for global environmental conditions, designing sustainable value-added alternatives for agricultural and material waste, developing innovative approaches for maintaining and improving food quality and nutritional value, and evaluating novel biological and chemical resources for enhancing health and wellness in plants, animals, and humans.

Work is performed at Virginia Tech's primary campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, through September 30, 2027. The funding is obligated at $1.959 million. McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research funds are expected to be fully expended in the fiscal year of appropriation; current policy allows up to 50 percent of the FY 2025 allocation to carry over into FY 2026, with carryover funds required to be fully expended by September 30, 2026. Waiver requests for greater than 50 percent carryover may be considered and approved through the National Program Leader.

Vaes is focused on creating knowledge, integrating advanced technological and scientific innovations to create efficiencies and economic growth, and translating knowledge into practice to enhance agricultural and food systems, including agriculture and food, natural and environmental resources, and life sciences. Research encompasses near- and long-term issues and opportunities pertaining to invasive pests and organisms, infectious disease, health and wellness, quality, social interactions, and economics in animal, plant, human, natural resources, environment and climate, advanced technology and computer-human interactions. The agricultural viability, profitability, and sustainability critical issue will develop low input and profitable indoor agricultural production systems; improve the sustainability and profitability of small ruminant production; assess labor and economic efficiencies associated with advanced technological and scientific innovations. The biotechnology, biomaterials, and bioenergy critical issue will identify novel genes that can be used to improve crop tolerances to environmental stresses, especially drought, heat and metal toxicity; use genetic and genome approaches for breeding new crops to address global environmental conditions; design sustainable VA LUE-added alternatives for agricultural, food, and material waste; and create cellular-based alternatives for addressing environmental challenges, increased agricultural production, and expanding food resources. The food, nutrition and health critical issue will develop and design innovative approaches and processes for maintaining and improving quality, nutritional value, and shelf-life of food; and identify, develop, and evaluate novel biological and chemical resources for enhancing health and wellness for plants, animals, and humans. The natural resources, environment, and climate change critical issue will develop a resilient farming system that can cope with the adverse impacts of climate change; minimize the effects of changing environmental conditions on low-income communities; and evaluate carbon sequestration and methane emissions related to natural resources, agricultural practices, and food processing.