Our work is defined in four broad critical issues with several subheadings to further define these issues

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Delaware $2,885,916 on October 1, 2025, under the Smith-Lever Extension Funding program (CFDA 10.511) for a formula grant extending through September 30, 2030. The award supports cooperative extension activities addressing four critical issue areas: sustainable production systems for agricultural and urban landscapes (including genetics, genomics, nutrition, and wellness with extension activities in food safety); a "One Health" approach to animal, plant, human, and ecosystem health alongside personal and economic development with extension activities in volunteer and leadership development and STEAM education; human dimensions of agriculture and natural resources; and environmental stewardship in a changing climate, including mitigation of and adaptation to severe weather events and sustainable food systems, landscapes, and ecosystems. Work is performed in Newark, Delaware, and is jointly conducted by the University of Delaware and Delaware State University, with the plan designed to help Delaware agriculture remain competitive while meeting environmental challenges, sustaining the state's natural resources, and supporting rural and urban youth, families, and communities.

Our plan of work has been designed to help delaware agriculture remain competitive and meet its environmental challenges, sustain the state's natural resources, and support our rural and urban youth, families, and communities. Delaware (combination of university of delaware and delaware state university) will focus on the following critical issue areas that include sustainable production systems for agricultural and urban landscapes with additional research foci: genetics and genomics, nutrition and wellness, including extension activities in food safety, and additional research foci: a 'one health' approach to animal, plant, human and ecosystems, personal and economic development including extension activities in volunteer and leadership development; steam education, and economic development and additional research foci the human dimensions of agriculture and natural resources and environmental stewardship in a changing climate. With additional research focus mitigation of and adaptation to severe weather events, and sustainable food systems, landscapes and ecosystems.