This $750,000 Project Grant awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) will support research at Michigan State University (MSU) to develop new bioenergy cropping systems capable of enhanced soil carbon sequestration. The project will conduct an in-depth analysis of switchgrass root systems, microbial symbionts, and soil pore structure to better understand how these factors impact soil carbon...
The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $174,746 Project Grant under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to Glanris Water Systems Inc., a for-profit manufacturer, to develop a low-cost, easily manufactured modified biochar that can adsorb plant nutrients. The goal is to use this biochar to remediate agricultural runoff and wastewater, removing harmful phosphate and nitrate,...
This federal Project Grant award, valued at $650,000.00 and provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, examines how small businesses that use biomass to create products such as premium soils intersect with the future large-scale need for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The key objectives are to 1) analyze the market for bioproducts, 2) perform market development...
This federal Project Grant award, issued under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.310), provides $800,000 to Michigan State University to comprehensively assess the impacts of emerging carbon programs and financial incentives on the wood product supply chain. The primary focus is on understanding how these carbon initiatives could affect the wood products industries and carbon sequestration efforts. The...
This $225,000 federal Project Grant award, provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310), aims to develop an innovative solution for improving soil health, fertility, and drought resilience in semiarid agricultural regions. The research project at Utah State University will investigate how applying biochar enriched with animal manures can enhance soil nutrient dynamics, particularly phosphorus availability, and...
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded a $650,000 Project Grant to Michigan State University under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) federal grant program (CFDA 10.310) from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2028. The grant will fund research and extension activities in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin to better understand the characteristics, management practices, and needs of agricultural landowners who also own woodlands. Michigan State University will lead...
This Project Grant award of $601,213.00 was provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310). The funding supports research at the University of Idaho to address challenges with water management and runoff in unirrigated hill farming. The key objectives of the research project are to: 1) characterize biochar from various raw materials for use as a soil amendment, 2) develop an advanced farm-scale...
This $2,907,825 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Integrative Activities (CFDA 47.083) aims to develop and assess agricultural management practices that can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil health and water quality, and enhance the resilience of crop production to droughts caused by climate change. The project is a collaboration among Auburn University, New Mexico State University, and the University of Delaware, with the goal of...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, through the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act Financial Assistance to Facilities that Purchase and Process Byproducts for Ecosystem Restoration program (CFDA 10.725), awarded a $1,000,000.00 Project Grant to Biochar Now, LLC to support the acquisition of kilns and related apparatus. The grant aims to assist facilities located near federal and Tribal lands in utilizing byproducts from timber sales, forest thinning, and other ecosystem...
This $591,500 federal Project Grant award from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) aims to develop two energy-efficient and atmospheric-pressure biomass fractionation platforms that can stabilize and functionalize carbohydrates and lignin from lignocellulosic biomass. The principal awardee, Michigan State University, is conducting research to advance technologies for utilizing forestry and agricultural biomass in bioenergy, chemicals, and bioproducts. MSU will...