This federal Project Grant award, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310), proposes a modular experiential learning program to expose 200 Michigan middle and high school students to data science and artificial intelligence applications in smart agriculture. The $749,991 award, which runs from August 2024 to August 2028, aims to I) attract youth to smart agriculture, II) provide hands-on experiential learning on smart...
This Project Grant award, totaling $749,962 and funded by the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), aims to train a skilled and motivated group of 60 undergraduate students in emerging agricultural and food production technologies over a 3-year period. The key focus areas include robotics/automation, AI, systems/synthetic biology, bioprocessing, and process simulation. The lead awardee, Kansas State University, will collaborate with several sub-awardees,...
This $750,000 project grant was awarded on June 15, 2023 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310). The grant supports a 5-year effort by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a Hispanic-serving institution, to prepare 40 undergraduate students (8 per year) in STEM fields, especially Hispanics and women, with hands-on training and research experience in innovative...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded a $749,825 Project Grant under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) CFDA 10.310 program to the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, doing business as the University of Nebraska. The grant, titled "Cultivate Access to Data Science in Agriculture", aims to equip young people with skills and knowledge to tackle challenges in climate change, natural resource...
The federal Project Grant award of $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program supports the "E-GROW" project. This 4-year project, led by Cornell University, aims to develop youth interest and competency in agricultural technology (AgTech) for food production in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The project will pilot a CEA certificate program at 10 middle and high schools in several states, reaching an...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $740,000 Project Grant under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program to Colorado State University (CSU) to develop and pilot an integrated software technology to help agricultural producers make smart irrigation water and nutrient management choices. The project aims to improve crop yield, conserve water, and enhance water quality by assimilating interconnected soil moisture,...
This $750,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Project Grant, awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will support the development, testing, and evaluation of two experiential education curricula focused on engaging youth in STEM-based food and agricultural technologies. The 'SkyMappers: Agricultural Drones and GIS Mastery' curriculum will target the development of knowledge and skills in uncrewed aerial systems (drones), remote sensing, and geographic...
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville received a $500,000 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program. The grant will support the creation of online and open-source training materials in data analytics, geospatial software, and remote sensing for incorporation into technical college curricula. Regional face-to-face workshops will also be...
The University of Nebraska received a $500,000 Project Grant award from the US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program. The grant aims to provide rural teachers with skills in inquiry-based learning and micro-controllers to stem rural brain drain. Over two years, three cohorts of teachers will receive immersive professional development experiences on automation technologies and their...
The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Utah State University $300,000 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program (CFDA 10.310) from February 2021 through January 2025. The project aims to develop an online Agricultural Literacy Certification Program to increase agricultural knowledge and career awareness among K-12 educators and students. Phase 1 will involve designing 12 online learning modules on agricultural...