This proposal primarily addresses the targeted expertise shortage area (TESA) of plant production and provides doctoral level training and leadership skills in data analytics and artificial…

The University of Florida received a $238,500 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) under the Higher Education National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants program (CFDA 10.210), effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030. The award supports three doctoral-level fellowships within the University of Florida's Plant Pathology graduate program, addressing the targeted expertise shortage area of plant production and agricultural biosecurity.

The primary products and services delivered through this award include: (1) doctoral-level fellowship support and stipends for three graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology with specialization in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI); (2) comprehensive curriculum and experiential learning programs developed specifically for each fellow, reviewed on a semester basis; (3) access to newly developed university and departmental workshops and courses in data analytics and AI, including supercomputer resources through HiPerGator; and (4) hands-on experiential learning opportunities in systems analysis, pathogen population genetics, precision agriculture, smart crop protection technologies, image analysis, protein structure analysis, genome analysis, and disease diagnostics. The award leverages existing graduate training infrastructure and new departmental and university investments in data science to develop scientific leaders capable of addressing critical national needs in agricultural biosecurity and food security through advanced computational and analytical methods.

This proposal primarily addresses the targeted expertise shortage area (TESA) of plant production and provides doctoral level training and leadership skills in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) within the discipline agricultural biosecurity (code X). To be sustainable and efficient U.S. Agriculture requires scientific leaders with training and experiences in data science and AI in industry academics and government positions; the goal of this proposal is to train these leaders. Specifically three PH.D. Fellowships will be supported in the graduate program of plant pathology at the university of florida. This proposal leverages the substantial graduate training resources in this established and successful graduate program with new investments made by the department and the university in data analytics and AI. A curriculum and experiential program that supports technical and leadership skill development will be crafted for each fellow and be reviewed every semester. Fellows will have access to newly developed workshops and courses in data analytics and AI provided at the department and the university level including use of the hipergator UF's supercomputer. Department faculty will offer experiential learning in systems analysis pathogen population genetics and hands-on data analysis precision agriculture and smart crop protection AI technologies that empower image analysis protein structure and genome analysis and disease diagnostics. This proposal aligns with the strategic goal accelerating innovative technologies & practices.