Operation of the policy research center at alcorn state university

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Alcorn State University $1.5 million on September 30, 2025, to operate the Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University under the Outreach and Assistance for Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (CFDA 10.443).

The recipient will deliver outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and beginning farmers and ranchers to support their participation in USDA programs and help them own, operate, and maintain successful agricultural businesses. The award funds the center's operation through September 29, 2027, at Alcorn State University's campus in Lorman, Mississippi. Alcorn State University, an 1890 land-grant institution and the first historically Black land-grant college in the United States, serves as the direct recipient and administrator of federal funds, leveraging its mission of agricultural research, education, and extension services for minority communities and underserved populations throughout Mississippi and the Southeast.