Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Kentucky Research Foundation received a $650,000 Project Grant awarded February 1, 2026, through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The four-year research project, concluding January 31, 2030, addresses a critical productivity challenge in the U.S. swine industry stemming from intensive breeding practices that increase litter size and resultant uterine crowding. This crowding reduces piglet quality at birth, which negatively impacts industry efficiency and productivity.

The project delivers comprehensive research services examining the physiological mechanisms and consequences of uterine crowding on fetal development. Using two surgical intervention methods to experimentally increase or decrease uterine crowding by 50% compared to control animals, researchers will characterize how varying crowding levels affect fetal growth, development, hormonal profiles, placental function, and intestinal development. The research outputs will provide evidence-based findings to inform new management strategies and interventions aimed at improving piglet quality outcomes or optimizing management protocols for lower-quality piglets at birth. Research will be conducted at the University of Kentucky's facility in Lexington, Kentucky.