The proposed reeu program, data smart systems, centers around applications of technologyand digital agriculture

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Illinois $750,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) to establish and operate a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REEU) program titled Data Smart Systems focused on digital agriculture and technology applications in agriculture and life sciences.

The REEU program will recruit undergraduate STEM majors from institutions that do not offer PhD programs, prioritizing merit and balanced participant distribution. Student participants will engage in a 10-week summer research experience working with faculty mentors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on research, extension, and educational projects including image analysis for food processing and quantitative genetics for crop characteristics. Professional development and social programming complement the research activities. The program will be housed within the Center for Digital Agriculture at UIUC, with research activities conducted in laboratories at that campus location in Urbana, Illinois.

The project grant runs through August 31, 2031. This is a Project Grant assistance type award under AFRI's Education and Workforce Development focus, which supports training the next generation of the food and agriculture workforce.

The program aims to encourage students to consider research careersfocused on applications of technology within agriculture, life sciences, and other BIO-relatedindustries. Planned activities will introduce students to a distinctive combination of skills andfoundational knowledge from engineering, computer science, and biological science. Therecruitment and selection process will first screen for merit, followed bypriority to undergraduate students in stem majorsfrom higher education institutions that do not offer PHD programs, seeking a balance in the overall particpant distribution. Student participants willwork on research, extension, and/or educational projects such as image analysis for foodprocessing and quantitative genetics for crop characteristics. Professional development andsocial programming round out the 10-week summer experience. The reeu will programmatically be housed within the center for digital agriculture (CDA) at theuniversity of illinois at urbana-champaign (uiuc), and research activities will be conductedwith faculty mentors in laboratories at uiuc.