A skilled workforce is needed to support safe, reliable, and health-promoting food systems

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Florida State University $750,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Capacity Building for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture program (CFDA 10.326) to modernize teaching laboratory facilities and expand structured training opportunities in food safety and sustainability.

The award funds equipment upgrades to a teaching laboratory and creates supervised research experiences and internships through collaborative work among Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and the USDA Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit. Students will participate in laboratory projects and internships focused on transforming fruit byproducts into dietary fiber ingredients and evaluating approaches to reduce food safety risks in leafy greens systems. Results will be disseminated through presentations, reports, and project activities supporting training and broader engagement.

Work is performed in Tallahassee, Florida, with a period of performance extending through August 31, 2029. The assistance type is a project grant.

Many programs also need more hands-on training capacity that connects classroom learning to real-world food production, processing, and safety challenges. This project strengthens education and research capacity in food, nutrition, and health sciences by upgrading teaching laboratories and expanding structured training opportunities through collaboration among florida state university, florida a & M university, and the USDA healthy processed foods research unit. The project will modernize a teaching laboratory with updated equipment and provide supervised research experiences and internships that build practical skills in food sustainability and food safety. Students will participate in laboratory projects and internships focused on topics such as transforming fruit byproducts into dietary fiber ingredients and evaluating approaches to reduce food safety risks in leafy greens systems. Results will be shared through presentations, reports, and project activities that support training and broader engagement.