Federal Grant Award Summary

Tarleton State University received a $300,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Capacity Building for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) program (CFDA 10.326), effective September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. The project will develop research and workforce capacity at the university to address woody plant encroachment in Texas savanna-grassland working lands. Key deliverables include baseline field data on woody cover, plant diversity, and productivity; integration of satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses documenting woody cover change over the previous 20 years; and project datasets shared through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's AG Data Commons with appropriate privacy protections.

The award supports significant educational outcomes through project-based learning integrated into existing courses, undergraduate applied learning experiences, graduate research training, and student research products and presentations. Expected project outcomes include improved baseline information and decision-support tools for Texas working lands management, strengthened long-term research and education capacity at Tarleton State University, and a better-prepared natural resources workforce to support U.S. agriculture and rural communities. International collaboration activities, where applicable, will provide comparative context and methodological insights to enhance interpretation of Texas results relevant to savanna rangeland management practices.