Project Grant A21AP10245

The $173,367 project grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) will fund evaluation of a split-pond system for largemouth bass aquaculture. American Sport Fish Hatchery Management Group LLC will determine if this alternative production method can improve efficiency and profitability compared to traditional earthen ponds. The split-pond system dedicates approximately 20% of pond space for fish production and 80% for water treatment. This is...

This Project Grant award, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (CFDA 10.311), provides $749,985 to the Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP) to increase the number of beginning aquaculture farmers and strengthen the capacity and resiliency of existing beginning aquaculture farmers in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Hawaii. The key products and services to be delivered include: providing technical...

Purdue University was awarded a $10 million Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program. The five-year project aims to develop a novel, integrated aquaponics food production system that fully utilizes nutrients to produce energy, high-value bioproducts, and a diverse array of nutritious "blue foods" and specialty crops. Specific objectives...

The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the Economic Adjustment Assistance program (CFDA 11.307) on August 9, 2021 to the Valley Shenango Economic Development Corp. The funding will support a feasibility study for the reuse of a former 450,000 square foot Westinghouse production facility in Sharon, PA for a substantial aquaponics/hydroponics operation. The study will assess the facility's power capabilities, water capacity, fire...

Field Data Services LLC will conduct a $297,032 technical feasibility study under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program project grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Department of Commerce. The study aims to determine the commercial viability of a new solid state lidar sensor chip for detecting migrating anadromous fish in small spawning streams. Field Data Services will build an automated test system to characterize the lidar's ability to detect...

Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary Purdue University received a $112,500 Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Sea Grant Support program (CFDA 11.417), awarded September 1, 2025, with completion scheduled for August 31, 2026. The agreement supports experiential learning and professional development initiatives for largemouth bass (LMB) producers in the Great Lakes Region (GLR). Recognizing the regional shortage of hatchery facilities...

This $760,000 project grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) to improve recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) through the implementation of a novel partial-nitrification/denitrification and anammox (PANDA) technology. The project aims to evaluate the benefits of integrating PANDA into RAS to reduce...

This Project Grant award of $583,758.00 was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants (CFDA 10.216) program. The objective is to build the research, extension, and education capacity of Lincoln University, a historically black land-grant institution in Missouri, in the area of aquaculture. The grant will support establishing experimental aquaculture production systems to serve as nutrient budget...

The University of Oklahoma, through its Office of Research Administration, was awarded a $300,000 project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) to develop and test low-cost materials for the treatment of brackish water. The project aims to treat two model brackish water compositions from Texas and California, primarily focusing on the removal of chloride anions and sodium cations. The treatment methods involve adsorption to...

Tridentis Advanced Marine Vehicles LLC and the Watershed Innovation Laboratory at Washington College will develop technology and monitoring solutions for near-shore aquaculture installations under a $149,865 project grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Specifically, the awardees will establish baseline water quality and shellfish testing for aquaculture farms, then develop an efficient and cost-effective material solution to continuously monitor environmental...