 USDA Joins Government-Wide Sustainable Aviation Fuels Grand Challenge USDA joined the government-wide Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Grand Challenge to meet 100 percent of U.S. aviation fuel demand by 2050. "USDA and American agriculture will make sustainable aviation possible in concert with our federal and industry partners and their stakeholders," said Secretary Vilsack. "We can expand our ability to power the nation's aviation sector with fuel grown right here at home by hard-working Americans, while creating economic opportunity for American farmers, business owners and rural communities. Participating in SAF supply chains is also a big win for the aviation business, consumers and the planet." For more information, read the USDA press release. |  Relief Plan for Pandemic Impacted Farm, Food, and Grocery Workers Competitive grant funding designed to support farm, food, and frontline grocery store workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be available. USDA's Rod Bain talks with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the financial risks incurred by essential workers during the pandemic and grants available from the USDA. For more information, listen to this USDA broadcast. Farmer harvesting potatoes, courtesy of Adobe Stock. |  Biofuels: Ready to Fly into the Future Imagine flying from Los Angeles to the Washington, D.C. region on a plane fueled with American farm products or forestry waste. Sounds farfetched? Well, it is already becoming a reality. Thanks to U.S. production of sustainable aviation fuel, airlines can help address climate change and create rural jobs by using this fuel option. That's why USDA, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Energy announced a "Grand Challenge" to support the production of 35 billion gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per year by 2050. For more information, read this USDA blog. Fueling an airliner with bio jet fuel, courtesy of Alaskan Airlines. |  NIFA Invests $30M to Help Boost Organic Farming and Ranching NIFA announced today an investment of over $30 million for 33 grants that support farmers and ranchers who grow and market high-quality organic food, fiber and other organic products. This investment is part of NIFA's Organic Agriculture Program. NIFA's investment in Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative projects will help fund research, education and extension projects to improve yields, quality and profitability for producers and processors who have adopted organic standards. NIFA's investment in Organic Transitions Program projects will support research, education and extension efforts to help existing and transitioning organic livestock and crop producers adopt organic practices and improve their market competitiveness. "As we work together to build a diverse, resilient and robust agricultural supply chain and ensure nutrition security for all Americans, these grants will support research and extension efforts at local universities to provide valuable information and training, especially for local, small farmers and producers," said NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille. For more information, read the NIFA press release. Farmer carrying basket of organic vegetables, courtesy of Getty Images. |  Loggers, Landscapers Face Deadly Danger Felling Trees in Forests and Urban Areas Tree felling, whether by professional loggers in a forest setting or by landscapers in urban and rural landscapes, is the most dangerous job in what are two of the most dangerous industries, according to Penn State University researchers who conducted a new study of associated deaths. The fatal injury rate for loggers is more than 30 times the rate for all U.S. workers. This work was supported, in part, by the Nationwide Insurance Endowment for Agricultural Safety & Health, and USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, read this Penn State news article. Tree surgeon in the crown of a tree cutting branches down, courtesy of Adobe Stock. |  Research Project to Help Disadvantaged Communities Confronting Wildfires and Related Hazards An interdisciplinary research team led by Mississippi State University's (MSU) Professor Farshid Vahedifard is receiving a $1.7 million grant to better equip emergency planners and other stakeholders, to reduce the vulnerability of disadvantaged communities to the impacts of wildfires and related cascading hazards such as mudslides, landslides, and flooding. The researchers note the importance and timeliness of this study because of an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires (2020 was the most active wildfire year for the western U.S.) and the escalating risk of wildfire-related cascading hazards under a changing climate. The three-year funding comes from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Cyber-Physical Systems program, a joint program with National Science Foundation's Smart and Connected Communities program. For more information, read this MSU news article. Wildfire burning trees, courtesy of Adobe Stock. |  New Guide to Pests, Problems and Identification of Ornamental Shrubs Available Montana State University (MSU) Extension has a new, free, color booklet available about identifying and managing pests and problems in ornamental trees and shrubs in Montana. The 240-page guide is intended to help MSU Extension agents, arborists, and those in nursery and landscape trades identify and diagnose tree and shrub issues and to help with decisions for treatment based on integrated pest management concepts. The development and printing of the guide were funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, read this Montana State University news article. The guide is also available in sections as a downloadable PDF. "Guide to Pests, Problems, and Identification of Ornamental Shrubs," courtesy of MSU. |  Veterinary Shortage Situation Nominations Webinar for State Animal Health Officials NIFA will host a webinar to provide veterinary shortage nomination instructions for State Animal Health Officials on September 22 at 3 p.m. ET. The webinar will focus on the FY 2022 veterinary shortage situation nomination process, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, and Veterinary Services Grant Program updates. Go online for more information and to preregister. Webinar graphic, courtesy of Adobe Stock. | HSI, ANNH, HEC, and Insular Area Grantee Webinar NIFA will host a webinar on September 22 at 4 p.m. CT, for project directors receiving FY 2021 grants from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH), Higher Education Challenge (HEC), and Insular Areas programs. Program staff will introduce NIFA, how to get started with their grants, and the expectations for grantees during the lifetime of their award. Go online for more information and to preregister. NIFA Invests $5.1 Million in Food and Agricultural Sciences Research Equipment NIFA recently awarded 14 Equipment Grant Program (EGP) grants to increase access to shared-use, special purpose equipment and instruments fundamental for applied research in the food and agricultural sciences programs. EGP helps expand and strengthen the quality and scope of applied research at eligible institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems, by providing them with the opportunity to acquire one major piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, training, and Extension goals. The program emphasizes shared-use instrumentation that will enhance the capabilities of researchers, educators, and Extension agents both within and outside the proposing organization. NIFA Invests $3.3 Million in Graduate and Postgraduate Food and Agricultural Research Students NIFA recently awarded 14 National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Program (NNF) grants designated for graduate degree (masters and doctoral) programs and postgraduate training of the next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the food and agricultural sciences. The overarching goals and objectives of these graduate fellowships are to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete graduate degrees in the areas of food and agricultural sciences designated by NIFA as areas of national need. NNF provides funding to support graduate training through a student stipend and a cost-of-education allowance to the institution. NIFA helps train and develop the next generation of agricultural scientists. Post-doctoral Fellowships were not awarded under this grant announcement. Prospective postdoctoral scholars are encouraged to consider NIFA's AFRI Postdoctoral Fellowship competitive grant program. Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program  Image of scientist in lab, courtesy of Adobe Stock. The multi-agency Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases of crops, animals, and humans. The central theme of submitted projects focuses on the quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease (re)emergence and transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of (re)emergence and transmission among any host species, including but not limited to humans, animals, and/or plants. For more information, read the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases funding announcement. Partnering Agencies: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.K. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, US-Israel Binational Science Foundation and National Natural Science Foundation of China
 Image of a farmer spraying in the field, courtesy of Adobe Stock. Small Business Innovation Research Phase I The USDA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program focuses on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. SBIR supports small businesses in the creation of innovative, disruptive technologies, and enables the application of research advancements from conception into the market. Projects dealing with agriculturally related manufacturing and alternative and renewable energy technologies are encouraged across all SBIR topic areas. SBIR's flexible research areas ensure innovative projects that are consistent with USDA's vision of a healthy and productive nation in harmony with the land, air, and water. For more information, read the full SBIR Phase I funding opportunity.  |
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