Investment in infrastructure is a needed effort at times, and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded $5.76 million for four 1890 Centers of Excellence grants. — By Brian Hurlburt, Magnifying Excellence Podcast, Founder and Host.
The institutions receiving the 1890 Centers of Excellence awards are Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama; Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland; and North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina.
NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and Extension across the nation to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA supports initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach the people who can put them into practice. In FY2020, NIFA’s total investment was $1.95 billion.
“The 1890 Centers of Excellence awards are an effort to increase rural prosperity and economic sustainability of food systems in underserved farming communities,” said NIFA director Dr. Carrie Castille. “These grants will support projects that address critical needs for developing global food security and defense; enhance academic and career activities for students pursuing careers in food and agricultural sciences; and address vital needs in nutrition and health to improve the quality of life of underserved populations.”