NDSU secures $50M federal funding for ag research

By Scout Nelson

NDSU recently welcomed U.S. Senator John Hoeven and agricultural partners to acknowledge $50 million in federal funding allocated for agricultural projects in North Dakota.

The funding, received through the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), will support various initiatives, including NDSU's agriculture policy research center and the AgTech Cooperative Agreement between Grand Farm, NDSU, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

The agriculture policy research center at NDSU will conduct comprehensive policy and economic analyses addressing farm and agribusiness challenges, aiming to complement similar programs at other universities. According to Hoeven, this center will be instrumental in providing crucial data analysis to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

Greg Lardy, NDSU's vice president for agriculture, highlighted the center's significance in addressing agriculture concerns in the upper Midwest and its role as a cornerstone for agricultural issues in the region.

NDSU plans to allocate $19.5 million towards priority agriculture technology research, focusing on projects related to autonomous systems, sensors, data security, precision agriculture, and more.

Colleen Fitzgerald, NDSU's vice president for research and creative activity, emphasized the economic impact of these initiatives on North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

Lardy and Fitzgerald spearheaded NDSU's transdisciplinary food, energy, and water security (FEWS) research initiative, which aligns with the federal investment areas. Hoeven emphasized the value of AgTech partnerships, underscoring their importance across the state.

NDSU President David Cook highlighted the transformative potential of research programs in attracting talent to North Dakota and driving positive change in the state.

The significant federal investment underscores NDSU's commitment to advancing agriculture research and technology, with collaborative efforts poised to shape the future of the industry.

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