Key Highlights:
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the research team of Nebraska-Lincoln with a $742,000 grant.
- The Crop-to-Food innovation program will give the students 10-week summer research experiences and scientific communication & leadership training.
- The program is said to be a great opportunity and would impact the lives and careers of students.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the research team of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The team was awarded a $742,000 grant to establish the research and extend experiences for the undergraduate program.
The Crop-to-food innovation is a five-week program that will give students 10-week summer research experiences and scientific communication and leadership training. With this program, the students will get to work with scientists and develop new crop traits alongside applying innovative bioprocessing and formulation technologies to evaluate and develop new food and feed applications.
Crop-to-food innovation welcomes participation
The project is also aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented students in science and agriculture fields. Thus the recruitment will focus on Historically Black colleges and Universities.
The project is a collaboration among Nebraska’s Center for Plant Science Innovation, Nebraska Food for Health Center, Food Innovation Center, and Industrial Agricultural Products Center, which together drive cross-disciplinary, cutting-edge research.
The team involved in the project
The project is being led by Edgar Cahoon (Principal investigator), George Holmes (Prof. of biochemistry & director of the Center for Plant Innovation), and co-principal investigators Amanda Ramer-Tait, Maxcy Professor of agriculture & natural resources, and Paul Velander (Assistant Professor of biochemistry and Nebraska Extension specialist).
Furthermore, the team includes 13 faculty members from the Departments of Agronomy & Horticulture, Biochemistry, Food Science & Technology, and Biological Systems Engineering. The faculty will guide the undergraduate students from across the U.S. in their relatedScience Innovation majors over the next five summers.
Better future of Agricultural STEM
The Crop-to-food innovation program will emphasize teamwork and creating innovations that will benefit them in making a difference. The students will also undergo formal training in scientific leadership.
The students who finish the program are expected to have a better perspective on food science. They will be prepared for careers and graduate education in agricultural STEM disciplines, promoting their participation.
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