College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
June 20, 2016 – No. 905
Top Stories
ISU One of 13 Universities Calling for Increased Federal Investment in Ag Research
ISU is one of 13 prominent research institutions in the U.S. that joined the SoAR Foundation in calling for a surge in federal support of food and agricultural science. Retaking the Field, a report released by the coalition, looks at the importance of agriculture and its related industries to the U.S. economy. In the report, Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management, and Matthew Helmers, agricultural and biosystems engineering, outline the STRIPS project. CALS Dean Wendy Wintersteen said, “The Retaking the Field report illustrates the kind of innovative research ongoing at our universities and the benefits possible for the public good if the nation invests more in this critical area of research.” More
Research
Entomologists Study Fighting Soybean Aphids with Stingless Wasp
ISU entomologists, including Matthew O’Neal and pre-doctoral associate Matt Kaiser, are studying the possibility of combating soybean aphids, one of the most damaging pests Iowa farmers battle, by introducing a species of wasp that eats them. The harmless, stingless wasps may offer a form of biological control that could suppress soybean aphid populations. More
Bamboo Expertise Featured on ISU Web Banner
When you think of the fast-growing renewable resource known as bamboo, chances are you think of food for pandas. But millions of people in every hemisphere of the world depend on bamboo for housing, clothing, deforestation protection and more. Lynn Clark, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, is one of the world’s leading authorities on bamboo, naming 110 species of the plant since she began her research more than 40 years ago.
Teaching and Students
ISU’s Sigma Alpha Chapter Receives Professional Development Grant
The Delta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Sorority at ISU has received a professional development grant from the Sigma Alpha Sorority Educational Foundation. The Delta Chapter will use the grant, made possible by Monsanto, to host a tour of businesses in Minneapolis/St. Paul to learn more about the agriculture industry. Sigma Alpha’s mission is to cultivate professional women in agriculture. The Sigma Alpha Sorority Educational Foundation cultivates leaders for the food and fiber industry by helping women achieve their educational and career goals and by supporting professional development and leadership opportunities.
Around the College
Rasmussen on Lessons Learned from TB Eradication on Acting for Greater Good
“We tend to think of our modern era as one where public good and private interests may not be in synch with each other,” said Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center, in an article for the summer 2016 issue of the Leopold Letter. “But nearly a century ago there was a food and agriculture issue that displayed the full range of human passions, foibles and tragedy.” Rasmussen looks back to 1900 when tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States and the role that infected cattle and milk played in TB transmission. “As we approach the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the bovine TB eradication effort in the United States, I personally take note of the resolve and determination required to take action for the greater good. We can be thankful for what they accomplished.” More (page 3)
Hogberg Receives Swisher Leadership Award
Maynard Hogberg, emeritus professor and former animal science department chair, received the 2016 John B. Swisher Leadership Award on June 8 at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines. JBS United presents the award annually to an individual who exemplifies extraordinary leadership qualities and who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the swine industry.
Calendar
June 30: Iowa Swine Day
Iowa Swine Day, an industry-focused event, will be held June 30, 9 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. in the Scheman Building. More
Funding Opportunities
CALS Internal Competition: MacArthur Foundation 100&Change Grant
CALS will hold an internal competition for the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change grant program. 100&Change is a competition for a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that will make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem. Proposals can focus on any critical issue. Contact Roxanne Clemens (rclemens@iastate.edu) for internal submission guidelines. More
USDA Animal Health Stakeholder Webinar Series Starts July 19
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service and Office of the Chief Scientist will hold a series of stakeholder webinars related to animal health. The first webinar covers the cross-cutting topic of antimicrobial resistance and is scheduled for July 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The purpose of this webinar is to discuss, prioritize and develop strategies to address the most pressing animal health research, education and extension needs related to AR. Thirteen additional webinars will be held during Oct. and Nov. Input will be requested approximately four to six weeks prior to each webinar.
NSF Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry
The National Science Foundation has issued a Dear Colleague Letter that addresses the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry program for stimulating collaboration between academic research institutions and industry. Areas of special interest are: (1) interdisciplinary university-industry teams to conduct collaborative research projects; (2) faculty, postdoc fellows and students to conduct research and gain experience in an industrial setting; and (3) industrial scientists and engineers to bring industry's perspective and integrative skills to academe. Interested individuals should contact the cognizant NSF program director prior to submitting a proposal. More
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
July 1: Great Rivers CESU - Laboratory Experiments and Modeling Submerged Oil and Oiled Sediment. More
July 15 (pre-proposal): Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH); assistant professors; $500,000 over five years, contact Donna Van Pelt (dvanpelt@foundation.iastate.edu) to express interest. More
Aug. 3 (pre-application): DoD Tick-Borne Disease Investigator-Initiated Research Award; $700,000 total direct costs over three years. More
Aug. 3 (pre-application): DoD Tick-Borne Disease Research Program Idea Award; $250,000 total direct costs over two years. More
Aug. 8: Collections in Support of Biological Research; three applications per institution, email fundingopps@iastate.edu to express interest. More
Aug. 12: BLM-CA Population, Habitat Monitoring, Education for Avian Conservation. More
Sept. 1: NOAA FY17 Bluefin Tuna Research Program. More
Sept. 25: NIH Improvement of Animal Models for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (R24). More
Oct. 5: NIH Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01). More
Infograzing
Videos to Provide Scientific Answers to 50 Food Questions
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology will be developing a series of 50 videos to address questions that people want answered about food – food safety, food ingredients, farming and production methods, or environmental impacts. Each video will provide facts with answers scripted by food science experts. More
Marginalia
Dairy Month: Holstein Health Studies at ISU Dairy Farm
- There are currently nine research trials taking place at the ISU Dairy Farm and another seven scheduled to begin soon. Trials can last for about 14 days while others can last six years, such as a Holstein feed efficiency trial that will end this month after six years.
- A vaccine trial in conjunction with the College of Veterinary Medicine has just been completed. It is believed this vaccine may have an outstanding impact on the dairy industry once approved by the USDA. Researchers hope to continue working with this vaccine.
- ISU has some of the world’s leading scientists of studying heat stress in animals. One ISU Dairy Farm study is developing a model for dairy cows on how cows are affected under different weather and climate conditions. This will be extremely relevant in the next five to 10 years as scientists continue to look at climate change and help the dairy industry with science-based information.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.