College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
June 12, 2017
Top Stories
More Than 1,600 Attend Dairy Farm Open House
To celebrate dairy month, the ISU Dairy Farm held its ninth annual open house on June 9. More than 1,600 people attended, taking tours of the farm and visiting the milking parlor and milk house. The open house included demonstrations of current technologies and best practices in animal care, product quality, safety and environmental stewardship.
Teaching and Students
ISU Team Takes Second in National Banking Competition
A team of five ISU students, including Callen Duffy, junior in agricultural business, and James Howell, senior in economics, placed second in the nationwide 2017 Community Bank Case Study Competition sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Peter Orazem, economics, and Katherine Lacy, a graduate assistant in economics, are the team’s faculty advisers. This was the first year ISU has competed in the event. More
CALS Students Visit Netherlands Research Farm
During a recent agricultural tour of Europe, a group of CALS students led by Jack Dekkers and Jessica Juarez, animal science, visited the Topigs Norsvin research farm Sterksel in The Netherlands. The students learned about the Dutch and European swine marketplaces, and about how societal attention and environmental rules regarding pig production are playing big roles in these markets. More
Extension and Outreach
Extension to Host Field Diagnostics Clinic on July 12
ISU Extension and Outreach will host a field diagnostics clinic on July 12 at the Field Extension Education Lab near Boone. Topics will include herbicide injury identification, Palmer amaranth, nutrient deficiencies and fertilizer injuries. More
Around the College
Patience Receives Swisher Award at World Pork Expo
John Patience, animal science, received the John B. Swisher Annual Leadership Award at the JBS United reception at the World Pork Expo on June 7. The award is presented to an individual who exemplifies extraordinary leadership qualities and who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the swine industry.
CALS to Host International Group of Farmers and Agricultural Leaders
CALS will host a group of international visitors seeking information about agricultural issues on June 19. Nuffield International is bringing a group of 10 farmers and others involved in agriculture from Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand, England, Australia and the Netherlands. More
Calendar
June 14: Monarch Butterfly and Wetland Field Day
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium is hosting a monarch butterfly and wetland field day on Wednesday, June 14, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at a CREP wetland near Story City. The field day is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested as lunch is included. More
Funding Opportunities
Limited Submission: FFAR Animal Welfare Program, June 22
The Office of the VPR is accepting pre-proposals for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research limited submission opportunity Accelerating Advances in Animal Welfare. The research areas for this opportunity include cage-free poultry welfare and the impact and feasibility of developing alternatives to castration in swine. Grants of up to $500,000 for up to 60 months will be awarded. FFAR has obtained matching funds from open philanthropy to fund this opportunity, and applicants are not required to provide matching funds. Pre-proposals are due June 22. More
FFAR to Release Sustainable American Aquaculture RFA by July 10
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will invest up to $5 million in Sustainable American Aquaculture research grants. Research priorities are genomics and breeding of understudied shellfish species (e.g., mussels, clams, scallops) for improved performance parameters; hatchery research including broodstock development and larval rearing; and market-based analyses for new species and/or production regions. PIs will be required to provide non-federal matching funds equivalent to the FFAR award amount. A request for applications will be available by July 10. More
USDA NIFA Grant Opportunities for Global Engagement
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has provided a list of the requests for applications that offer opportunities for global engagement. More
Enhancing the Quality of NSF CAREER Proposals
A recent Dear Colleague Letter from the National Science Foundation clarifies information in the current program solicitation for Faculty Early Career Development Program proposals and provides suggestions for enhancing the quality of these proposals. The Dear Colleague Letter was issued by the NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Due dates for CAREER proposals fall between July 19 and July 21, depending on the directorate to which they are submitted. More
Two NSF BIO Programs No Longer Accept Dissertation Grant Proposals
The National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences has announced that the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems and the Division of Environmental Biology will no longer accept Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant proposals. This change does not affect grants that were already awarded. BIO continues to support graduate student participation in PI-led research, and NSF continues to support graduate research through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the NSF Research Traineeship Program. PIs can also submit proposals for conferences that include support for graduate and postdoctoral trainee travel and attendance. 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 7 (concept paper): DOE and USDA FY 2017 Biomass Research and Development Initiative; $500,000 to $2 million. More
July 10 (internal expression of interest): NSF Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections; contact the Office of the VPR (fundingopps@iastate.edu) to express interest in this limited submission opportunity. More
Sept. 4 (letter of intent): NIH Partnerships for Development of Clinically Useful Diagnostics for Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria (R01). More
Sept. 5: NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers; $400,000 to $2 million. More
Sept. 5: NIH PHS 2017-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42]); Phase I $150,000 to $225,000 for one year. More
Sept. 5: NIH PHS 2017-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44]). More
Oct. 31: Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund; $25,000, conservation of threatened or poorly known animal, plant or fungus species. More
Communications Kiosk
When Writing About Research, Think Clarity
The key to communication is clarity. Yet many authors struggle with clearly conveying methodologies, findings and relevant implications when crafting research briefs or other types of scholarly manuscripts. A webinar hosted by eXtension on Thursday, June 15, at 1 p.m. will focus on strategies for avoiding common clarity-related issues in scholarly writing – from obvious problems such as inadequate organization, to more subtle errors such as impreciseness of language and omitted punctuation.
Infograzing
Listening Sessions for ISU Presidential Search Scheduled for June 12-13
As part of the search process for ISU’s next president, four public listening sessions will be held today and tomorrow: Monday June 12, 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room and 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Campanile Room; and Tuesday, June 13, 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room and noon to 1:30 p.m. at Design on Main, 203 Main Street. Those who cannot attend a session but would like to provide input on desired candidate characteristics and qualifications may email their comments by June 19 to presidentsearch@iastate.edu. More
Marginalia
Remember to Wash Your Hands When Visiting Farms
As agritourism season kicks-off with farm tours, breakfasts, u-pick and other events, the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center at the University of Minnesota has resources to keep farm visitors healthy and safe. The center, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, has developed a handwashing video, brochure and poster available for download. More
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.