...................................................
AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
...................................................
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
May 27, 2014 No. 800
...................................................
COLLEGE NEWS
...................................................
CALS FACULTY, STAFF TO RECEIVE UNIVERSITY AWARDS
The following CALS faculty and staff will receive university awards at a ceremony in September:
- Hongwei Xin, agricultural and biosystems engineering/Egg Industry Center, named Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Steven Freeman, agricultural and biosystems engineering, named University Professor
- Larry Johnson, food science and human nutrition/Center for Crops Utilization Research, Outstanding Achievement in Research
- Toni Wang, food science and human nutrition, Mid-Career Achievement in Research
- Dan Loy, animal science/Iowa Beef Center, Outstanding Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice
- Mark Hanna, agricultural and biosystems engineering, Achievement in Intellectual Property
- John Burnett, natural resource ecology and management, Academic Advising Impact
- Renu Srivastava, genetics, development and cell biology, P&S Excellence Award
- Amani Elobeid, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, P&S Research Award
USDA GRANT FUNDS WORK ON HERBICIDE RESISTANCE STRATEGIES
ISU has received a $910,000 grant from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture; one of 12 grants funded to increase food security and improve food production. The project, led by Micheal Owen, agronomy, will work to develop and facilitate adoption of strategies that manage herbicide-resistant weeds in major crop systems. More: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/releases/isu-work-herbicide-resistanc…
STUDENTS CONVERT VACANT GARDEN INTO HEALTHY FOOD
The Student Dietetic Association has adopted an unused on-campus garden plot to help out an Ames free meal program. Most of the fresh produce from the garden will go to Food at First, which turns grocery and food service daily waste into free meals. CALS dietetics student Rebecca Jardon, senior and co-president of the Student Dietetic Association, is leading the summer project. Samantha Green, graduate student in horticulture, is involved as well. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2014/05/22/dietetics-garden
STATISTICS TEAM IN TOP 10 OF DATA MINING CONTEST
A group of statistics graduate students and one computer science graduate student has finished among the top 10 teams in the International Data Mining Cup competition sponsored by Purdys AG. Up to four team members will be sent to Berlin, Germany, to present their solution on July 2-3. The rankings of the top 10 teams will be announced at that time. Team members are: Guillermo Basulto-Elias, Fan Cao, Xiaoyue Cheng, Marius Dragomiroiu, Jessica Hicks, Cory Lanker (team leader), Ian Mouzon, Lanfeng Pan and Xin Yin.
PERENNIAL GRASSES DEMONSTRATION PLOTS PLANTED AT VERMEER
Vermeer Corporation and CenUSA Bioenergy, a multistate USDA-sponsored research project led by ISU, are collaborating on a new, perennial grass energy project. This summer they are showcasing high-yielding, perennial grasses grown for energy. The grasses were planted May 7 on two demonstration plots at Vermeer's global headquarters in Pella. Ken Moore, agronomy, is the lead investigator for CenUSA Bioenergy.
MARTIN HONORED AS EXEMPLARY FACULTY MENTOR
Robert Martin, agricultural education and studies, was one of 16 faculty members honored by ISU for serving as outstanding mentors to junior colleagues.
LICHT AND BRUENE RECOGNIZED BY ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The ISU Alumni Association will host its Inspiration Awards and Annual Reception on Friday, May 30, at 5:30 p.m. at the Brunnier Art Museum. Melea Reicks Licht, CALS Communications Service, will be recognized as an outgoing ISUAA board member. Roger Bruene, retired CALS Career Services director, will receive the Faculty/Staff Inspiration Award. More: http://www.isualum.org/en/events/isuaa_inspiration_awards__annual_recep…
DAIRY FARM HOSTS OPEN HOUSE, JUNE 6
Milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurt are a few of the samples that will be handed out at the ISU Dairy Farm open house on June 6 from 6 to 11 a.m. The sixth annual open house, which is open to the public, includes tours of the dairy farm with stops at the milking parlor, milk house and various farm buildings. More: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/releases/iowa-state-dairy-farm-hosts-…
CALS FACULTY TO SPEAK AT WORLD PORK EXPO, JUNE 4-6
The World Pork Expo will be held June 4-6 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. On the agenda from CALS are: Ken Stalder, animal science; Dermot Hayes, economics; Monique Pairis-Garcia, graduate student in animal science; and Anna Johnson Butters, animal science.
ISU RESEARCH FARM FIELD DAYS BEGIN JUNE 5
ISU Research and Demonstration Farms field days begin June 5 with a demonstration of cover crops at the Horticulture Research Station near Ames. Field days are open to the public. A full schedule is available online. More: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/releases/iowa-state-university-resear…
XIN: STUDYING COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS PASTEURIZE SHELL EGGS
Researchers are testing methods that may eliminate the fear of salmonella contamination in raw eggs. Liquid eggs are already pasteurized, but Hongwei Xin of ISU's Egg Industry Center, says researchers are exploring ways to pasteurize shell eggs. "There will be some added costs, but there are some ways to make it cost effective," Xin says in a May 26 program for Radio Iowa. More: http://www.radioiowa.com/2014/05/26/studying-cost-effective-way-to-past…
BIO-DOME DISPLAY LOOKS AT FARMING IN SPACE
A new bio-dome display at Reiman Gardens looks into the future of farming in space. The exhibit showcases research by Allen Pattillo, natural resource ecology and management. Supported by a grant from the Leopold Center, Pattillo built an experimental aquaponics system in a campus greenhouse in 2013. Pattillo advised Reiman Gardens and helped install the exhibit.
...................................................
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
...................................................
OECD COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR 2015
The Co-operative Research Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will provide grants to support short-term fellowships of scientists from one OECD member research institution to another. The goal of the fellowships is to strengthen the international exchange of ideas and increase international mobility and co-operation among research scientists working in agriculture, forestry or fisheries. Scientists are invited to apply in one of three research themes: the natural resources challenge, sustainability in practice and the food chain. Applications are due by Sept. 10.
USAID DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION ACCELERATOR - STIP
USAID has issued a Development Innovation Accelerator Broad Agency Announcement for Science, Technology, Innovation and Partnership. This BAA is a competitive approach to consider proposals that harness scientific research and innovation to solve Critical Development Challenges. USAID will reach out to potential partners to co-create, co-design, co-invest and collaborate. Multiple awards are anticipated. Specific goals, requirements and funding announced in addenda to the BAA. The first addendum, Critical Development Challenge—Global Scaling, has been issued to identify, collect, showcase and discuss potentially game-changing innovations. The addendum is intended to facilitate an exchange of ideas to lead to future addenda to fund innovations. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=255248
USAID HIGHER EDUCATION WEBINAR
USAID will host a higher education webinar on May 28. The webinar will provide updates on USAID programs, strategies and policies; highlight the work of higher education institutions on a range of development and global engagement related fronts; and share upcoming opportunities for engagement with USAID. The webinar is scheduled for 10 to 11:30 a.m. More: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/usaid-higher-education-webinar-tickets-1155…
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Additional information is posted at CALS Funding Resources, http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/fundingResources/
June 6 (notice of intent): USDA ERS Competitive Grant to Establish a USDA Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Policy Research; $750,000 over three years.
June 19: USDA NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management.
June 23: USDA NIFA Special Research Grants Program – Aquaculture Research; $300,000 over three years.
July 3: USDA NIFA Integrated Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program – National Integrated Water Quality Program; $750,000 over three years.
Aug. 1: USAID Feed the Future Biotechnology Partnership; one award, $10 million over five years. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=255898
Aug. 24 (letter of intent): NIH/USDA Dual Purpose with Dual Benefit: Research in Biomedicine and Agriculture Using Agriculturally Important Domestic Species (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-13-204.html
Sept. 9: NSF Science of Science and Innovation Policy. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501084
Oct. 25 (letter of intent): NIH Nutrition Obesity Research Centers; $750,000, one application per institution. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-14-002.html
Dec. 5: NSF Hydrologic Sciences. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13684
...................................................
INTERNAL VOICES
...................................................
MAZUR: INTENT IS TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
On May 19, the U.S. Agency for International Development released an optimistic progress report about its Feed the Future program, an initiative that has been aided by ISU researchers and that the agency claimed helped 12.5 million children and nearly 7 million smallholder farmers and food producers last fiscal year alone. Robert Mazur, sociology, is one of the ISU researchers involved with USAID hunger efforts. In an article for the May 20 issue of the Ames Tribune, he said, “Simply working with several communities isn’t going to save the world. But trying to come up with innovative management practices and technologies that can, that could then be scaled up and integrated (into larger programs) – the intent certainly is to be able to do things that eventually can have significant development impact.”
........................................................
AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
........................................................
EDITOR
Julie Stewart
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
SUBSCRIBE
Ag and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, title, organization, email address and the message "Ag and Life Sciences Online subscribe" to jstewart@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send your name and email address to "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe."
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IowaStateU.AgLifeSciences
Twitter: http://twitter.com/iastate_cals
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3350 Beardshear Hall (515) 294-7612.