FY 2024 Seed Grant Recipients

The Office of Research Development announces the results of the fiscal year 2024 call for proposals for the Global Food Systems Seed Grant Program.

The funding supports innovative research in all aspects of global food systems, especially projects that promote job creation and economic development in the state of Kansas, are interdisciplinary, engage graduate or undergraduate students and partner with Kansas-based industry.

  • Gaurav Jha, agronomy; Ignacio Ciampitti, agronomy; Susan Metzger, research and extension; and Daran Rudnick, biological & agricultural engineering, "Advancing Kansas On-Farm Water Stewardship by AI-Driven Precision Irrigation Technologies."

  • Phillip Lancaster, clinical sciences; Billy Brown, animal science & industry; and Raghavendra Amachawadi, clinical sciences, "Enhancing Dairy Production Economics and Beef Sustainability by Improving Gut Health of Beefdairy Cross Calves."

  • Michael Chao, animal science & industry; Yoonseong Park, entomology; and Priscilla Brenes, food, nutrition, dietetics & health, "Cultivating Awareness and Resilience Against Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) in Rural Kansas."

  • Terry Felderhoff, agronomy; and Sarah Sexton-Bowser, agronomy, "Genotypic Characterization and Introgression of Triketone Herbicide-Tolerant Trait in Grain Sorghum."

  • Nicholas Dias, animal science & industry; Shih-Kang Fan, mechanical nuclear engineering; and Adam Bassett, clinical sciences "Improving Beef Cattle Reproduction by Enhancing Post-thaw Sperm Quality and Fertility with Microfluidic Sorting of Fresh Bovine Ejaculate."

  • Allan Fritz, agronomy; Daniel O'Brien, agricultural economics; Shi Yong Cheng, grain science & industry; and Eduard Akhunov, plant pathology, "Increasing Wheat Protein/Gluten Extraction: Building the Foundation for Long-Term Success of a Kansas-Based Industry."

  • Yong-Cheng Shi grain science & industry; Hulya Dogan, grain science & industry; and Weiqun Wang, food, nutrition, dietetics & health, "Developing Healthy Foods with High Dietary Fiber and Resistant Starch."

  • Nellie Hill, communications & agricultural education; Cheryl Boyer, horticulture & natural resources; Rachel Mui, management; and Chad Jackson, management, "Encouraging Agritourism Business Expansion in Kansas."

  • Davood Pourkargar, chemical engineering; and Sajid Alavi, grain science & industry, "A Physics-Informed Machine Learning-Based Predictive Modeling Framework to Enhance Efficiency, Sustainability, and Resilience for Global Food Systems."