USDA chief scientist Chavonda Jacobs-Young announced Wednesday an investment of $21.6 million in scientific research for small businesses to further develop transformative agricultural solutions.
“Small businesses, particularly rural and agricultural enterprises, play a vital role in the American economy. They embody the entrepreneurial spirit that America was built upon,” said Jacobs-Young, in a statement. “This latest investment strengthens federal research and development support for small businesses, including women- and minority-owned businesses, and enhances USDA’s efforts to rapidly scale innovation across the food supply chain.”
This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Small Business Innovation Research program that targets early-stage private-sector projects. Grant funding will support 34 research projects that propose innovative solutions on various projects related to topics including food science, nutrition, and agricultural conservation.
“The projects we’re supporting demonstrate scientific originality, technical feasibility, and strong commercial potential,” said acting NIFA Director Dr. Dionne Toombs, in a statement. “With this research, our small business partners are helping solve some of our most vexing agricultural problems.”
The grants announced today are supporting businesses across the country. Examples of funded projects include:
• Inventherm of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a company developing commercial soft serve ice cream and slush machines that use a novel, more cost-efficient sanitizing process.
• Hangar Alpha LLC of New York, New York, a company working to develop and commercially produce predictive fire analytics.
• Mirtech Inc. of North Brunswick, New Jersey, a company seeking to provide new market opportunities to the pear industry.
Other grant winners will use the money to advance disciplines including forestry, plant production and protection, natural resource conservation, food science, nutrition, and more.
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