Newsletter

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is seeking pre-proposals for the Seeding Solutions 2019 funding opportunity. The Seeding Solutions grants encourage the development of unique partnerships to support innovative – and potentially transformative – research focused in our Challenge Areas. For Seeding Solutions 2019, FFAR anticipates funding at least one proposal in each of our six newly updated Challenge Areas. This year, FFAR will prioritize funding projects that both demonstrate strong partnerships, and have the potential for significant agricultural advancements through innovation and new technologies. We encourage applicants to reach out to the managing Scientific Program Director for their Challenge Area of interest to hone their ideas prior to submitting a pre-proposal in March 1, 2019. Please note that the Seeding Solutions’ 2019 Request for applications will be available soon on the FFAR website. FFAR awarded nearly $8 million to innovative projects during the 2017 Seeding Solutions program, which when matched, invested $16.6 million in agricultural research and innovation. We will be announcing the 2018 Seeding Solutions awardees soon, and are excited to further support agricultural research through Seeding Solutions 2019!   Sourced from: Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established by bipartisan Congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, builds unique partnerships to support innovative and actionable science addressing today's food and agriculture challenges. FFAR leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The FFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum, Ph.D., and includes ex officio representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation.

Last year, China cracked down on recycling imports, forcing cities to get cleaner and more creative with their trash. Until recently, China has been the world’s dominant market for recyclable material; in 2016 the country counted for 60 percent of global demand and roughly a third of U.S. exports. But 2018 started with a cataclysmic bang, as China made good on promises to enact stringent standards on imported paper and plastic refuse. That resulted in a complete halt to imports of some 32 recycled materials. A collapse in prices for some goods followed, while others went into a sympathetic swoon. As a result, some cities such as Kirkwood, Missouri and Deltona, Florida suspended recycling altogether; while others scaled back on the types of waste they would accept. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Next City

There is perhaps no issue more pressing for local governments than the opioid epidemic. In 2017, of the 70,237 drug-overdose deaths in the United States, 67.8 percent involved an opioid. While municipal leaders have devoted significant resources to combating the epidemic, they are too often drawn into a costly game of  "Whac-A-Mole." Nowhere has that frustration been felt more keenly than in New York City. Staten Island, once the epicenter of the opioid epidemic in the state, saw overdose deaths fall by 15 percent in 2017, while the Bronx experienced a 12 percent increase. It was therefore completely rational for Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce, a plan to implement in the Bronx the same approaches attributed to Staten Island's success. Then, several weeks later, preliminary data for 2018 indicated that overdose deaths on Staten Island had likely increased. Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Governing.

The Ohio State University Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) is an interdisciplinary research innovation hub that specializes in the application of Geographic Information Science (GIS), spatial statistics, and graphic visualization to urban and regional issues. They have broad interests in all aspects of urban and regional research, and collaborate with a wide range of faculty and students across campus. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: CURA