University of Georgia Next Generation Agriculture project wins $1M NSF Engines Development Award

Courtesy of Fort Valley State University

The University of Georgia has been awarded $1 million from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program for the Next Generation Agriculture project, a broad collaboration intended to help Georgia farmers move toward “Ag 4.0”—the fourth agricultural revolution—in their practices. UGA and Fort Valley State University—Georgia’s only land-grant institutions—are NextGA’s academic leads.

Next Generation Agriculture—or NextGA—will leverage the strengths of more than 30 public and private organizations to work with farmers in a 20-county region of South Georgia to build an infrastructure for integrative agricultural innovation “in place.” Some 650,000 residents call the area home, and NextGA is intended to empower them with the support and expertise needed to build farming systems that are environmentally, economically, socially, and intergenerationally sustainable.

“Specialty crop farmers in Georgia face some unique challenges, such as rapidly changing technology, shortages of labor and other resources, mental health stressors, and a sense of isolation, among others,” said Karen Burg, UGA vice president for research and principal investigator for NextGA. “We want to deploy a truly holistic approach—involving cutting-edge research, intentional workforce development, and deep community engagement—to partner with these communities to catalyze local entrepreneurialism and build innovation ecosystems that create new opportunities.”

Isaac Crumbly, Ph.D., professor and Vice President for Collaborative Programs, and Govind Kannan, Ph.D., Vice President of Economic Development and Land Grant Affairs, were key personnel in the proposal recommended for funding. FVSU’s involvement includes CDEP for STEM education and Ag Extension. Two not-for-profit organizations, VentureWell and the Center on Rural Innovation, are also part of the leadership team. Behind those four entities stands a coalition of about 30 public agencies, companies, nonprofits, and local governments. Among them is the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.

“In our mission to deliver scientific solutions to national and global agricultural challenges, we look forward to working with the universities and their regional stakeholders to develop strategies that promote innovative agricultural research in Georgia,” said Archie Tucker, Southeast area director for the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Through UGA Extension and FVSU Extension, each of Georgia’s 159 counties is served by at least one Extension agent. Those individuals, some of whom have worked for years in their local communities and have earned their trust, will be the vital connections between NextGA’s partners and the people they hope to serve.

“Colquitt County and our surrounding counties are consistently rated as the top producing agricultural counties in the state of Georgia. We are looking forward to partnering with NextGA to drive economic development and improve prosperity for the citizens of rural South Georgia so that we can continue to remain in that position,” said Chas Cannon, county administrator for Colquitt County. “Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the state of Georgia. Our partnership with NextGA will help us continue to build upon our past achievements and keep the rural, agriculture-based economy in South Georgia front and center. It is a great opportunity for our region and for Georgia agriculture.”

NextGA is among more than 40 unique teams to receive one of the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal, and technological opportunities for their regions. NSF Engines is a transformational investment for the nation, ensuring the U.S. remains in the vanguard of competitiveness for decades to come.

“These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation. Through these planning awards, NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways, and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems across our nation.”

NSF Development Engine awardees span a broad range of states and regions, reaching geographic areas that have not fully benefited from the technology boom of the past decades. These NSF Engines Development Awards will help organizations create connections and develop their local innovation ecosystems within two years to prepare strong proposals for becoming future NSF Engines, which will each have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million.

Launched by NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships and authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact regional economies, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness, and create local, high-wage jobs.

The complete list of NextGA partners includes: