What’s happening: A new research center dedicated to addressing urgent agricultural problems through sustainable solutions will soon take root at MSU. The nascent International Research Center for Enhancing Plant Resilience at Michigan State University has been named one of six winners of the 2024 Global Centers awards, receiving $5 million in funding as awarded through the program.
What it is: The
Global Centers program is led by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and its partner agencies in Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. The program awards support to promising bioeconomy research that solves global challenges while bringing together international teams and scientific disciplines.
Why it’s important: "The Global Centers are leveraging expertise and resources across like-minded nations and uniting multidisciplinary teams from around the world to accelerate innovations in the bioeconomy for great impact," says NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "Together, we are forging new solutions to pressing socioeconomic challenges while creating international centers of research excellence that are generating crucial knowledge, empowering communities and strengthening the foundations of global cooperation."
Here in Michigan: A $5,000,000 grant has been awarded to Michigan State University to support the International Research Center for Enhancing Plant Resilience, which intends to stabilize global food production challenged by unpredictable weather patterns and increasing environmental stressors. The team – which includes experts from the U.S., Canada, Japan, ROK, and the U.K. – seeks to discover and harness natural products from plants and microbes that can enhance plant and soil health, with the ultimate goal of stabilizing crop productivity in the face of weather-related and environmental challenges.
In their own words: Per the
Award Abstract from the NSF, “By integrating international expertise and resources, the (International Research Center for Enhancing Plant Resilience at Michigan State University) develops new, natural agricultural products that enhance crop resilience, reduce dependency on non-sustainable farming practices, and support global food security.”
Click here to learn more about the award-winning International Research Center for Enhancing Plant Resilience at Michigan State University.
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