Kansas State University has announced the suspension of innovation labs and other international grant projects because of recent cutbacks in federal funding.
The university is suspending the operation of its two Feed the Future Innovation Labs on April 12th. The labs have have helped to feed the world and improve global food systems over the past decade, in partnership with the U.S. federal government.
Due to the recent federal transition, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service issued stop-work orders in late January on various grant funded projects, which included Feed the Future Innovation Labs and other international projects at several land-grant universities across the U.S. Under these and other federal orders, related grant-funded research at these universities was paused, including at K-State.
In late February, many stop-work orders became grant terminations, pausing or suspending various research on crop resilience and other projects. At K-State, students, scholars, post-doctoral fellows and some faculty connected to these projects are transitioning to other projects, and nine positions will be eliminated on April 12th.
In 2022, K-State researchers analyzed the economic impact of U.S. international agricultural research and development. Every dollar invested in international research from 1978 to 2018 provided $8.52 in economic benefit back to the U.S. Agricultural research not only supports U.S. crop production and sustainability but also helps improve food security by understanding social, political and environmental factors related to food production. In turn, Kansans benefit from lower food costs, increased yields, higher farm incomes and better nutrition.
Ernie Minton, the dean of the Kansas State College of Agriculture, said in a press release, “While these specific programs are ceasing or pausing, K-State remains committed to advancing and enhancing global food systems and biosecurity and helping Kansas farmers overcome current and future challenges.”
