The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced that the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is the lead institution on a $10 million collaborative NEXTGEN grant project.
Its goal is aimed at building a diverse future federal workforce in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences and is part of the USDA’s $262.5 million investment in institutions of higher education announced June 21.
Dr. Stephan Tubene, associate director of the 1890 Universities Center for Global Food Security and Defense housed at UMES, is the director for the five-year project in partnership with Florida A&M University, Kentucky State University and Southern University and A&M College.
Activities will center around “generating and sustaining the next generation of FANH professionals through international experiential learning, outreach and engagement.”
“The project builds upon the momentum of the Center of Excellence,” said Tubene, who also serves as professor and acting chair of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences at UMES. “Partnerships will be fostered for paid impactful domestic and international internships, outreach projects, and career development for students to better understand how their academic plans can lead to a career, particularly with the federal government.”
The “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program” is supported by funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (as amended by Section. 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act) to enable eligible institutions to “engage, recruit and train” students from underserved communities with the goal of increasing graduation rates among students to add to the diversity of FANH fields and USDA employees.
The $262.5 million investment will “provide training and support to more than 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders through 33 project partners,” of which UMES is among.
“The vision we have at NIFA is to feed and nourish all Americans and create economic opportunity for more American families. Equity and diversity are the two central elements in this vision. One goal of the NextGen program is to identify, inspire and prepare our youth, particularly in underrepresented communities, to be the next generation of hunger fighters and agricultural problem solvers. This is the right thing to do and the right time,” said Dr. Manjit Misra, director of NIFA.
“We are thankful for the USDA-NIFA’s confidence in UMES spearheading this relevant and monumental task of helping it achieve equitable participation and representation not only in its programs and services, but in the broad range of agriculture-related career opportunities that exist today and in the years to come,” said Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, UMES’ 16th president.
This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
For the complete USDA press release, click here.
For more information about the programs at the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, go to the UMES SANS website.
