"It's important to continue to improve animal disease prevention practices and assure animal well-being," said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. "For example, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health concern for both humans and animals. By pinpointing alternative veterinary treatments, we can both address this issue and keep animals healthy."

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is America's flagship competitive grants program for foundational and translational research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences.

The AFRI Foundational program supports research in several priority areas, including animal health. Funding promotes animal health research projects to combat disease and improve animal health to contribute toward increased safety of food supplies, reduced use of antibiotics, and improved animal well-being.

Projects examine animal health and disease from the molecular level to the whole animal to provide producers with improved disease prevention, control or treatment strategies and tools. Topics include all priority livestock and aquaculture infectious diseases (including those caused by viruses, bacteria, pests, parasites) and non-infectious diseases.

Projects also evaluate current management practices and the development of new management practices that reduce animal stress and optimise sustainable production efficiency.

Fiscal year 2016 grants to 39 projects totaling $14.3 million, include:

• Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, $10,000
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado $494,000
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, $495,000
• Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, $433,300
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, $500,000
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, $495,000
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, $460,000
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, $331,450
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, $15,000
• Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $490,000
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $494,000
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $459,000
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $450,000
• Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, $500,000
• Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, $147,000
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, $494,000
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, $457,000
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, $15,000
• South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, $500,000
• South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, $150,000
• South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, $149,721
• The University of Vermont and State Agriculture Center, Burlington, Vermont, $499,905
• University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, $150,000
• University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, $149,999
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, $9,000
• University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, $460,000
• University of Maine, Orono, Maine, $150,000
• University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, $500,000
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, $460,000
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, $459,800
• University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, $460,000
• University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, $459,900
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, $459,200
• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, $500,000
• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, $490,000
• University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, $147,083
• USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, $500,000
• USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, Illinois, $500,000
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, $485,000

More details can be found at the NIFA website.

Among these projects, researchers from South Dakota University will develop a vaccine delivery method that works on multiple species, including cows and pigs. This will provide a safe and effective delivery system for disease prevention and control, allowing for rapid development of vaccines for emerging infectious diseases.

Scientists at the University of Maryland will test early heat exposure in chickens to understand how it imparts long-term resistance to heat stress, which can cause reduced growth and even death. The information may help increase growth rates, production rates, and offer guidance for poultry farming during heat waves.

A previously funded project at Iowa State University is examining the role of stress before and after cattle with respiratory diseases arrive at a feedlot. The information will help determine whether low-stress acclimation practices may improve animal health and well-being, and performance.

Researchers at Utah State University are examining the genetic basis for resistance to toxins produced by fungus. Understanding the needed genes may help to restore protective traits in commercial turkeys using selective breeding.