by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
The National Science Foundation has awarded a nearly $750,000 grant to the University of Arkansas’ Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research. The institute, referred to as I³R, is a cross-disciplinary team of consultants, startup companies and university researchers, including those with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator grant will fund a project designed to connect regional farmers with institutional buyers and ultimately expand access to healthy and nutritious food.
The project, “Data-driven Agriculture to Bridge Small Farms to Regional Food Supply Chains,” brings Division of Agriculture researchers together with colleagues from the University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and University of Florida. The team also includes two startups, Cureate and Junction AI Inc., as well as several consultants. The project’s stated goal is to tackle challenges such as food insecurity while offering novel business solutions.
