Author: Michelle Gaston

NUEL eXtension Fellow Announcement – Deadline March 1

The National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Group and eXtension are pleased to announce they are accepting applications for a NUEL Fellow to assist in the advancement of professional development focused on the unique nonsubject matter needs of Extension Professionals working in urban environments. Urban Extension will be the focus of an eXtension Impact collaborative scheduled for October of 2019. The linked Role Description provides the details and application process.

Sourced from: National Urban Extension Leaders

FFAR: Seeding Solutions RFA is Coming Soon – March 1

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is seeking pre-proposals for the Seeding Solutions 2019 funding opportunity. The Seeding Solutions grants encourage the development of unique partnerships to support innovative – and potentially transformative – research focused in our Challenge Areas.

For Seeding Solutions 2019, FFAR anticipates funding at least one proposal in each of our six newly updated Challenge Areas. This year, FFAR will prioritize funding projects that both demonstrate strong partnerships, and have the potential for significant agricultural advancements through innovation and new technologies. We encourage applicants to reach out to the managing Scientific Program Director for their Challenge Area of interest to hone their ideas prior to submitting a pre-proposal in March 1, 2019.

Please note that the Seeding Solutions’ 2019 Request for applications will be available soon on the FFAR website.

FFAR awarded nearly $8 million to innovative projects during the 2017 Seeding Solutions program, which when matched, invested $16.6 million in agricultural research and innovation. We will be announcing the 2018 Seeding Solutions awardees soon, and are excited to further support agricultural research through Seeding Solutions 2019!

 

Sourced from: Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established by bipartisan Congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, builds unique partnerships to support innovative and actionable science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges. FFAR leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The FFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum, Ph.D., and includes ex officio representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation.

Civic Innovation Challenge: Ideas Competition

MetroLab Network and Smart Cities Lab are designing a research and action competition in the smart and connected communities domain with support from the National Science Foundation. The first phase of the Civic Innovation Challenge is the Ideas Competition, which asks you — researchers, government employees, nonprofits, residents — to identify challenges and priorities in your cities and communities that can benefit from technical exploration, scientific discovery, and new approaches.

Informational webinars will be held on December 7, December 20, January 8, and January 15.

Submissions for Idea Competition are due January 31, 2019

Follow this link to learn more, sign up for a webinar, and to see submission guidelines.

 

Reuse of Vacant Land Becomes Urban Garden, Community Space

Ohio State and multiple community partners have come together to build a garden and community space on previously vacant land in Lima, Ohio. The South Jackson Community Garden Project grew out of an OSU Connect and Collaborate Grant to reuse vacant land within the city to design and build a model urban garden and community space for food and health-related entrepreneurial activities. Follow this link to read more.

Sourced from The Ohio State University Lima and OnCampus.

Why Rural America Needs Cities

The 2018 midterm elections affirmed that the deep geographic divides within the United States are here to stay. There are real economic challenges confronting small towns, many of which struggle to add jobs and retain population in today’s knowledge-driven economy. But it would be a mistake to enact policy solutions to save rural America at the expense of cities. Follow this link to read more about why cities matter to rural communities.

Sourced from Brookings

National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Steering Committee Meeting

The National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Steering Committee Meeting was held December 3-5, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attendance included more than 30 participants representing 18 states and 22 universities.

The group reviewed 2018 accomplishments including Regional Caucus meetings held in each of the five ECOP regions and greater support and understanding of the importance and unique work of urban Extension professionals from state directors. The 2019 priorities from the NUEL Urban Extension Implementation Plan include creating national partnerships, sharing best practices across states, and state directors designating one person from each state to serve as an urban coordinator.

Attendees participated in a thought-provoking and insightful discussion with Wake County, North Carolina government officials regarding improved partnership and marketing opportunities. Takeaways from the discussion included: Align county Extension priorities and office plans of work with county government priorities; Be bold! Step outside of the lines and take chances to improve our communities; Partner with county government to address community needs; and Show up! by participating in activities such as tabling events and attending local government and community meetings.

What’s next? The National Urban Extension Conference will be held in Seattle, Washington on May 20-23, 2019. The hotel registration is open and conference registration will be available soon. The Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) 2019 Conference will be held October 14-17, 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The OSU Chapter is Alpha Eta. ESP now has an urban affinity group which ESP members can join (ESP membership is $40).

Report submitted by Nicole Debose, Ohio State University Extension, NUEL Steering Committee/North Central Region Caucus Chair

The Role of AI in Education and the Changing U.S. Workforce

The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies (ET) is poised to reshape the workforce. While the exact impact of AI and ET is unclear, experts expect that many jobs currently performed by humans will be performed by robots in the near future, and at the same time, new jobs will be created as technology advances. Follow this link to read more about  workforce development.

Sourced from Brookings

eXtension releases two eFieldbooks for Impact Collaborative Summit

eXtension has released two eFieldbooks for the Impact Collaborative Summit. An eFieldbook is a “go-to” interactive, multi-dimension communication resource for Extension professionals and project/program teams to begin discussion, help establish processes, and assist with the delivery of new programs. Extension professionals can take the eFieldbook in the field with them on their iOS compatible devices, upload and share information with others, and help pull the best resources together into one place from across the nation.

Sourced from eXtension