Location: Food Systems Research Unit
Project Number: 8090-44000-001-001-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2021
End Date: Aug 31, 2024
Objective:
Develop the intellectual framework for a new Food Systems Research Center to improve New England food systems which will conduct local and regional food systems research, with an integrated approach that uses data to assess economic, environmental and social sustainability outcomes.
The primary objective of this agreement is to develop the research program infrastructure and foundation through capacity- building efforts to permit a cooperative, integrated, and multi-disciplinary research program conducted by the University of Vermont and the USDA, Agricultural Research Service that will better understand how agriculture and human nutrition needs can more precisely align to improve human health. Accomplishing the refurbishment/renovations will provide a state-of-the-art research facility permitting the parties to conduct cooperative research studies addressing the alignment of agriculture and human nutrition needs that improve human health to address gaps in nutrition research at the critical intersections of responsive agriculture, food production, human nutrition and health.
Approach:
To achieve the objective above, the University of Vermont (UVM) and USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – (the parties), will develop a state-of-the-art facility for computational modeling and data analysis with the ability to link to other data sources and computing resources. The initial phase will begin with renovating the UVM Hills Hall for the new research and be called the “Food Systems Research Center” to provide updated laboratory, office, and meeting space for collaborative research between the parties.
