USPOULTRY and foundation approve $414,000 in research grants

Funds support research at the University of Maryland, Mississippi State University, University of Georgia, North Carolina State University and University of Delaware.

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved $414,000 for five new research grants at five institutions through the Comprehensive Research Program. The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, based on recommendations from the USPOULTRY Foundation Research Advisory Committee. The committee evaluates research proposals to determine their value to the industry and then makes recommendations to the boards for funding. Committee members are professional specialists from different segments of the poultry and egg industry who represent a variety of scientific disciplines.

The association’s Comprehensive Research Program dates to the early 1960s when funds were first approved for poultry disease research. It gradually grew into an all-inclusive program incorporating all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. Since the inception of the research program, USPOULTRY has reinvested more than $36 million dollars into the industry in the form of research grants. More than 50 universities and federal and state facilities have received grants over the years.

“One of the cornerstones of USPOULTRY's and the Foundation’s service to the poultry industry is research. The core of the research program is the Foundation Research Advisory Committee, with committee members volunteering many hours reviewing and evaluating research proposals before making recommendations for funding. We sincerely appreciate their time and commitment,” said Mikell Fries, Claxton Poultry Farms, and USPOULTRY chair.

The research grants for each institution include:

Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Bivalent Live-Attenuated Non-Transmissible (LANT) Vaccine Candidate for the Control of Salmonella serogroups B (O:4) and D (O:(9) in Chickens — University of Maryland.
Role of Phytase Dosage and Reduced Dietary Mineral Levels in Pullet Performance and Egg Production in Laying Hens – Focus on Bone Development and Eggshell Quality — Mississippi State University.
Salmonella Detector: A Mobile Application for On-Site Broiler Salmonella Infection Diagnosis — University of Georgia.
Poultry House Mass Depopulation Calculator — North Carolina State University.
A Novel Method at Poultry Hatcheries to Simultaneously Deliver Vaccines and Prebiotics/Probiotics Improving Litter Quality and Animal Welfare in Broiler Operations — University of Delaware.

Source: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association