BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $262,500 to North Dakota State University to address the shortage of experts in agricultural management and economics. It will also empower women and underrepresented groups in the agriculture and food production sector.

These funds are part of a larger investment of $3.2 million in Food and Ag Sciences National Needs Graduate and Post-grad Fellowship Grants. NIFA’s National Needs Fellowship program trains students pursuing masters and doctoral degrees and provides additional education for the next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the food and agricultural sciences.