Arkansas State University has received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand animal health programs and agricultural research serving the Delta region.
The federal award covers half of a four-year, $2.6 million project that began in September and is expected to be completed in 2030. The university said the work will support the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture’s animal science curriculum and research at the university farm.
The project comes after the College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed its first class, made up of 122 students, in August. Jennifer Bouldin, dean of the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics, said university staff have begun organizing construction plans. Initial work includes fencing at the university farm to contain cattle and horses.
“These improvements will allow A-State’s researchers to better understand how nutrition, disease and environmental factors affect livestock health and food production.”
Bouldin said the grant is primarily intended to support research connected to agricultural production, animal health and food safety. Planned facility upgrades at the A-State University Farm will be used for livestock and poultry research. The four-year award requires matching funds, and the university and donors have pledged some of that support, Bouldin said.
Research and facility work
Some of the grant-funded work will take place at the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Ecotoxicology Research Facility. A-State officials said the facility will receive new equipment for research into the quality of animal feed.
- 1,472 square feet of additional space will be constructed.
- 1,032 square feet of existing space will be remodeled.
- The expanded and renovated areas will accommodate three pieces of equipment.
The university’s farm facilities are expected to provide space for research involving cattle, horses and poultry, while the Ecotoxicology Research Facility will support analysis related to animal feed. The combination of projects links veterinary education with the College of Agriculture’s animal science program and studies of livestock health and food production.
The USDA funding comes through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Research Facilities Program. The program awarded a total of $121 million to 36 higher education institutions, according to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
Construction planning and facility preparation are now part of the project’s four-year schedule. The university’s pledged matching funds, along with donor support, will be used with the USDA award to carry out the farm upgrades, laboratory expansion and equipment installation.
