USDA: NIFA Research

TCRGP, the Tribal Colleges Research Grant Program is a Haskell research initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The current grant program, Food Deserts, Edible Landscapes and Healthier Choices in Kansas, focuses on the need for judicious choices of produce varieties, along with mentoring and culturally relevant agricultural education, thereby fostering on-going tribal programs addressing produce deserts on Indian reservations in the state of Kansas. The ultimate goal is to increase the availability of fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables on rural Indian reservations.

Some of the many opportunities USDA-NIFA Research Students will participate in or receive:

• Student participation in real-world, hands-on agricultural research emphasizing vegetable gardening with various plants, including heirlooms and hybrids.
• Paid student internships through the summer and into the fall harvest season.
• Possible enrollment in an established course, ENVS 480, Undergraduate Research, linking horticultural research and agricultural economics research.
• Partnership with Kansas State University assuring research methods are up-to-date and students are taught best agricultural practices.
• Collaboration with employees/students from Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Kickapoo Tribe and Kansas State University, in addition to Haskell students/faculty/staff.