A partnership among the Plant Coalition, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and MSU aimed at addressing long-term plant agriculture challenges related to water and extreme weather.

About

The Agricultural Resiliency Program — which operates through MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension — was established in 2024 through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development budget with $1 million in recurring funds to support research and outreach. A non-recurring investment of $5 million will go toward four projects that were funded for roughly $1.25 million each. For 2025, the competitive grants program received $5.1 million in funding and supports four projects at $1.275 million each.

In addition to competitive grants, one of the program’s objectives is to increase MSU knowledge and expertise in strategic areas of extreme weather and water science. This involves a cluster hire of six new faculty positions and two Extension educators with the $1 million State of Michigan recurring investment. Startup packages are supported in part by the MSU Office of Research and Innovation.

News