NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing Food Security and Climate Resilience (MS)

Purpose & Vision

On September 28, 2022, the White House released its strategic plan on Ending Hunger, Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Reducing Diet-Related Diseases and Disparities. As noted by the White House, “Millions of Americans are afflicted with food insecurity and diet-related diseases…Lack of access to healthy, safe, and affordable food, and to safe outdoor spaces, contributes to hunger, diet-related diseases, and health disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges further.”

Mississippi is the most food insecure state in the country and second most food insecure state for children. Research has shown that poor nutritional health stemming from food insecurity, such as residing in a food desert or food swamp, leads to intergenerational health disparities that contribute to a high incidence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Nationally, Mississippi ranks last on the social determinants of health rankings which disproportionately impacts rural and Black and African American populations.

The Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem (SIE) Food Industry Development Award will help address the five pillars of the White House strategic plan:

Improve Food Access and Affordability,
Integrate Nutrition and Health,
Empower All Consumers to Make and Have Access to Healthy Choices
Support Physical Activity for All
Enhance Nutrition and Food Security Research

It will expand the geography and developing culture of innovation across 41 counties in central and southern Mississippi to programmatically unlock talents of the community, establish convergent food industry clusters, and align nodes of innovation to Inspire, Grow and Launch new, emerging technologies and businesses by creating a sustainable cycle of innovation.

The vision of the SIE Food Industry Development Award is to create an innovative ecosystem that: improves health and nutrition, reduces poverty, creates a diverse talent pool of skilled technical workers, and improves economic diversity and resilience.

Regional Importance and Impact

The 41-county service region includes much of the Mississippi River Delta and the state’s capital of Jackson, and some of the most demographically diverse and economically challenged counties in the country. 25 of the counties are classified as persistent poverty. Because of these conditions improving nutrition and reducing diet-related diseases and disparities are of critical importance. Reducing type 2 diabetes impact on health care cost and lost work by just 2% in the region alone could save $40 million annually.

In addition to improving health outcomes, the SIE Food Industry Development Award can advance economic equity by focusing on the creation of new high-quality job opportunities, strategic workforce investment and training, small-business creation, and regional clustering of target firms.

Partnerships

The SIE Food Industry Development Award initiative is led by Jackson State University (JSU) in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Building on partnerships formed during the formation of the Gulf Blue Initiative, the SIE Food Industry Development Award has identified a strong group of existing and proposed partners to begin the strategic planning process. The Leadership Team will leverage these relationships to identify and engage more public, private, and non-profit organizations to join in Development Award activities.

Meet the Leadership Team

Hover over each Team Member for information

Joseph A. Whittaker, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development/Associate Provost

Program Director/Interim CEO; Administration of the Development Award; Innovation Leadership.

Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D.

Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development/Director for Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Core functions: Use-inspired Research and Development; Translation of Innovations to Practice; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Ancillary functions: Customer Discovery; Entrepreneurial Programming; Technology Transfer and Commercialization; Innovation Management.

Kelly L. Lucas, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research

Co-Program Director/Interim COO; Administration of the Development Award; Innovation Leadership; Evaluation and Assessment.

Brian J. Cuevas, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Technology Development

Core functions: Use-inspired Research and Development; Translation of Innovations to Practice. Ancillary functions: Customer Discovery; Entrepreneurial Programming; Technology Transfer and Commercialization; Innovation Management.

Joseph M. Graben

Innovation Ecosystem Manager

Core functions: Communications and Outreach; Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement; Workforce Development. Ancillary functions: Asset Mapping; Innovation Ecosystem.