The State Department has selected seven proposals to advance in its revived Feed the Future Innovation Labs program. The move follows the earlier termination of most prior labs funded through USAID.
A preliminary list shows the advancing institutions are based almost exclusively in Republican-majority states. They include Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Florida, two labs at Auburn University in Alabama, Clemson University in South Carolina, and the University of Georgia. Clemson’s project includes a collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi.
The new call for proposals, issued in March, seeks projects aligned with U.S. policy priorities. Former program officials noted the criteria appear to deprioritize Africa in favor of the Western Hemisphere. Climate-related language was also removed from submissions.
The State Department plans to obligate funds by the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30. A spokesperson said evaluations follow published criteria without regard to applicants’ home states.
