USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved $408,000 for five new research grants at four institutions through the Comprehensive Research Program. The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee. The Committee evaluates research proposals to determine their value to the industry and then makes recommendations to the boards for funding. Committee members are professional specialists from different segments of the poultry and egg industry who represent a variety of scientific disciplines.

The Association’s Comprehensive Research Program dates to the early 1960s when funds were first approved for poultry disease research. It gradually grew into an all-inclusive program incorporating all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. Since the inception of the research program, USPOULTRY has reinvested more than $35 million dollars into the industry in the form of research grants. More than 50 universities and federal and state facilities have received grants over the years.

“Research is one of the cornerstones of USPOULTRY's and the Foundation’s service to the poultry industry. The Foundation Research Advisory Committee is the core of the research program with committee members volunteering many hours reviewing and evaluating research proposals before making recommendations for funding. We sincerely value and appreciate their time and commitment,” said Jarod Morrison, Farbest Foods, and USPOULTRY chairman.

The research grants for each institution include:

DNA Immunization as a Safe and Economical Vaccination Strategy Against Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) to Enhance Mucosal Protection in Primary Sites of Infection
University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Fieldale Farms Corporation)

Use of Qualitative and Quantitative Microbial Data to Determine if Turkey Pre-Chill and Post-Chill Sampling Are Predictive of Salmonella enterica Contamination in Ground Turkey
Kansas State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cargill)

Discovery of Novel Anthelmintic Resistance Genes to Reduce Production Loss Caused by Blackhead Disease
Northwestern University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Pilgrim’s)

Control of Enterococcus cecorum Through Identifying Its Dynamics of Adaptation to the Chickens and Its Environment
Mississippi State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Wayne-Sanderson Farms)

Identifying a New Pre-Harvest Gold Standard Salmonella Sampling Strategy to Predict Salmonella Burden on Broiler and Turkey Flocks Arriving for Processing
University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Prestage Farms)