Beginning in 2027, taxpayers in many states will be eligible for a new federal tax credit of up to $1700 for contributions made to K-12 Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). SGOs are nonprofits that accept qualified contributions from individuals and use the funds to provide scholarships for education-related services at private or public schools, including tuition, fees, academic tutoring, and classroom supplies. Has your state opted-in to participate? Does your Cooperative Extension Service work with a non-profit organization that would qualify as an SGO through the US Treasury and is on your state’s participant list?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to speed up progress in plant science by calling on universities and stakeholders to help build new AI tools that can translate the huge amount of germplasm data the agency collects.
Through the Genesis Mission and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA), USDA is expected to launch an Agricultural National Science & Technology Challenge later this year. The Challenge will ask innovators to create practical solutions that pull together different types of information—like images, field data, and lab results—so scientists can quickly spot important plant and seed traits and develop crops that are more resilient and productive.
More details on the Challenge are forthcoming. Proposing teams are encouraged to read the full Genesis Mission Executive Order and bring their best ideas to advance America’s future in germplasm innovation. Read the full release regarding this matter here.
