The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation launched Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services, a $50 million initiative to support organizations that help cities around the world use artificial intelligence to better anticipate and meet residents’ needs. Through a globalopen call, the initiative will identify and support eligible nonprofit and civil society institutions working with city governments to improve public health, economic mobility, environmental resilience, and civic engagement. Cities Deliver will award grants ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, aiming to reach up to 100 million city residents globally. Applications open on October 14 and close on November 29, 2026.
2026 New Administrators Orientation: Leading with
Conviction, Courage, and Confidence
December 8-10, 2026 | Alexandria, VA
Presented by the APLU Office of Food, Agriculture and
Natural Resources (FANR), the New
Administrators Orientation (NAO) is designed to help new administrators
build the knowledge, connections, and leadership skills needed to succeed in
their roles.
The program is intended for individuals who are new to
administrative leadership positions within colleges and programs related to
food, agriculture, natural resources, and the life sciences, including deans,
associate deans, department heads, directors, experiment station leaders, and
Extension administrators.
No matter your administrative position, NAO provides
practical guidance for navigating the responsibilities and opportunities of
academic administration.
Through discussions, expert perspectives, and peer
engagement, participants will explore topics such as leadership and
organizational culture, employee engagement, strategic communication,
decision-making, and managing change. Participants will also gain a deeper
understanding of the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA), including its policy,
advocacy, and communications activities, and will have opportunities to engage
directly with leaders from USDA.
By the end of the program, participants will have
strengthened their leadership capabilities, expanded their professional
network, and gained practical insights they can apply immediately to support
their institutions' teaching, research, Extension, and service missions.
See more information about the NAO and register here.
NIFA Soliciting FY27 Commodity Board Topics
NIFA is inviting commodity board organizations to propose research topics for potential co‑funding through future AFRI competitive grant programs. To qualify, boards must align their topics with AFRI’s priority areas and meet federal or state definitions of a commodity board. Topics must be submitted by Nov. 19 and will then be reviewed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2027 AFRI Foundational and Applied Science funding opportunity, while later submissions may be considered in future years. Boards must use NIFA’s online submission form and email the completed topic to the agency, which will confirm receipt. FAQs and additional guidance are available on the NIFA website. Findmore information here.
Texas A&M Discovery Leads to Citrus Greening
Treatment
Texas A&M AgriLife Research has developed a
spinach‑derived antimicrobial peptide treatment that protects citrus trees from
citrus greening disease, and it has now received full EPA registration. The
technology, commercialized by Silvec Biologics, uses a modified, naturally
occurring citrus tristeza virus strain to prompt trees to produce the
protective peptide. The approval reflects extensive safety data and marks a
major step toward offering growers a new tool against a disease that has
devastated U.S. citrus production. The breakthrough stems from long‑term
collaborations among Texas A&M, the University of Florida, and citrus
industry partners, supported in part by USDA’s National Institute of Food and
Agriculture. Read more about the project here.
