{"id":193431,"date":"2021-10-08T16:27:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T20:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/?p=193431"},"modified":"2021-10-08T16:29:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T20:29:32","slug":"a-chance-to-match-your-excitement-for-n-c-psi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/news\/a-chance-to-match-your-excitement-for-n-c-psi\/","title":{"rendered":"A Chance to Match Your Excitement for N.C. PSI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s definitely a lot to be excited about when it comes to the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.C. PSI was envisioned by farmers to help drive the vital research and innovation that will increase crop yields, create new varieties, extend growing seasons, and enhance agricultural and environmental sustainability. That\u2019s why we are bringing together the brightest minds in academia, government and industry – and it is already paying dividends for North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re on our way to solving some of the grandest issues facing agriculture and society today. However, we need your help to take us to the finish line. And with a once-in-a-lifetime funds matching program that can literally double your gift, we\u2019re making it easier than ever for you to support us. More on this below. But first, here are just a few of our major accomplishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close to 80 faculty across six different colleges are already engaged in more than 10 active N.C. PSI research projects<\/a> that have received roughly $100 million in competitive research support. NC State was also awarded a five-year, $25 million grant for the creation of an NSF Science and Technology Center conducting research to reduce both the dependence on mined phosphates and the amount of phosphorus that leaches into soil and water. The NSF Science and Technology Center \u2013 Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS)<\/a> \u2013 will be headquartered in the NC State University Plant Sciences building, the future home of N.C. PSI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And thanks to partnerships with federal agencies and our state congressional leaders, we have secured authorization for new USDA-ARS faculty positions and a $31 million building to support collaborative research on our Lake Wheeler Rd. Research Farms<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, CALS announced the hiring of Adrian Percy<\/a> to serve as N.C. PSI\u2019s inaugural executive director. Percy is a globally recognized leader in agriculture who will be leaving his position as Chief Technology Officer at UPL, one of the world\u2019s largest agrochemical companies, to assume his new leadership role on Nov. 1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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