Source: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS submitted to
GRADUATE STUDIES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ANIMAL AGRICULTURE (AI4AAG)
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1029373
Grant No.
2022-38420-38610
Cumulative Award Amt.
$238,500.00
Proposal No.
2022-04878
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 15, 2022
Project End Date
Sep 14, 2027
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[KK]- National Needs Graduate Fellowships Program
Project Director
Rodriguez Zas, S.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
URBANA,IL 61801
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The main objective of this project is to establish an innovative doctoral training path that prepares leaders skilled in artificial intelligence to resolve challenges in agricultural-related areas at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sponsored by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship program, three fellows receive training in artificial intelligence, agricultural, one-health, or biological technologies, and soft skills through coursework and research. The previous training is complemented with teaching, internships, or Extension experiential learning opportunities. The diverse cohort of fellows will be co-mentored by faculty members that have multidisciplinary and complementary expertise.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
9037410202050%
3073910106050%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery; 307 - Animal Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
3910 - Cross-commodity research--multiple animal species; 7410 - General technology;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
At the forefront of the fourth agricultural revolution is applying artificial intelligence to improve food sustainability, animal and crop production and health, and environmental stewardship. Artificial intelligence technologies can uncover beneficial adaptations of agricultural species to extreme environments and offer real-time management and decision-making support. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the private sector are at the forefront of supporting artificial intelligence applications in agriculture. However, few in the workforce have multidisciplinary expertise in artificial intelligence and agriculture. Project aims include: a) Addressing workforce needs by training and matriculating doctoral fellows with expertise in artificial intelligence to solve agricultural-relevant challenges; andb) Serving as a model for other training programs that support a diverse and capaciated agricultural workforce.
Project Methods
Following guidelines from the National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship program, the recruited fellows will be U.S. citizens or nationals with demonstrated motivation to advance their understanding of artificial intelligence applications to agriculture-associated challenges and are interested in pursuing a career as an agricultural scientist or professional. The three fellows will be new to the graduate program or with less than two semesters in the graduate program and will be registered as full-time students during the three years of support. The fellows will take courses throughout the nine semesters of studies, pursue doctoral dissertation research, and benefit from professional development, teaching, internship, and Extension experiential learning activities. Preparation in ethics, responsible conduct of research, entrepreneurship, and leadership complement agricultural and informatics sciences coursework. The project's faculty will advise the fellows on academic progress, regularly provide feedback on competencies, and mentor on courses, research, and career opportunities.This training project assembles intramuraland extramural expertise, resources, and learning opportunities to further the fellows' learning and application of technical and soft skills. These experiences will capacitate the Fellows to lead efforts in developing artificial intelligence solutions for agricultural-associated challenges.

Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audiences for this initiative include other training programs, academic institutions, industry stakeholders, and federal agencies. These groups share a common goal: cultivating a diverse population equipped with expertise in informatics, statistics, and biology, all of which are essential for advancing animal and plant production, health, and sustainability. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project is advancing its three core goals: 1) establishing and maintaining a recognized graduate program that equips Fellows with agricultural and informatics expertise to meet the needs of the agricultural industry, government, and academic sector in the next 30 years; 2) promoting diversity among the trainees; and 3) serving as a model for other training programs. Progress has already been made on all three fronts, addressing the critical demand for biologists proficient in artificial intelligence-based methods to integrate information and analyze large, complex data sets essential for securing food-producing animals and plants. During the first two years, the project offered training opportunities through graduate-level courses and seminars in animal and plant sciences, informatics, biology, animal genetics, animal behavior, chemistry, and statistics. Additionally, professional development opportunities included responsible conduct of research and ethics seminars, complimentary professional headshots, presentations, and networking at meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Abstracts, posters, presentation at conferences and meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next year, we plan to continue working toward accomplishing the objectives and activities originally proposed. In this respect, the primary objectives of this initiative are twofold: firstly, to establish a pioneering graduate education program that prepares graduates in the application of artificial intelligence approaches to improve animal agricultural production, and secondly, to graduate a highly diverse cohort of fellows equipped with essential scientific, communication, and leadership skills. The accomplishment of these objectives is expected to enhance the quality and diversity of the workforce serving industry, government, and academic units associated with agricultural production. Specific, measurable goals include I) a recruitment strategy that offers agriculture-related training opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, leading to the successful graduation of a multicultural group of Fellows, including three Ph.D. National Needs Fellows, and II) providing these Fellows with comprehensive multidisciplinary experiential learning opportunities. The training program for the Fellows will continue to encompass a) a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary curriculum, b) research opportunities guided by experienced and successful Faculty mentors, c) teaching experiences, and d) the development of professional skills, including communication, decision-making, and leadership. The progress of the program and the Fellows will continue to be closely monitored through regular meetings and tracing of academic metrics. Expected outcomes include a) three Ph.D. graduates with expertise in informatic technologies tailored to agricultural production, thereby enhancing both the qualifications and cultural diversity of the workforce, b) the establishment of a model training doctoral program that prepares graduates for leadership positions in the agriculture industry, c) communication of research outcomes in peer-reviewed manuscripts authored by the Fellows, demonstrating the application of the training to advance the understanding of agricultural systems, and d) conference abstracts and presentations allowing the Fellows can network and forge soft skills relevant to the postgraduation employment.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Progress in this 2023-2024 cycle included the recruitment of two Ph.D. Fellows who join the previously recruited Fellow. The first Fellow (Andrea) is on track to complete most of the coursework and seminar requirements for the Ph.D. in Animal Sciences. In addition, the Fellow has completed a teaching academy and will be responsible for 25% of the teaching assistantship responsibility of the course on applied animal genetics. The Fellow has learned to apply informatics and artificial intelligence-informed tools to analyze metabolomic profiles in the pig and has submitted an abstract summarizing preliminary results at the next conference of research workers in animal diseases meeting. As anticipated in the previous progress report, two recently recruited Fellows (Gloria and Sree) have enrolled in courses and seminars in the areas of animal sciences, informatics, and data mining (e.g., programing in Python for data sciences, animal behavior, introduction to data science, animal genetics). Each Fellow has joined an existing project, enabling them to be the author of abstracts. One Fellow submitted abstracts on the application of data mining to biological processes to the society for neuroscience and genomic biology symposium. The other Fellow will present a poster at a personalized nutrition meeting on the effect of fasting in pigs. The previous accomplishments demonstrate that the training program continues to deliver high-quality, student-centered, and outcomes-focused graduate education that aligns with the mandate of the National Needs Fellows initiative to 1) support graduate training that addresses the TESA, 2) increase graduation rates in agricultural sciences, and 3) develop intellectual capital in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to maintain the leadership of U.S. food and agricultural systems.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sunderland, G.R., Southey, B.R., Rodriguez Zas, S.L. 2024. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of the amygdala offers insights into the function of cell adhesion molecule genes. Institute for Genomic Biology Fellows Symposium, May 02, 2024. Urbana-Illinois.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Bhamidi S., Southey B. R., Rodriguez-Zas S. L. 2024. Impact of stressors on the amygdala pathways. Personalized Nutrition Innovation Day. September 24, 2024. Urbana, Illinois.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sunderland, G.R., Southey, B.R., Rodriguez Zas, S.L. 2024. Metabolism and inflammation signaling pathways uniquely impacted by opioid exposure in the hypothalamus of males and females. Personalized Nutrition Day. September 24, 2024. Urbana, Illinois.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Southey, B.R., Sunderland, G.R., Rodriguez Zas, S.L. 2024. Cell-dependent influence of chronic drug use on cell adhesion molecules characterized by single-nucleus RNA-sequencing. Society for Neuroscience. October 5-9, 2024. Chicago, Illinois.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sunderland, G.R., Southey, B.R., Rodriguez Zas, S.L. 2024. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of the amygdala offers insight into the function of inflammatory & cell adhesion molecule genes. Personalized Nutrition Innovation Day. September 24, 2024. Urbana, Illinois.


Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences are other training programs, academic institutions, industry and federal agencies that aim at having a diverse population knowledgeable on the application of informatics, statistics, and computer sciences to enhance animal and plant biology, health, and production. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has three goals: 1) build and sustain a recognized graduate program that trains and graduates fellows in artificial intelligence to enter into the workforce and meet the needs of the agricultural system; 2) promote diversity among the trainees; and 3) to be a model for other training programs. The project already has outputs on all three goals that address the urgent need for new biologists skilled in artificial intelligence-based approaches to integrate information and mine large and complex data sets to secure food-producing animals and plants. Opportunities for training offered during the project's first year include graduate-level courses in animal and plant sciences, informatics, computer sciences, statistics, molecular biology, and behavior. Opportunities for professional development during the project's first year include a course in responsible conduct of research and ethics, free professional headshots, and workshops on job search and writing personal statements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Program website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Additional fellows will start the program in a staggered manner.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Three outcomes resulted from the activities supporting the goals of the project. First, the Graduate Studies in Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture program was inaugurated, and the website was created and made publicly available. The comprehensive program website was created, including fellows, available projects, and additional resources (https://publish.illinois.edu/artificialinteligenceforag). Second, the program contacted numerous outlets that disseminate fellowship opportunities or interact with promising students searching for graduate studies. These outlets included Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, ProFellow, USDA Office of Partnerships. Thirty-seven applications from individuals meeting USDA NNF and program qualifications were evaluated. Third, one fellow is taking courses to strengthen informatics, biology, and soft skills. This fellow is already undertaking research toward a peer-reviewed manuscript. The remaining fellows are scheduled to join the program in the coming semesters according to the staggered training proposed. The program continues to offer high-quality, learning-centered, and outcomes-based graduate training that addresses the NNF charge to 1) support graduate training to resolve the TESA, 2) increase graduation in agricultural sciences, and 3) develop intellectual capital on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to ensure the preeminence of U.S. food and agricultural systems.

Publications