The National Pork Board has opened the application period for a new series of swine research fellowships to provide a pipeline of highly skilled employees for the pork industry. The Pork Checkoff has committed a total of $500,000 for the fellowships, which will fund professional student education and training in critical areas of impact, including animal science, feed science and management, engineering and human resources, among many others.

"Labor supply is a critical issue across the entire pork industry," says David Newman, NPB president and a pig farmer representing Arkansas. "This fellowship program will develop highly trained professionals who possess skills and abilities with direct application to pork production now and in the future."

According to Chris Hostetler, NPB director of animal science, past Checkoff research funding supported graduate students based on specific research priorities.

"While results of swine-related research is not the desired outcome of these fellowships, the Pork Checkoff recognizes that research is a critical component of professional student training," Hostetler says. "Research outlined in the proposal must be of importance for the pork industry."

Fellowships will be awarded for a maximum of two years and can be used for M.S., Ph.D. or DVM-Ph.D. programs. Fellowship funding will be capped at $30,000 annually for two years. Second-year funding will be contingent on the submission and approval of a progress report at the end of the first year.

For more information, guidelines and the application, visit the Research Request for Proposals site. All materials must be submitted by Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. CST.

Source: National Pork Board, which is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly owns the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.