Thanks to the generosity of the Hrdy family, we are pleased to announce that four proposals have been selected for funding through The Daniel & Sarah Hrdy Fund for UC Cooperative Extension Research.

The Hrdy fund, which allows UC ANR to spend up to $100,000 per year, will provide seed funding for the following early-stage research projects:

• Effect of spring no-tillage on the dynamics of rice pests (Whitney Brim-DeForest, Luis Espino, Bruce Linquist)
• Effectiveness and efficiency of targeted livestock grazing to reduce fuel loads in California's wildland urban interface (Tracy Schohr, Dan Macon, Ricky Satomi, Roselle Busch)
• Management strategies for California's oak woodland: a meta-analysis and scaling of ecological conditions (Safeeq Khan, David Lewis, Yana Valachovic, Leslie Roche, Rebecca Ozeran, Dan Macon, Devii Rao, Mike Jones)
• Supporting sustainable meat supply chains and direct-market ranching operations (Grace Woodmansee, Morgan Doran, Vince Trotter, Patrick Huber, UC Davis project scientist with the Food Systems Lab, and Michael Dimock, director of Roots of Change)

To identify Hrdy-funded projects, proposals were submitted by individuals or teams. Proposal reviewers ranked the 19 submissions, giving priority to outstanding proposals submitted by early to mid-career level (assistant to associate level) UC ANR academics. The projects will receive three to five years of funding, with up to $25,000 per year. Funds will next be available for proposal submission in 2024.

Wendy Powers
Associate Vice President