Prairie View A & M and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation will convene a conference for early career scientists and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions for interdisciplinary research on water, environment, energy and agriculture within a changing climate. The conference will be hosted by PVAMU with support through USAID.
Students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early career scientists (~3 years post-Ph.D.) at HBCUs and targeted MSIs will engage with significant issues in the sustainable management of water and natural resources for food security amid climate change toward improving livelihoods in developing areas and countries. In addition, participants will learn about recent research in international agricultural development and network with research and industry leaders. An optional training in related analytical methods will also be offered as part of the overall conference.
Conference topics
- Climate change and water availability impacts on agricultural production
- Changing agricultural practices and water quality
- Water (irrigation) and nutrition linkages
- Water-energy-food nexus challenges and opportunities for development
- Economic and social impacts of climate, environment, and water in developing contexts (mainly rural/agricultural) through integrated, interdisciplinary research
Conferences and Trainings
Emerging Research Challenges in International Agricultural Development
Student and early career scientists conference for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions on Water, climate and food security: Emerging research challenges in international agricultural development.
The conference is organized for undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and other early career scientists at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and targeted Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) on the topics of water, climate, environment, and agriculture.
Integrated Decision Support System
A training workshop geared towards introducing trainees to three models that make up the IDSS, which are integrated to provide a holistic assessment of the impact of alternative interventions in food and agriculture. The models included in this training are:
- Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender Model (APEX) training –
a farm/field scale model for hydrologists, agronomists, and soil scientists to evaluate crop production and environmental sustainability - Farm Income Simulator (FARMSIM) training – a socio-economic model for agricultural economists or people seeking an economic understanding
- Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) training – a watershed scale model for hydrologists, agricultural engineers, and other related water resource professionals.