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DWFI's 2014-2015 student and postdoctoral grantees
student profiles 2015

In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, DWFI awarded a total of $310,000 to nine Faculty Fellows as part of its inaugural student and postdoctoral support program. These grants provided stipends to eleven students and postdoctoral fellows working on projects that contribute to a more water and food secure world. Click here to learn more about their work and explore the photo gallery. Information about the 2015-2016 program will be available soon.

DWFI to participate in the 7th World Water Forum April 12-17
World Water Forum 2015

DWFI is pleased to participate in the World Water Forum, the largest water-related event in the world, which will take place in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, South Korea, April 12-17.

DWFI will lead discussion on "Water and Food Security in a Changing World," which includes individual presentations and an expert panel. We are also participating in "Adapting to Change for Sustainable Water Use in Agriculture," an area of expertise for Nebraska. In addition, we will be represented in the U.S. Pavilion, an area of the forum's exhibition hall featuring water and food leaders from around the country.

This global event is a valuable opportunity to share the University of Nebraska's leadership in water management and agriculture, and to learn from others as we work together toward a common goal: to ensure we have enough food and water for a population expecting to reach 10 billion in the next 35 years.

Learn more about some of DWFI's activities at the forum:
High level Panel: How Can We Achieve a Water and Food Secure Future? 
Making Every Drop Count: Best Available Technology in Irrigated Agriculture
Water and Food Security in a Changing World
Adapting to Change for Sustainable Water Use in Agriculture
Concluding Session 2.1: Water for Food

DWFI Faculty Fellow Martha Mamo receives NU teaching award
Martha Mamo On March 25, NU Interim President James Linder, announced the 2015 winners of the university's most prestigious awards for teaching, research and engagement. The university-wide awards recognize faculty whose work has had a significant impact on students, the university and the state.

DWFI Faculty Fellow and UNL Agronomy Professor Martha Mamo was awarded the "Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award," which recognizes her meritorious and sustained record of excellence and creativity in teaching. Learn more.

World Water Day blog: "Managing our Water Future: Innovation for Water and Sustainable Development"
drip irrigation In conjunction with World Water Day (March 22), DWFI Founding Executive Director Roberto Lenton co-authored a blog with Global Harvest Initiative executive director Margaret M. Zeigler on the importance of sustainable water management. Case studies from Nebraska and India are highlighted. Read blog.

View DWFI's social media posts celebrating World Water Day via Storify.

DWFI's Tony Carr to join Chicago Council's student delegation
DWFI visiting scholar Tony Carr has been selected to join the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' 2015 Next Generation Delegation, a prestigious group of 18 student leaders from universities around the world studying agriculture, food, health and related disciplines. Tony will have the opportunity to participate in the 2015 Global Food Security Symposium April 16 in Washington, D.C. DWFI is a co-sponsor of this year's event, "Healthy Food for a Healthy World: Leveraging Agriculture and Food to Improve Global Nutrition." Learn more.

UNL researchers collaborate with Morocco on drought index
Morocco Composite Drought Index Morocco will have one of the world's first drought early warning systems that integrate several remotely sensed data sets from NASA and other U.S. agencies into a composite agricultural drought indicator.

The new Moroccan Composite Drought Index was developed with backing from the World Bank and with technical assistance from UNL's National Drought Mitigation Center and Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies. Learn more.
Rajendra Singh named 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
Water Prize Laureate On March 20, India's Rajendra Singh was named the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those in need. He will be honored during World Water Week in Stockholm this August. Learn more.
Upcoming events

Nebraska Water Center seminars
groundwater April 8, 3:30 p.m.
Speaker: Ryan Chapman

Hardin Hall, UNL East Campus

Dr. Chapman, wellhead coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, will present, "Nitrates in Nebraska Groundwater and a Small Town's Plight to Avoid Treatment." Learn more.

April 22, 3:30 p.m.
Speaker: T. Prabhakar Clement
Hardin Hall, UNL East Campus

Dr. Clement, Harold Vince Groome Jr. Endowed Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Auburn University, will address the value of using complex mathematical models to predict contaminant concentration levels in groundwater when there is limited data. Learn more.

International Center for Climate Governance webinar:
"Solutions for Water Efficiency, Water Productivity and Water Saving in Arid Countries
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April 14, 12 p.m.
Speaker: Pasquale Steduto, deputy regional representative for the Near East & North Africa Region and Egypt representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Dr. Steduto is also a member of DWFI's International Advisory Panel.


Concerns about water scarcity in arid countries focus on irrigation, the most water-demanding sector worldwide. However, irrigation is often seen as wasteful and inefficient. This webinar will examine the current approaches to improving water use and recommend alternatives in the context of arid countries. Registration is required. Learn more.

Heuermann Lecture:
"2050: Agriculture's Role in Mitigating Global Challenges
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Robb Fraley April 21, 3:30 p.m.
Speaker: Robb Fraley, Monsanto, Co.
Nebraska Innovation Campus

A distinguished leader in agricultural technology, Dr. Fraley is Monsanto's executive vice president and chief technology officer. He leads Monsanto's global technology division, which has plant breeding, biotechnology and crop protection research facilities in dozens of countries. In 2013, Dr. Fraley was honored as a World Food Prize Laureate. This event will be live-streamed. Learn more.

Final spring "Transdisciplinary Conversations" reception
Jessica Shoemaker April 22, 4:30-6 p.m.
Speaker: Jessica Shoemaker, NU College of Law
Morrill Hall, UNL City Campus

Join us for food, drinks and networking at the next 'Transdisciplinary Conversations' gathering, hosted by DWFI and the Rural Futures Institute. This month's event will feature remarks from Jessica Shoemaker, assistant professor of law at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Shoemaker will speak briefly about her transdisciplinary work, highlighting a project that involves developing a simulation tool for public participation in land use planning. Register now.
Spotlight

Jasmine Mausbach, intern
Jasmine Mausbach Jasmine Mausbach, originally from Omaha, is an undergraduate working on bachelor's degrees in environmental restoration and Spanish at UNL. Jasmine is researching and assessing various student engagement programs to evaluate how they might be applied to programs at DWFI. She is also working on a project to promote the Institute's Faculty Fellows on the website. In addition, she is developing a database of irrigation technology, irrigated land and irrigation productivity for every country in the world. The database will be used to create an interactive visual map with irrigation facts for each country.

She hopes to make a difference in the lives of those without enough food due to poor water management and farming techniques by assisting with international and local development. Her career goals include traveling the world, identifying environmental issues and proposing and implementing sustainable solutions. She hopes her experience at DWFI will help her achieve those goals.
Water funding opportunities

Agricultural Research Division & Daugherty Water for Food Institute Request for Concept Papers: Sustainable Irrigation Systems
Deadline: April 3 (extended from March 31)

While irrigated cropland systems are important for producing food, feed and fuel, there is concern that irrigated systems in the High Plains region of the United States may not be sustainable. For the purposes of this request, sustainable food production is defined as systems that are socially acceptable, economically feasible and environmentally responsible. In addition, sustainable food production systems in the High Plains require effective management of natural resources and the environment as well as economic development opportunities to maintain or enhance rural communities. Thus, one of the big questions facing food, feed, and fuel producers is, "Are there existing or potential models for sustainable irrigated cropping systems in the High Plains region of the United States?" This question is of interest to the ARD and DWFI. As such, the two units are partnering to provide assistance to IANR faculty to address this question. Visit the ARD website for more details.

U.S. Agency for International Development: Private Sector in Climate-Smart Agriculture
Deadline: April 15
Funding Opportunity: BAA-OAA-BFS-2015

USAID will fund opportunities to co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate in the research, development, piloting, testing, and scaling of activities to promote Climate Smart Agriculture in developing countries. The program aims to help smallholder food and agriculture systems in low-income countries adapt to the impacts of climate and weather change, with a primary geographic focus on countries in the U.S. government's "Feed the Future" initiative. In Addendum 01 of this program, USAID seeks knowledge and solutions to the current problem of limited levels of private sector engagement and investment in climate-smart agriculture.

Additional funding opportunities may be found at grants.gov, a single access point for individuals to search competitive funding opportunities from more than 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies.

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska was founded in 2010 to address the global challenge of achieving food security with less stress on water resources through improved water management in agricultural and food systems. We are committed to ensuring a water and food secure world while sustaining the use of water for other human and environmental needs.