The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center said Tuesday it has snagged a federal grant to launch a new research institute focused on the restoration of natural and agricultural lands.
A $12.5 million grant awarded by the National Science Foundation will establish the New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute (NRR-BII), a five-year project that will include 26 scientists from nine collaborating institutions. Allison Miller, member at the Danforth Center and professor of biology at Saint Louis University, will lead NRR-BII as its director.
“The New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute offers an incredible opportunity to revolutionize the way in which we approach restoration of human-impacted landscapes by focusing on both natural and agricultural ecosystems in tandem, and by applying cutting-edge technologies used primarily in annual grain crops to wild plant species and perennial crop candidate species,” said Miller.