AgriNovus Scores Major Grant Funding

President Beth Bechdol says the grant will allow for a "robust" work force study.

Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded the state’s food and agriculture innovation initiative a $4.2 million grant. AgriNovus Indiana says it will use the funding to support education, talent and entrepreneurship programs.

The organization says the goal of the two-year grant is to help meet the needs of Indiana’s growing agbiosciences sector. AgriNovus aims to address those needs through three key strategies:

• Developing general and targeted public education initiatives to raise awareness about the agbiosciences sector and the opportunities it offers
• Supporting talent and workforce development efforts to create a pipeline of professionals trained for and excited by agbiosciences careers in Indiana
• Identifying best practices in entrepreneurial growth and investment to leverage Indiana’s agbiosciences resources

"Indiana’s agbiosciences sector has a $16 billion impact on the state and employs 75,000 Hoosiers," said Beth Bechdol, chief executive officer of AgriNovus Indiana. "AgriNovus is now perfectly positioned to design and launch impactful programs around public education and awareness, talent and workforce, and entrepreneurial support. We appreciate the generous support of Lilly Endowment in these efforts."

AgriNovus says $500,000 of the grant is subject to matching conditions, which is meant to encourage others interested in the agbioscience sector to support the initiative.